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ARTICLE 8 (t) Project: Battle Green Master Plan - Study CPA Category: Historic Resources Amount Requested: $25,000 Amount Recommended: $25,000 CPC Vote: (8-1) Project Description: A study of the Battle Green funded by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Management, as part of their"Town Commons Preservation Initiative", stated in 2001 that, "in addition to being a central public open space for town,the Battle Green is a national shrine, an important historical marker from the beginning of our nation."Among the 26 places the DEM assessed,Lexington was unique in that it"serves a local and a national purpose."The main issue identified in the study was the appropriate use of the Battle Green, and the highest priority was "interpreting the site in a coherent, legible and consistent manner." While some progress has been made conserving the monument and Statue,by and large the recommendations contained in this report have not been addressed.The report concluded that the"lack of a broad-based coordinated stewardship of the site creates `turf wars,' [and] fractures approach"to stewardship of the site. The two solutions proposed by the study were to create a comprehensive planning effort, and to identify an oversight committee with authority to coordinate all decisions and integrate community viewpoints. In 2008, the Selectmen authorized the Tourism Committee to conduct a broadly inclusive process to develop a Master Plan for the Battle Green. For the last year the Battle Green Master Plan Committee has been inviting feedback from various organizations,business forums and citizens groups throughout the Town. However, it has become clear through this process that a professional consultant with historic landscape experience is needed to guide the master planning process and bring the Master Plan to completion. This CPA request would provide funds to engage such a consultant. Project Goals and Objectives: • Create Master Plan with immediate,intermediate, and long-term visions based on broad community input. o Define the Battle Green Area,what it should look like in 50 years, and its allowable uses. o Develop guidelines for making informed decisions for design standards,traffic flow, and parking o Update rules and regulations for approval. • Develop an annotated bibliography of all prior reports/resources on the Battle Green. • Identify a public-private funding strategy to implement the plan. • Put in place a stewardship structure/oversight committee to ensure the plan is followed. Project Benefit: Creating a Master Plan will ensure that we preserve the Battle Green for future generations of Lexington residents and for those who view it as a national treasure. Funding Request: The funding requested for this project is $25,000,which includes a 10% contingency. 25