2010-09-16-LEARY-min - Laserfiche WebLink

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Meeting Notes Ad hoc Leary Property Community Housing Task Force September 13, 2010 9:00 a.m. Room 207, Town Office Building Present: Bob Bicknell, George Burnell, MarilynFenollosa, Stephen Keane, Wendy Manz, Deb Mauger, Maryann McCall-Taylor, Lester Savage and Betsey Weiss Absent: Bill Hays, Aaron Henry, Housekeeping Lex Savage elected chair  Minutes of August 25, 2010 approved  General discussion Community Preservation Coalition- Maryann McCall-Taylor reported that she  had talked with Kathy Roth and Stuart Saginor regarding the use of CPA money. The money for the acquisition was appropriated from the Open Space Reserve, the Unbudgeted Reserves and the Undesignated Fund Balance of the Community Preservation Fund, so the source of the funds would not limit the use (i.e. historic preservation or community housing), but the scope of the article appears to limit it to community housing. Although the report spoke of historic preservation, the motion only mentioned conservation and community housing purposes. Mr. Saginor felt that the only use allowed for the 30,022 square foot lot is community housing. It would have to go back to Town Meeting to change to a historic preservation use, and probably would need a 2/3’s vote. If it were to be a historic preservation project, there would need to be a deed restriction approved by the Mass. Historical Commission. They might require adherence to the Secretary of the Interior’s standards. Massachusetts Affordable Housing Alliance (MAHA) – Shelly Goehring had  been contacted regarding affordable housing development. She felt that a market rate unit could be included in the development but no CPA funds could be used, so a proportion of land costs would have to be allocated to the market rate unit. Existing house- There was a wide-ranging discussion about the future of the  existing house. Should it be preserved as part of a community farm? Could we honor the past use by putting up a plaque and developing housing that in the style of New England farm houses as done in Bedford? How do we provide affordable housing in a challenged structure? What do the neighbors want? Could a person with affordable level income afford the construction costs? Perhaps the year of the demolition delay could be used to find a curator? Would it be possible to live in the house while restoring it? Have the Building Commission look at the house and outline the minimum to get a Certificate of Occupancy. Does putting other units on the site destroy the historic value?