2010-03-22-CPC-min - Laserfiche WebLink

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said the need for the project “would not disappear”, that the Town Office Building should be welcoming to residents and visitors, and urged the CPC to fund it in its entirety. Ms. Buckley then answered a number of questions from CPC members. These included the need for handicapped access at the lower westerly entrance, the height of light switches and the need for their replacement, lighting issues, and bathrooms on the lower level. Ms. Weiss asked if the TOB was considered a top priority by the Commission to which Ms. Buckley said that it was. Mr. Kanter asked to see a list of the priorities for municipal buildings, and Ms. Buckley said she would provide it. There was general agreement among CPC members regarding the need for the project, but there were questions about the appropriateness of completing the project with CPA funds. Ms. Fenollosa noted that project might not receive support on the floor of Town Meeting. There were disparate views on the CPC regarding the funding of the project, with Ms. Krieger noting that it was her belief that CPA funds were very appropriate for the purpose of ADA upgrades and for the project as a whole. Mr. Adler noted that there were residents who felt that funding the TOB with CPA funds would be a “dramatic mistake”. He said he felt the Fire Station renovation represented a higher priority. A lengthy discussion ensued regarding the different philosophies represented by different members of the CPC. Mr. Adler went on to say that he had done a breakout of the costs he felt were unnecessary, which included among many items, a Clerk of the Works and ADA upgrades to the westerly lower entrance. With these costs taken out, he proposed that $1,031,923 was a more fitting funding level for consideration. Mr. Kanter stressed the importance of not “backing in” to the dollar amount and stated his opinion that the project should be evaluated in its entirety. There were questions about specific parts of the project, however, which Mr. Barrett addressed. He explained that the cost of the handicapped bathrooms had been factored into the estimate for the project, and that the unused $49,000 from the FY09 Town Office Building ADA Bathroom and Signage project would be turned back to the CPA fund. He also explained that a Clerk of the Works was necessary for the project, and that an existing Town employee could not fill the position. He stressed that supervising contractors, dealing with parking and egress and access issues, etc. was a full time job and was too time-consuming for existing staff. Ms. Krieger moved that the CPC allocate $1,825,821 for the project, the entire amount requested by the applicant, with the understanding that the $49,000 from the FY09 ADA Bathroom renovation project be returned to the CPA 2