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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-11-04-CPC-STM-rpt Town of Lexington Community Preservation Committee Report to 2013 Special Town Meeting November 4, 2013 ARTICLE 5: RENOVATIONS TO BUILDINGS TO BE ACQUIRED AT 39 MARRETT ROAD Submitted by: Marilyn Fenollosa, Chair Richard Wolk, Vice Chair Richard Canale Norman Cohen David Horton Jeanne Krieger Leo McSweeney Robert Pressman Sandra Shaw Richard Wolk Nathalie Rice, Administrative Assistant Released November 1, 2013 Town of Lexington Community Preservation Committee Report on Article 5 This report addresses the Board of Selectmen (BOS) application to the Community Preservation Committee for supplemental CPA funding for the renovations to the 39 Marrett Road property for the purposes of occupancy as soon as possible after the closing date of December 3, 2013. ARTICLE 5 - APPROPRIATION FOR RENOVATIONS TO BUILDINGS TO BE ACQUIRED AT 39 MARRETT ROAD CPC Consideration of the BOS Request for Supplemental Funding: At the request of the Board of Selectmen, the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) discussed at their meeting of September 11, 2013 the possibility of entertaining an "off- cycle" application for supplemental funding for renovations to the Community Center at 39 Marrett Road. Although the CPC typically does not accept fall submissions, after consideration of the BOS request the Committee voted in this case only to accept an application from the Board of Selectmen for renovations to the Community Center. The supplemental funding would allow the building to be occupied in the fall of 2014, rather than 2015/2016. The CPC agreed that the time sensitivity and the need for the Human Services Department to occupy the Community Center as soon as possible justified consideration of the CPA application prior to an annual Town Meeting cycle. The Board of Selectmen request initially quoted a range for the renovations of$755,000 to $1,210,000 based upon recommendations from the Ad hoc Community Center Advisory Committee (AhCCAC). The AhCCAC is charged by the BOS with providing recommendations for programmatic use for the Community Center and has worked with an architectural firm to develop costs for the interim renovations required for the Human Services and Recreation Departments to occupy the building. Between the initial CPC meeting on September 11th and the October 24th meeting, at which the CPC took its final vote, the scope of the interim renovations was expanded to a more complete set of renovations needed for full occupancy. This complete list included: new restrooms, minor 1 architectural changes, upgrades to the Telecommunication and Audio/Visual systems, corrections of minor code violations and minor upgrades to the HVAC system, recon- figuration of load-bearing walls to allow for group programs, installation of furniture and fixtures, and the construction of a full kitchen to enable the preparation of meals for seniors. Interim work would also include the design of a sidewalk from Marrett Road to the Community Center to allow handicapped access to the building. The final cost submittal to the CPC for interim renovations was $3,169,000, as detailed in the architects' Feasibility Estimate dated October 16, 2013. On October 24th the CPC held its third meeting on the BOS proposal. Town Counsel, Kevin Batt, Esq., was invited to the meeting to address questions regarding eligibility, and Robert Addelson, Assistant Town Manager for Finance, presented a financing plan for the $3,169,000 renovation. Town Counsel felt that certain proposed costs might not fall within the definition of"capital improvements" in the CPA statute, and recommended a conservative approach by excluding these items from the "punchlist" of CPA funded work. These items were: Telephone/Communications, Audio/Visual Systems, installation of Salvaged Equipment and a Furniture/Fixtures and Equipment line item. After CPC review and discussion, the CPC voted to exclude these items from the cost submittal, reducing the CPC-recommended cost to $2,846,184. The Committee voted (8-0)to support the entire scope of the proposed work for the interim renovations and to recommend to Special Town Meeting the funding of$2,846,184 of the renovations with CPA dollars. Based upon the presentation by Mr. Addelson, the Committee also voted (8-0)to recommend the use of available cash to fund the approved $2,846,184 interim renovation. In his presentations to the CPC, Patrick Goddard, Director of Public Facilities, made it clear that the requested CPA funds for the Fall Special Town Meeting ($2,846,184) were a subset of the total estimated renovation costs of the building. The total renovation is currently estimated at $10,944,186, of which $8,545,775 had been anticipated to be CPA- eligible. The interim renovations will enable the building to be occupied as soon as possible by the Human Services and Recreation Departments, now anticipated for the fall of 2014. Waiting until funds are approved at an Annual Town Meeting in spring of 2015 would delay occupancy until 2015 or 2016. 2 ARTICLE 5 Project: Supplemental Funding for 39 Marrett Road CPA Category: Historical Resources Amount Requested: $3,169,000 Amount Recommended: $2,846,184 CPC Vote: (8-0) Project Description: This CPA request by the Board of Selectmen is for preliminary funding for renovations to the main building at 39 Marrett Road (the Community Center). This funding will enable two Town Departments, the Human Services Department and the Recreation Department, to move into the building in a timely manner. With the departure of the Human Services Department and the Senior Center facilities from the former Muzzey High School Building, scheduled code upgrades to that building will not be necessary. In April of 2013, after the Town Meeting vote to acquire 39 Marrett Road, the Board of Selectmen appointed the Ad hoc Community Center Advisory Committee (AHCCAC) to make recommendations regarding the services and programs to be delivered in the new Community Center. The AhCCAC has worked closely with the architectural firm of Steffian Bradley Architects to develop a plan for interim occupancy. It is anticipated that renovations to the building will include the correction of minor code violations, modifications of HVAC, Telecommunications, Audio Visual systems and ADA aspects of the building, re- configurations of load-bearing walls, and the installation of a full kitchen in order to prepare meals for seniors. The interim renovations also include the design of a sidewalk from Marrett Road to the Community Center to allow handicapped access to the building. The interim renovations are estimated to cost $3,169,000; this cost is a subset of the estimated $10,944,186 in renovations, of which $8,545,775 was anticipated to be CPA- eligible. After meeting with Town Counsel, the CPC voted (8-0)to exclude certain items from the total list of renovation costs. These exclusions included Telephone/ Communications, Audio/Visual Systems, installation of Salvaged Equipment and a Furniture/Fixtures and Equipment line item. Removing these items brought the CPC- recommended cost to $2,846,184. The entire property of 39 Marrett Road, including the historic mansion, its addition, the carriage house and the surrounding grounds, is listed on the Lexington Historical Commission's Comprehensive Cultural Resources Inventory (the Inventory). The Town is scheduled to close on the purchase of the property on December 3, 2013. A permanent Historic Restriction will be drawn up after the purchase of the property. Project Goals and Objectives: • To conduct interim renovations at the Town's proposed Community Center, in order to shorten the time frame in which the building can be occupied by Town Departments. 3 • To rehabilitate the interior of the building by addressing certain code violations; making HVAC and ADA upgrades; reconfiguring load-bearing walls to make the building usable for programs and installing a full kitchen to allow the preparation of meals for seniors. • To design a sidewalk from Marrett Road to the Community Center. Project Benefit: This project will benefit the residents of Lexington by providing adequate space for community activities undertaken by the Human Services and Recreation Departments. Funding Request: The funding request for this interim renovation is $3,169,000, of which the CPC has voted to recommend $2,846,184 in CPA funds. 4 39 Marrett Road Community Center Interim Renovations Interim renovations to the Community Center would enable Town Departments to occupy the building in a timely manner. (Photo by Flansburgh Architects) 5 This page left intentionally blank 6