2008-12-11-CPC-min - Laserfiche WebLink

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Vynebrook Village is due to go out to bid in the spring. There were no further questions on this project. Monroe Tavern Historic Structures Report/Capital Needs Assessment 11.– Susan Bennett, Executive Director of the Lexington Historical Society presented this project for $50,000 for a study of the Monroe Tavern. She explained that the Tavern has recently received greater visitorship due to the inauguration of the Tavern as the “Museum of the British in Lexington”. She said the report would address the following needs for the Tavern; (1) a new HVAC system, which is outdated and in some sections of the Tavern, non-existent, (2) an updated fire sprinkler system, which dates back to the 1920’s, (3) the installation of ADA upgrades, (4) the reconfiguration of space in the Tavern to accommodate school groups, and (5) the installation of public bathrooms. She said the report would include an Historic Structures Report, plans and specs. There were no questions regarding this project. LexHAB Purchase of Three Properties 12. – Chairman of LexHAB, Bill Hayes, spoke to this request for $797,500 for the purchase of three properties for affordable housing. The three properties included (1) a single-bedroom condominium at Emerson Gardens selling for $250,000, (2) a house at 300 Woburn Street, for $352,000, that would be demolished and replaced with a standard LexHAB home, and (3) a house on Ross Road selling for $395,000, that would be upgraded. Mr. Hayes said LexHAB realized that the rents for these units should be set to permanently meet Town’s affordable housing quota, and that the housing group would impose deed restrictions to this effect. In response to a question from Mr. Levine, Mr. Hays stated that the house on Woburn Street would be built with contracting help from the Rotary, and manpower from Minuteman Vocational Technical School. He said such projects have been very successful and cost effective in the past. Ms. Dawn McKenna asked if LexHAB would go ahead with the purchase of the units with or without CPC funds. Mr. Hays responded that LexHAB would still purchase the units, and that in fact, two had already been purchased. Ms. McKenna replied that she did not feel the CPC should be “back funding” such purchases. She said she would rather see the CPC give LexHAB $700,000 to fund its purchases, or dedicate a portion of its reserves to fund LexHAB. Mr. Levine suggested that the Appropriations Committee should know if LexHAB plans to request additional funding for the construction of the Woburn Street house after its demolition. Mr. Hays said LexHAB would bring a funding request to Town Meeting, though he did not specify when. He added that the repairs to the Ross Road home would be done within the LexHAB budget. Land Acquisition by the Conservation Commission 13.– Karen Mullins, Conservation Administrator, spoke briefly to this request. She stated that the 7