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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-04-03-TFMP-min77SR TOWN OF LEXINGTON a Ad hoc Townwide Facilities Master Planning Committee k_ APRIL IT � k1NG'V Minutes Town of Lexington Ad hoc Townwide Facilities Master Planning Committee (AhTFMPC) April 3, 2013 Place and time: Public Services Building, 8:30 a.m. Members Present: Bill Kennedy, Chair; John P. Carroll; Peter Kelley, Selectman; Jeanne Krieger; Richard Pagett; Joe Pato, Selectman; Jessie Steigerwald, School Committee Members Absent: none Liaisons Present: Mark Corr, Chief, Police Department; Laura Hussong, Community Center Task Force (CCTF); David Kanter, Capital Expenditures Committee; Alan Levine, Appropriation Committee; Louise Lipsitz, School Department; Linda Vine, Town Manager's Office; John Wilson, Chief, Fire Department Liaisons Absent: James Goell, CCTF; Joseph McWeeney, Permanent Building Committee (PBC); Paul Lapointe, Council on Aging (COA); Also present: Ken Buckland, The Cecil Group; Eunice Kim, The Cecil Group; Pat Goddard, Department of Public Facilities; Karen Simmons, Recreation Department; Bob Pressman, Community Preservation Committee; Fred Johnson, Center Committee & Cary Memorial Building Committee; Carol Ann Bottino, resident Recording Secretary: Sara Arnold The meeting was called to order at 8:31 a.m. 1. Comments: Mr. Kennedy reviewed this Committee's charge and noted that many of the liaisons have a stake in the facilities and projects that are being reviewed. Those so affected have prepared written material summarizing their issues. Mr. Kennedy asked those liaisons to report verbally to the Committee. 2. Police Station: Chief Corr identified issues/concerns related to the Police Station: A. Space: The current station is 12-13,000 square feet and a police station with Lexington's demands should be 25-30,000 square feet. The lack of storage space is a concern. For example, evidence needs to be stored; a case can be brought back to the court system years after it is thought to have been resolved. The Town needs a lab for processing evidence because the state lab is backlogged. B. Mechanical and Structural Issues: The heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system is inefficient. The roof leaks and the composite has been compromised. Computer systems need physical and environmental protections. C. Safety: Fire arms need to be handled and stored safely. The building should have safeguards in the event of a bomb incident. The building should be earthquake resistant. There need to be separate areas for those under arrest. D. Building Design: A centrally located emergency dispatch area and a community gathering room are needed. It has been said that if the current building is renovated, the four outside walls cannot be moved. This will restrict flow and interaction between units. E. There are additional needs that have been identified since a needs study was completed a few years ago. ■ The Town needs to re -think its 911 center; it should be a "survivable pod". ■ The recent accreditation review identified some additional needs. ■ The firing ranges need to be improved to meet current standards. Chief Corr recommended that the Town look at the program and then find the space that will meet the program's needs rather than finding the space and then trying to fit the program into that space. This approach is more important than whether the police station is joined with the fire station or whether it is relocated. As mentioned at previous meetings, Chief Corr believes that a new fire station is a higher priority than a new police station. In response to questions about location, Chief Corr said that visibility is important, and being in the vicinity of the center is advantageous. He believes the current police station location, the current fire station location, the Liberty Mutual site on Bedford Street, or a comparable location are all acceptable for a police station. He does not support moving the police station to an outlying area such as Hartwell Avenue. He believes it is possible to incorporate the Hosmer House into the design for a new or renovated police station. He also believes that a larger footprint could be accommodated on the current location by removing some of the driveway curb cuts. If the Police Station remains in its current location, there is the challenge of finding swing space during construction or renovation. Chief Corr suggested that Cary Memorial Building may be an option, but questioned whether the anticipated Cary renovations would be negatively impacted by such a use. 3. Fire Station: Chief Wilson discussed issues related to the Fire Station. A. Space: The current building is too small; a trailer in the back lot is currently being used, which negatively impacts internal communication and customer service. There is no storage space. Six pieces of equipment are stored outside; they should be inside a heated facility. The living quarters and the exercise room are inadequate. B. Mechanical and Structural Issues: The building is inefficient. It has flooding problems because the ground level is below grade. Ideally, there would be outside space for drying the hoses; Lexington now uses a hose dryer. It is also possible to hang the hoses from a multi -story building for drying C. Location: The current location is the best; anywhere within a half mile of the current location will work. Three years ago, when options for a new/renovated police station and a new/renovated fire station were explored, there were conversations with the Historic Districts Commission (HDC). They didn't express any objections to the proposals being considered at the time, and they were willing to discuss either new locations for these facilities or using the current sites for new/renovated buildings. West of Lexington center, the Historic District stops at the corner of Bedford St. and Worthen Rd. In response to questions, Chief Wilson commented that the police and fire station needs have very little overlap, but there is the potential to share some space such as for training. As mentioned at previous meetings, Chief Wilson believes that a new fire station is a likely higher priority than a new police station. 4. Hastings School: Ms. Lipsitz, principal of the Hastings School, reported that Hastings is the only Kindergarten through Grade 5 school in Lexington that has not been upgraded or replaced in recent years. A. Space: The school is currently using modular units that were previously used at Clarke Middle School. Classroom sizes do not meet the state's standards for new schools. The Town is expecting an additional 200 students in the near future, and those students need to be serviced differently from the way students were serviced in the past. Additional special needs students require additional space to provide special services. Space for the school nurse needs to be increased because with improved health care, the number of fragile children attending the schools has increased. B. Acreage: Hastings can be rebuilt in its current location, but it will be a multi -story building with a smaller footprint than the current building. Finding swing space will need to be addressed. The School Committee expects to apply for Massachusetts School Building Authority funding for a Hastings School feasibility study in 2014. It is expected that a new building will be more cost effective than renovating the current building. 5. Cary Memorial Building: There wasn't time for a full report from Mr. Johnson, but Mr. Pato reported that the Selectmen had supported indefinite postponement of Article 8c (Cary Memorial Building Upgrades), included on the Town of Lexington Warrant for the 2013 Annual Town Meeting. He explained that he initiated the motion because he felt there was value in waiting for a decision on pursuing the upgrades until after this Committee completed its work. He asked whether this Committee felt there was value in postponing the article. It was generally agreed that the Police and Fire Stations were high priority projects. The proposal for investment in the Cary Building presumes financing fully with Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds. There was discussion about the use of CPA funds for the Police and Fire Stations, as well as the currently proposed Cary Building, and currently considered new Community Center. It was noted that the Town's financing model shows that these latter two projects as well as others can be financed comfortably. It was generally agreed that the sequencing of these projects does not impact the use of the CPA funds. It was noted that Article 8c only includes funding for design and engineering work; actual construction would require another vote by Town Meeting in 2014. There was discussion about using the basement of the Cary Building as swing space during Police Station renovations or while a new Police Station was built in the current location. There was some concern that renovating the Cary Building before the Police Station was built/renovated would preclude using the Cary Building as swing space for the Police Station project. There was, however, also concern that during any time the Cary Building space was used as swing space for police purposes, it would be unavailable for other uses given police security requirements. Some felt there was no down -side in waiting until a Fall 2013 Special Town Meeting to address the Cary Memorial Building project. Mr. Kelley commented that it would be best to have a clear picture of all the projects and how they fit together before making decisions. Others did not think this was a reason to delay the Cary Building project. Mr. Johnson said that the various projects being discussed don't compete, and therefore a delay isn't necessary. There was a motion to recommend support of the indefinite postponement of the Cary Memorial Building funding request under the Community Preservation Act to allow the committee to complete its work. VOTE: 1-4-2 6. Next Meeting: The next meeting will be on April 24 at 8:30 a.m. 7. Adjourn: The meeting was adjourned at 10:35 a.m. Materials used at the meeting: ➢ Agenda ➢ Memos to Mr. Buckland regarding Townwide Facilities Master Plan Service Improvements: o Fire Station: From Chief Wilson, January 17, 2013 o Police Station: From Chief Corr, January 17, 2013 o Human Services/Council on Aging: From Mr. LaPointe and Ms. Adler, January 25, 2013 o Cary Memorial Building: From Mr. Johnson, January 23, 2013 o Community Center: From Community Center Task Force: January 25, 2013 o Hastings School: From Ms. Lipsitz, January 21, 2013 o High School: From Ms. Steigerwald, January 17, 2013 ➢ 3 Scenarios for April 3: Lexington Facilities Alternatives prepared by The Cecil Group for April 3, 2013 meeting ➢ Schematic Design for Fire Station from Lexington Fire Station Schematic Design Study, February 15, 2011 by Donham & Sweeney Architects ➢ Schematic Design for Police Station from Lexington Police Station Schematic Design Study, February 15, 2011 by Donham & Sweeney Architects 4 Scenario 1: Combine & Reuse Facilities SUMMARY PROGRAM • Police and Fire to Liberty Mutual (options) Cn • Community Center to 33 Marrett Road • School Admin to Police Station or new High School U li • High School reconstruction with or without School c Admin 0 CM • Upgrades and maintenance for other facilities c J ASSUMPTIONS • Liberty Mutual building is demolished, and the Police/ Fire Facility is new construction • Police Station building is reused for School Admin (if School Admin moved to Police Station site) * Hosmer House is not incorporated or moved • High School project is done in phases COMPARATIVE CRITERIA SUMMARY COST Combined Police and Fire at New Site Land Purchase $3,397,680 Construction $18,374,175 Disposition of Land $3.023.000 School Administration to Police Station Renovation $2,750,000 Community Center to 33 Marrett $11,893,717 Total $39,438,572 SERVICE IMPACTS Likely requires smaller Police/Fire Station programs + Moves School Admin to more central location and creates due to site constraints centralized area for Town/School offices, or moves School Admin to High School campus FEASIBILITY — Requires acquisition of private property for Police/Fire + Reuses Police Station and Fire Station sites for Town Facility (willingness of Liberty Mutual or other owner and purposes timing unknown) + No swing space required for PS and FS if Police/Fire Facility — May not be enough space for combined Police/Fire built first (before School Admin and Community Center projects) Facility, and configuration on site could be challenging + Does not affect Hosmer House OTHER CONSIDERATIONS + Preserves historic Police Station ThelCecil Group Planning and Design Scenario 2: Sequential Projects cz SUMMARY PROGRAM 0- • Fire to Liberty Mutual Cn • Police to Fire Station • Community Center to 33 Marrett Road li • School Admin to Police Station or new High School o • High School reconstruction with or without School C, Admin x • Upgrades and maintenance for other facilities a� J ASSUMPTIONS • Liberty Mutual building is demolished, and the Fire Station is new construction • Fire Station building is reused and expanded for Police Station • Police Station building is reused for School Admin (if School Admin moved to Police Station site) * Hosmer House is not incorporated or moved • High School project is done in phases COMPARATIVE CRITERIA SUMMARY COST Fire Station to New Site Purchase of Site $2,265,120 Construction $9,425,250 Police Station to Fire Station SERVICE IMPACT Likely requires smaller Police Station program due to t No break in service and no swing space needed during site constraints construction - Requires acquisition of private property for Fire Station (willingness of Liberty Mutual or other owner and timing unknown) - Provides enough space for Fire Station, but configuration on site could be challenging - May not be enough space for Police Station ThelCecil Group Planning and Design + Provides enough space for Comunity Center and Fire Station programs + Moves School Admin to more central location and creates centralized area for Town/School offices, or moves School Admin to High School campus FEASIBILITY +Allows for sequencing of projects without swing space: 1) Fire Station, 2) Police Station, 3) Community Center (timing of other projects not affected) + Reuses Police Station and Fire Station sites for Town purposes + Supports other use of Hosmer House OTHER CONSIDERATIONS + Preserves historic Police Station and Fire Station Demolition $179,850 Construction $10,990,500 School Admin to Police Station $2,750,000 Community Center to 33 Marrett $11,893,717 Total $37,504,437 SERVICE IMPACT Likely requires smaller Police Station program due to t No break in service and no swing space needed during site constraints construction - Requires acquisition of private property for Fire Station (willingness of Liberty Mutual or other owner and timing unknown) - Provides enough space for Fire Station, but configuration on site could be challenging - May not be enough space for Police Station ThelCecil Group Planning and Design + Provides enough space for Comunity Center and Fire Station programs + Moves School Admin to more central location and creates centralized area for Town/School offices, or moves School Admin to High School campus FEASIBILITY +Allows for sequencing of projects without swing space: 1) Fire Station, 2) Police Station, 3) Community Center (timing of other projects not affected) + Reuses Police Station and Fire Station sites for Town purposes + Supports other use of Hosmer House OTHER CONSIDERATIONS + Preserves historic Police Station and Fire Station Scenario 3: On Site SUMMARY PROGRAM • Fire Station on site with added parcel • Police Station on site • High School reconstruction with School Admin li • Community Center at 33 Marrett Road o • Upgrades and maintenance for other facilities CM X ASSUMPTIONS • Fire Station building is demolished and reconstructed on site with adjacent site added • Police Station building is renovated and expanded on site * Hosmer House is moved to a new location • Scottish Rite Headquarters/Training Center reused for Community Center COMPARATIVE CRITERIA SUMMARY COST Fire Station Acquisition $702,187 Swing Space $1,000,000 Construction $13,578,165 Police Swing Space $500,000 Construction $12,555,585 School Administration Construction Community Center to 33 Marrett $11,893,717 Total $40,229,654 SERVICE IMPACTS + Keeps Police Station and Fire Station at their central locations + Provides enough space for Community Center, Police Station and Fire Station programs + Moves School Admin to more central location and creates centralized area for Town/School offices, or moves School Admin to High School campus FEASIBILITY — Requires swing space for Fire Station and Police Station + Does not dictate timing/phasing of projects — Requires new location for the Hosmer House + Reuses Police Station and Fire Station sites OTHER CONSIDERATIONS T Preserves historic Police Station and Fire Station ThelCecil Grou Planning and Design LEXINGTON FIRE STATION SCHEMATIC DESIGN STUDY REPORT 15 February 2011 by Donham & Sweeney ARCHITECTS Brett Donham AIA, Principal -in -Charge Jeff Shaw AIA LEED AP, Principal & Project Manager LEXINGTON FIRE STATION SCHEMATIC DESIGN STUDY REPORT Preliminary Plans, Option B -New Building AERIAL DIAGRAM 19 LEXINGTON POLICE STATION SCHEMATIC DESIGN STUDY REPORT 15 February 2011 by Donham & Sweeney ARCHITECTS Brett Donham AIA, Principal -in -Charge Jeff Shaw AIA LEED AP, Principal & Project Manager LEXINGTON POLICE STATION SCHEMATIC DESIGN STUDY REPORT Preliminary Plans -Addition and Renovation AERIAL DIAGRAM 15