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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2012-05-23-LEXHAB-minLexHAB Minutes of Meeting on May 23, 2012 All members were present as was Pat Nelson. The Chairman presided. The meeting opened at 7:03 a.m. 1. Minutes of April Meeting It was suggested that Paragraph 2 (a) end after the word "units ". Otherwise, the minutes were accepted. 2. Financials Gerry explained the Garfield Street entries on the first spreadsheet page and called attention to the handwritten adjustments on the last page. Request was made for a simple balance sheet to accompany our much improved operating statements. Gerry will see if this can be done. 3. Busa Project No report. 4. Fairview Project A. Gerry reported that Steve from the Metro West office asked for information about our financials; he is working on the financial report to accompany our 40 -b application. Gerry was able to provide much that Steve will need; Steve will call or meet Dave for estimates of the cost of the work on the old house. B. Bob and Martha are planning the meetings with neighbors. They are considering a series of questions, the answers to which can be the source of the coming report to the Selectmen. The fact that every neighbor will have been asked the same questions will lend considerable objectivity to the report. June 2 and 4 are being considered as meeting days. Bob indicated that a package of materials will be left with each neighbor. The package is to include the lay -out plan (reduced in size), Carter Scott's elevations for the new buildings and the single page fact sheet being prepared by Jennifer VanCampen and Aaron Henry. C. Bill Hays summarized the recommendations of the Fairview Task Force on the subject of density. The Task Force believes that the 40 b application should be for 4 new housing units consisting of 2 two - family buildings, one described as in the Greek Revival mode and the other referred to as the Carriage House. All four units would be two - bedroom dwellings. These would be in addition to the house on the property which we will rehab into a 3 or 4 bedroom dwelling. Bill noted that the reasoning behind this recommendation includes the following: I A request for fewer units could have an adverse effect on the Busa and Leary Proj ects. II Were we to drop back to 3 new units instead of 4, there woul&be a strong inducement to place the 3 units under one roof. But all buildings with three or more units must now be sprinklered and this would be expensive. III The Carriage House and the Greek Revival building "fit" easily and attractively on the site and blend well into the neighborhood. IV The two buildings are not intrusive and in fact will hardly be visible to neighbors, partly because of the contours of the site but mainly because on two sides, the abutters are the Town and the U.S.Park Service. V Four new units will make it possible to avoid creating any 3 or 4 bedroom units and this will affect the likely make -up of each household. 5. Wilson Road Dave reported that the repairs and improvements to the house and garage are close to being finished and the landscaping will be finished soon. Walk- throughs by perspective tenants can begin. 6. Muzzey Pat described the recent request by a Muzzey owner to transfer her or his unit to a trust for estate planning purposes. It is a near certainty that the trust will provide that at some point in the future (probably at the death of the person who is creating the estate plan ie. the present owner), title will pass to beneficiaries not identifiable at the present time. This would do considerable damage to the Town's original plan for Muzzey which attempts via the restrictions to ensure that ownership passes only to buyers who are qualified. Pat and Bill will continue to study the request and report back to the Board at the June meeting. In the meantime, Pat will notify the owner that LexHAB is considering the request but is not ready yet to give an answer. Next Meeting. The next meeting will be on June 27`" at 7 a.m. Adjourned at 8:25 a.m.