HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-02-05-CEC-minMinutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting
February 5, 2013, Open Session
Date, Place, and Location: February 5, 2013, 8:00 A.M., Town Office Building, Reed
Room (111)
Members Present: Charles Lamb, Chair; Beth Masterman, Vice - Chair; Bill Hurley;
David Kanter
Member Absent: Jill Hai
Other Attendees: Carl Valente, Town Manager; Maryann McCall - Taylor, Planning
Director; William Hadley, Director, Department of Public Works (DPW); John Livsey, Town
Engineer; Rob Addelson, Assistant Town Manager for Finance; Sara Arnold, Recording
Secretary
Documents Presented:
• Hartwell Avenue Engineering Drawing
• FY2014— FY2018 Capital Improvement Projects (CIPs), Department of Public Works
• Sustainable Lexington Solar Taskforce — Update for Capital Committee, 04 Feb 2013
• Draft Minutes for the January 29, 2013, CEC Meeting
• Draft Minutes for the February 4, 2013, CEC Meeting, Open Session
Call to Order: Mr. Lamb called the meeting to order at 8:02 A.M.
DPW CIP for Hartwell Avenue Infrastructure Improvements: Mr. Valente explained that
several years ago the Town adopted a Transportation Management Plan for the
Transportation Management Overlay District that includes Hartwell Avenue ( "Avenue ").
Based on that plan, short -term and long -term projects are being pursued that would add
amenities along the Avenue that will support current and potential businesses, and would
demonstrate the Town's commitment to business development in that zone. The Hartwell
Avenue Association, representing most of the property owners, is taking a lead role in
outlining this effort.
Short -term projects include:
• A mixed -use sidewalk on the easterly side of the Avenue between Bedford Street
and the Minuteman Bikeway (Bikeway);
• Shuttle service to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Alewife station;
• Amenities, such as food - service trucks and banks;
• A gateway entrance: It is expected that a landscape architect will create a name to
give the area some presence; a sign will be on State land and maintained by the
Town; and
• A bus shelter on Bedford Street: The adjacent Medical Care Center, operated jointly
by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Children's Hospital, is asking to add
parking spaces at its facility, and the Town is asking that they build a Bedford Street
bus shelter and a sidewalk from their facility to the shelter in exchange for zoning
relief.
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Minutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting
February 5, 2013, Open Session
Long -term projects include:
• Intersection improvements (e.g., a roundabout) at Maguire Road;
• Sidewalks the entire length of both sides of the Avenue, with a mixed -use sidewalk
on one side;
• Perhaps consolidating some access /egress points along the Avenue;
• Traffic - calming at Wood Street;
• Putting the currently overhead utilities underground; and
• Repairing the limited -load- capacity section that bridges wetlands (the "bridge ").
Mr. Livsey explained that the long -term projects have been broken into phases because of
their costs and magnitude. Consultants identified 16 to 18 components associated with the
long -term projects and estimated that the associated D &E would be approximately
$2.1 million. In the CIP, that D &E was divided into three phases of approximately $690,000
each —with two separate years of construction. Phase 1 will include sidewalks; details for
Phases 2 and 3 have not been developed yet. Mr. Kanter said that a narrative of the
specific scope of each phase would need to be developed for Town Meeting.
The Committee discussed the two, $8 million each, out -year construction projects and
questioned whether any State Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) funds would be
available. The response was none was contemplated; the Bedford Street project, including
the Avenue intersection, has the best hope for TIP funding. Mr. Valente noted that the
Avenue serves Hanscom Air Force Base (HAFB), which is recognized as a valuable
resource for the State. The Federal government may be starting another Base Realignment
and Closure (BRAC) process. That might challenge the continued operation of HAFB
which, in turn, may serve as leverage for State support of improved access to HAFB to
demonstrate the State's commitment to the military facility. It is arguable that for this reason
the State should support the entire length of improvements on the Avenue.
Mr. Valente discussed the bridge on the Avenue near Maguire Road, which isn't noticeable
as such when driving on the road. The State has informed the Town that either the bridge
needs to be repaired /replaced or the roadway will need to have a restriction on heavy -per-
axle vehicles from crossing over the bridge. If the latter were to take place, this would
increase the number of heavy vehicles on Wood Street. This is problematic because during
the Avenue zoning change discussions several years ago, the Town made a commitment
to the Wood Street residents that the Town would pursue restricting trucks on Wood Street.
The State, however, wouldn't agree to the restriction until the bridge is repaired because
the proposed, required alternative route would be the Avenue. Mr. Valente suggested that
the State should see this as a regional issue because of the impact on HAFB.
It was agreed the bridge needs to be addressed as soon as possible —both as a practical
matter to maintain adequate access and to facilitate moving ahead to fulfill the Town's
commitment to Wood Street residents. Mr. Kanter said he felt that Town Meeting would be
responsive to funding a roundabout at Maguire Road and addressing the bridge problem as
those appear to him to be more of value than the other "amenities" being suggested.
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Minutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting
February 5, 2013, Open Session
Mr. Lamb asked whether the Avenue project would result in increasing the tax base.
Mr. Valente said that analysis associated with the change in zoning for the Avenue that
took place several years ago showed that there would be increased development with the
changes. The zoning change coincided with the recession, thus delaying the positive
impact. Currently the vacancy rate is 30% when measured against the maximum -now-
allowed build -out, but there are indicators that suggest commercial property vacancies, in
general, are declining as commercial property is reasonably priced. Mr. Valente added that
there are two empty buildings next to each other on the Avenue near the Bedford Street
intersection, one of which looks like a tear -down. The Town will be talking to the owners
about consolidating, but there are some logistical complexities for the owners. One
potential option is for the Town to purchase, or take by Eminent Domain, both parcels,
consolidate them, and sell them as one property. That approach has been used
successfully by the City of Lowell.
Mr. Lamb expressed concern about the magnitude of the construction costs and wondered
how they will be rationalized to Town Meeting and the taxpayers. Mr. Valente commented
that the Selectmen believe that the Town needs to provide infrastructure improvements
because such improvements trigger re- development. The Committee discussed the need
for better transportation on the Avenue. Ms. Masterman wondered if moving municipal
facilities to the Avenue would trigger more commercial interest. Mr. Valente questioned
whether it was advisable to use limited commercial space for municipal facilities. He likes
the idea of some mixed -use facilities on the Avenue.
Mr. Valente reported that there is no high -speed Internet service on the Avenue or at
HAFB, and HAFB has an immediate need for that capability —which would be achieved at
its expense. There is Level 3 optical fiber on Route 1- 95/128. There is a connection point on
Route 2 at Spring Street or the route could be along the Avenue. Mr. Lamb and Mr. Hurley
concurred that providing such Internet service serves a more critical need to businesses
along the Avenue than building sidewalks. The Town will be urging that HAFB choose the
Avenue routing and, if it does, a condition of the Grant of Location could be the concurrent
installation of extra conduit with (or for) dark fiber for use by the businesses along the
Avenue.
With regard to the undergrounding of utilities, Mr. Livsey said it is estimated to cost
$4.0 million.
The Committee and Mr. Valente discussed the financial impacts of pursuing infrastructure
improvements versus having high vacancy rates. Mr. Valente said that the Town is paying
out hundreds of thousands of dollars in abatements because of high vacancy rates. He
added that the D &E project will inform the Town in terms of construction costs and the
impact on debt service. This will provide data for analyzing the pros and cons of pursuing
construction.
The Committee suggested that the sequencing of the D &E and construction would be better
if construction were in the year following the D &E— rather than having three years of D &E
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Minutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting
February 5, 2013, Open Session
before any construction (beyond the initial sidewalk) begins —and that the initial scope of
D &E be for what the Committee considers the high -value efforts such as the bridge and the
Maguire Road intersection. This would provide data for evaluating the impact of the
improvements on vacancy rates. Mr. Valente agreed to have the Town revisit the packaging
of the Hartwell Avenue project.
In response to questions from Mr. Kanter regarding the mixed -use sidewalk from Bedford
Street to the Bikeway on the easterly side of the Avenue, Mr. Livsey explained:
• The topography between the Bikeway and Maguire Road does not lend itself to
being included in the project.
• The sidewalk will be constructed as close to the buildings as possible, while staying
on the Town's right -of -way, to preclude interference with some other project that the
Town may wish to pursue along the Avenue.
The Committee brought up its previously made request to keep the 2013 Annual Town
Meeting vote on the $200,000 Avenue sidewalk project separate from the residential
sidewalk project and from the rest of the Hartwell Avenue project. Mr. Valente said that the
Motion under the sidewalk Article will provide for two votes: one for residential sidewalks
and one for the Avenue sidewalk between Bedford Street and the Bikeway. In response to
Mr. Kanter asking if additional funds could be included in FY2014 for more work on
residential sidewalks, Mr. Valente said the Town likely had the capacity to do more of that
work in FY2014, but that such funds would have to be taken from somewhere else.
Mr. Kanter responded by pointing out that there is currently about $2.5 million in
unallocated FY2014 revenue.
Committee's Report to the 2013 Annual Town Meeting and Associated Special Town
Meeting: Mr. Kanter reported that the Draft #1 he distributed to the members on
February 1 has all of the subsections based on the Town Warrant for those Meetings. He
explained how the Committee's past practice has been that if the descriptions he'll quote in
the Committee's Report from the Warrant or, eventually, from the Town's Recommended
Budget & Financing Plan (the "Brown Book "), are adequate, there is no need to add
anything except the Committee's vote unless the member responsible for the Article feels it
is important to say more. He explained that in Draft #1 —as he will do in subsequent
drafts —he uses three colors of text:
• Black: Generally this is text from last- year's report, with any obvious updates that are
already known, which he suggests may be suitable for inclusion in this - year's
Report. That text, however, still warrants careful review by all members.
• Blue: This is like the black text, except that the blue text is thought to need to be
validated and /or updated.
• Red: This is from last- year's report and is included only to provide members with an
example of what might be warranted —most likely with modification or even
deletion —in this - year's report.
Ms. Masterman questioned whether the quantity of information included in the report is
helpful to Town Meeting members and felt it should be easier for readers to more - readily
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Minutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting
February 5, 2013, Open Session
understand where this Committee disagrees with a proposed action. It was agreed that
relatively few Town Meeting members read the full report, but the historical information is
helpful to Committee members. It is also useful in preparing the five -year plan. Mr. Kanter
suggested that Ms. Masterman's interests might be achieved with a slightly more - robust
Executive Summary and, perhaps, with a change in where one or more of the tables
appear in the report. (No decisions were made regarding a change in the format or content
of the report.)
Minutes:
It was moved and seconded to approve the January 29, 2013, Minutes, as presented.
Vote: 4 -0
It was moved and seconded to approve the February 4, 2013, Open- Session Minutes, as
presented. Vote: 2 -0 -2 (Mr. Lamb and Ms. Masterman abstained as they were not at the
meeting.)
Member Concerns and Liaison Reports:
Ms. Masterman distributed a status report from the Sustainable Lexington Solar Taskforce.
Move to Executive Session: Mr. Lamb, as the Chair, declared that an Executive Session
is warranted under the Open Meeting Law Exemption 6 (to consider the purchase,
exchange, lease or value of real property) as the discussion in an open meeting may have
a detrimental effect on the negotiating position of the Town —and with the intention to
reconvene in Open Session only to adjourn. A motion to do so was moved and seconded.
Each member was polled. Vote: 4 -0
The Committee went into Executive Session at 9:53 A.M.
Return to Open Session: The Committee returned to Open Session at 10:25 A.M.
Adjourn: A Motion was made and seconded at 10:25 A.M. to adjourn. Vote: 4 -0
These Minutes were approved by the CEC at its meeting on March 6, 2013.
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