2016-05-09-CEC-STM2-STM4-rpt (supplement)

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CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT TO STMs 2016-2&-4 Warrant-Article Explanations and Recommendations Cites of the "Town Warrant"refer to "TOWN WARRANT, Town of Lexington, Special Town Meeting 2016-2"and "TOWN WARRANT, Town of Lexington, Special Town Meeting 2016-4", for Meeting dates of February 8, 2016, and April 25, 2016, respectively. STM 2016-2 Article 2:Land Purchase— Fund Funding 20 Pelham Road Authorization Source Committee Recommends Requested $8,000,000 GF (Candidate for Approval (4-1) Debt-Exclusion Vote) "To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Selectmen to take by eminent domain,purchase or otherwise acquire, for municipal or school purposes, any fee, easement, or other interest in all or any part of land known as 20 Pelham Road and shown as lot 65A on Assessors'Property Map 31, and to appropriate a sum of money therefor and for associated design, engineering and architectural services for plans and specifications and related costs in connection with said property; and determine whether the money shall be provided by the tax levy, by transfer from available funds, or by borrowing, or by any combination of these methods; or act in any other manner in relation thereto." "DESCRIPTION: This article requests authority and funding to purchase or take by eminent domain the property at 20 Pelham Road, owned by the Armenian Sisters and formerly used as an elementary school,to be used for municipal or school purposes." [Town Warrant for 2016-2] History of Request At the time of the initial report on this Article, this Committee's recommendation was pending further public information being made available on this potential purchase. At the Board of Selectmen's meeting on April 25,2016, it voted unanimously in Open Session to recommend approval of the purchase of this parcel of land and the above-cited appropriation to this STM and further information on the matter was subsequently made available. Short Answer The majority of the CEC supports acquisition of the 20 Pelham Road property ("Pelham") even as the CEC realizes final plans for the property are not defined and the existing school is in need of significant renovation, because it preserves the Town's ability to thoughtfully plan future growth for school and municipal needs, and provides flexibility in that long-term planning. There are numerous, acknowledged, needs facing Lexington and limited options for new space on which to locate them. While no decisions have been made at this time as to the specific use for this property, the Committee recognizes that waiting for the necessary studies, deliberations, and decisions would take longer than the property is likely to be available. As school enrollment continues to grow at greater than the median projected rate, preserving flexibility seems to be the prudent route. Expansion at our existing buildings is very expensive and limits what we can do in the future. As a "classroom for dollar" matter, it could be cheaper to build at Pelham than to expand at existing schools, according to the numbers we currently have for each. Discussion Pelham contains a 10-classroom elementary school, constructed in 1959, with a large gym, a full cafeteria, and a commercial kitchen. It is situated on 8.4 acres of land, adjacent on the east to Youville Place (a rehabilitation and nursing home), on the south to the Lexington Community Center (LexCC), on 1