2013-09-23 BOS Packet - Released

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Interim Recommendation to BOS 9/23/13—from Ad Hoc Community Center Advisory Committee Recommendation#1 Guiding principles for interim construction: • Initial physical modifications to the building should be minimally invasive • An effort should be made to minimize the costs associated with the interim construction and to avoid doing work that may have to be modified or changed for the permanent occupancy plan. Nonetheless, energy improvements or other modifications that have the potential to reduce the Town's building maintenance costs could be considered at this early interim stage because of the resulting operational savings the Town might achieve. • Startup renovations should focus on building code compliance and telecommunication needs to operate and function as a public municipal building • There should be no removal of load bearing walls, structural changes to the building, nor any signification exterior work, except for that required for ADA accessibility or other permitting and code compliance reasons • Renovations to the new Center should generally follow the SBA schematic construction plan identified as "Interim Scope, Sept. 16, 2013" and further improved in its 09/23/13 drawings presented concurrently with this document. • Interim locations of offices and programming spaces should not be finalized until the construction plans are further fleshed out and more information is gathered. Thus, plans and drawings at this early stage should be considered illustrative, for conceptual use only. • Absent detailed construction drawings, the cost estimate for the construction improvements are still a work in progress. The Board of Selectmen, with the advice of staff and architectural consultants, should determine the final appropriate budget to present to Town Meeting as more information becomes available. • All Muzzey Senior Center functions should be moved to the new facility at this interim stage. • Interim construction should be guided by the need to maintain critical and core senior services, and meet code compliance (including adding bathrooms and other plumbing fixtures if needed to meet new occupancy demands). Recommendation#2: Human Services: The majority of Lexington's Human Service functions are located at Muzzey Condominium on 1475 Mass. Avenue. Muzzey Condominium's deficiencies have been well documented in separate studies and include life safety code deficiencies and non-compliance with ADA accessibility. The first phase of a two year renovation totaling$1,040,444 was approved under Article 8C Annual Town Meeting 2012.The$561,518 appropriation has not been spent, and second phase funding was not sought at Annual Town Meeting 2013, as the Human Services Department are intended to move into the Community Center. All Muzzey services need to be moved to the new center as soon as possible in order to avoid having to make the above mentioned expensive life-safety code and ADA compliance upgrades ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Distributed to BOS for its Meeting of 09123113 Page 1 of 2