The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About2014-11-13-CPC-min Minutes of the Community Preservation Committee Thursday, November 13, 2014 Parker Room, Town Office Building 1625 Massachusetts Avenue 3:00 pm Committee Members Present: Marilyn Fenollosa, Chair; Richard Canale, Norman Cohen, David Horton, Jeanne Krieger, Leo McSweeney, Bob Pressman, Sandy Shaw and Richard Wolk, Vice-Chair. Administrative Assistant : Nathalie Rice Also in attendance were David Kanter, Vice Chair of the Capital Expenditures Committee; John Livsey, Town Engineer; and David Pinsonneault, Operations Manager, DPW. The meeting was called to order at 3:02 pm. by Ms. Fenollosa. 1.State Matching Funds Announced Ms. Fenollosa reported that the State CPA Match had been announced and that Lexington had received 32.56% or $1,230,116. Mr. Kanter reported that this amount is $302,806 more than that estimated in the FY15 planning cycle by the Assistant Town Manager for Finance. The additional $302,806 he noted, will be appropriated to the CPF at the March Annual Town Meeting, unless there is a Special Town Meeting beforehand. Mr. Kanter also reported that the 2014 CPA surcharge was $3,777,676, (making the revenue for the CPF a total of $4,704,986). For the purposes of estimating monies available for the FY16 planning cycle, the figure of $4.7M will be added to the existing balances in the three buckets, in the Unbudgeted Reserve and in the Undesignated Fund Balance. 2.Receipt of Town Counsels Opinion on Conservation Applications presented on November 6th Ms. Fenollosa noted that Town Counsel, Kevin Batt had ruled on the two th CPA applications submitted on November 6 . Mr. Batt had advised that the Conservation Meadows Preservation Program was eligible under the designation of preservation of Open Space, and that the Lower Vine Brook Paved Recreation Path Reconstruction was eligible in its broadest sense under rehabilitation of a recreational resource. 3.Parkers Revenge Restoration, Ms. Jeanne Krieger, Mr. Dan Fenn, Friends of Minuteman National Park, $24,200 Ms. Krieger commenced her presentation by recusing herself from any and all CPC votes on the Parkers Revenge Project. She introduced former Selectman Dan Fenn, who recounted the remarkable courage of Captain John Parker who after losing eight men on the Lexington Green on the morning of April th 19, rallied his company for a later ambush of the British regulars on their hasty retreat from Concord. The site of the ambush is the focus of the CPA historic restoration project proposed by the Friends of MMNP. Ms. Krieger and Mr. Fenn explained that their 1 application requested CPA funds for interpretive materials that would be installed and/or used after land clearing and archeological excavations had been completed. The CPA request included exhibit panels and stands, cases, interpretive painting and a mobile phone tour. Members discussed the application in light of Town Counsels opinion that the hard costs associated with the project were defensible, but that the soft costs of interpretation were harder to justify under the CPA statute. Ms. Fenollosa reported that she had put in a call to Mr. Batt, but had not yet had an opportunity to talk with him about the project. Ms. Krieger explained that certain aspects of the project with hard costs had already been completed, such as land clearing. She said future hard costs were difficult to define, since they were dependent upon as yet uncompleted work. Given Mr. Batts opinion, members agreed that Ms. Krieger should discuss the project with Mr. Batt and resubmit the application for funding of hard costs only. Members of the CPC stated that they were generally very supportive of the project, but felt that a straw vote on the application was premature. Ms. Krieger will contact Mr. Batt and resubmit an amended project application to the CPC in the coming weeks. 4.Town-Wide Culvert Replacement (Minuteman Bikeway), $290,000 Mr. John Livsey presented this project to the CPC, noting that the location of the culvert to be replaced was on the Minuteman Bikeway, north of Camellia Place off Bedford Street. Ms. Fenollosa commented that the project title seemed inappropriate for a CPA project since it gave the impression that the culvert replacement was on municipal roadways. Mr. Livsey explained that the culvert was an old granite box culvert, which had fallen into disrepair. It measured 20x4x4 and had been identified in an inspection of the macadam surface of the Bikeway, which had begun to sink. Investigation of the area under the bikeway revealed that a large supporting section of granite had shifted out of place and could likely fall. Mr. Livsey proposed replacing the failing granite culvert with a concrete box culvert, the base of which would be depressed two feet to eliminate scouring. Mr. Livsey described the stream (North Lexington Brook) and its watershed. He noted that the $290,000 requested would be used exclusively for the culvert replacement on the Bikeway. After a motion duly made and seconded, the CPC voted in a straw vote (9-0) to approve the culvert restoration project on the Minuteman Bikeway. 5.First Parish Church Exterior Preservation and Restoration, Mr. Russell Tanner and Mr. Erik Svenson, $195.000 Russell Tanner and Erik Svenson of the First Parish Building Committee met with the CPC and described their request to use CPA funds to replace the Churchs exterior windows, rehabilitate the existing entrance steps, landscape the front of the Church, conduct exterior siding and trim repairs and add exterior up- lighting to the lower levels of the sanctuary. Two members of the church were in attendance. Mr. Tanner and Mr. Svenson explained the details of the project and reviewed the timing of their request. They explained that they had not yet met with the HDC, and that preliminary specs and plans would not be expected until March. Members discussed the projects timeline, and stated that they felt HDC approval was critical prior to CPC review, since HDC exterior design standards might well determine the project costs. Members also questioned the timing of not having definite cost estimates until March, 2 noting that estimates would be needed prior to the posting of the warrant in December. Members also discussed the importance of the First Parish location and its prominence as the backdrop to the Battle Green. They suggested that the applicant contact David Pinsonneault, Director of Operations for DPW, and the Streetscape Committee to determine any current plans for replacing the sidewalks in the front of the Church. The CPC reasoned that the replacement of the sidewalk, (a proposed cost in the Church project), might in fact be a part of the scope of work for the Streetscape Improvements. The Committee also noted that the proposal was the first CPC application for funding of a religious institution, which prompted some discussion. There was a lengthy discussion of various aspects of the project, and it was the sense of the Committee that the project was worthy of further consideration. The need for HDC approval for this important and visible project, however, prompted the CPC to suggest that the proponents amend their application. The Committee recommended that as a first step, the applicant apply for funding for a Historic Structure Report in order to fully assess the extent of necessary repairs. Mr. Tanner expressed some concern about the timing, stating that the Church wished to maintain momentum on the project. After a motion duly made and seconded, the CPC voted in a straw poll (9-0) to support further consideration of the project as a request for funding for a Historic Structure Report. Mr. Tanner will investigate architectural design firms and submit an amended application before mid-December. 6.Approval of Minutes of June 10, 2104 Richard Canale questioned page three of the minutes, stating that he had said he had offered to investigate the Busa designation of acreage, according to the Planning Boards acceptance of the Approval Not Required Plan, but he did not feel comfortable researching price. Ms. Rice will remove the reference to costs on page three, section 6(c). Ms. Fenollosa asked Ms. Rice to meet with the Town Assessor and request a valuation on the house lot on the Busa parcel. Mr. Pressman objected to the methodology of having the Town Assessor value the Busa house lot. The minutes were then approved as amended. 7.Updates and Member Concerns th a.)Grain Mill Alley Project - Ms. Fenollosa updated the CPC on the November 6 meeting of the HDC at which Economic Development Director, Melisa Tintocalis presented the Grain Mill Alley Project. Ms. Fenollosa stated that all five members of the Commission expressed lack of support for the project as currently designed. The Commission felt the project was over-programmed and was not in keeping with the colonial nature of the Town. Ms. Tintocalis did not withdraw the project, but sought and was granted a continuance. The following documents were presented at the meeting: 1.Two photographs showing the culvert failure at the Minuteman Bikeway at Camellias Place, presented by Town Engineer, John Livsey. 2.CPA Projects Database for Historic (Interpretive) Projects. Submitted by Marilyn Fenollosa, dated 11/13/14. 3 3.Community Preservation Fund Allowable Spending Purposes, adapted from information provided by the Massachusetts Department of Revenue, Division of Local Services. Copied from the 2014 CPC Report to Annual Town Meeting. 4.Updated copies of CPA Project List and Appointment Schedule. The meeting was adjourned at 5:39 pm. Respectfully submitted, Nathalie Rice Administrative Assistant Community Preservation Committee 4