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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-11-03-CPC-min 1 Minutes for the Community Preservation Committee 11/3/2022 Remote Zoom Meeting Meeting ID: 928 5649 0635 Committee members present: Marilyn Fenollosa (Chair), Jeanne Krieger (Vice Chair), Kevin Beuttell, Bob Creech, David Horton, Lisa O’Brien, Bob Pressman, Mark Sandeen, Melinda Walker Other Attendees: Amber Carr (Conservation Coordinator), Karen Mullins (Director, Conservation Department), Philip Hamilton (Chair, Conservation Commission), Ruth Ladd (Conservation Commission), Nancy Sofen (Follen Church), Carol Ward (Executive Director, Lexington Historical Society), Lester Savage (Director, Lexington Historical Society), Sandhya Beebee (Capital Expenditures Committee liaison), Carolyn Kosnoff (Assistant Town Manager, Finance). Administrative Assistant: Christopher Tierney Ms. Fenollosa called the meeting to order at 4:03 Willard’s Woods Site Improvement: Karen Mullins and Amber Carr presented a $1.3 million- dollar request to improve the Willard’s Woods site. The request would include changes to the parking area, trail improvements by the fire pit area and expanding walking and biking trails and improvements to the wet meadow near the pond, as well as increased roadway access. Ms. Mullins also commented that the Conservation Commission would be meeting on Monday 11/7 to finalize the design choices and have a better idea of the overall cost of the project. Ms. Walker asked about funding, especially since there was no amount presented for design and engineering. Ms. Mullins stated that these were already approved. Ms. Walker then asked about options 4, 6 and 8 on the KZLA Preliminary Cost Estimate Chart and whether already- encumbered funds have been used for this. Ms. Mullins said that they have. Ms. Mullins and Ms. Carr also went into greater detail about the trail expansion at the site to allow for 2 bicycles and to become ADA- accessible. The Committee had a series of questions on the plans for Willard’s Woods in terms of parking, trail materials, boardwalks, parking capacity, and parking lot materials. Each option that the Conservation Commission needs to consider has different costs and these vary significantly from one to another. Ms. Mullins stated that any funds that were unencumbered throughout the project would be returned to the CPC fund. Both Ms. Mullins and Ms. Carr went over the variety of options that the Conservation Commission has to choose from and this caused some confusion with the Committee members. Mr. Sandeen mentioned that he was uncomfortable with fully committing to the project without a concise plan being chosen. After some discussion the Committee decided to table the proposal until 2 after the Conservation Commission decides on its preferred options for the proposal. The Committee will consider this proposal at a later date. Whipple Hill Trail: Ms. Carr described the need for trail construction and improvements at the Whipple Hill Trail area. Ms. Carr described the need for funding at $300,000, with $50,000 allocated to design and engineering, $30,000 in contingency funds and the remaining $220,000 set aside for actual construction. Ms. Carr also explained that the need for improvements on the trail also included expanded access for fire engines, especially given the possibility of increased wildland fires in the coming decades. Mr. Creech asked about the footprint of the trail area and about the nature of fire access and whether this need is unique to Whipple Hill. Ms. Mullins told Mr. Creech that the footprint of the conservation land at Whipple Hill is 116 acres. Ms. Carr described the need for trails that could handle fire apparatus in many conservation areas and stated that there are many roads that are already designated for fire service access. Ms. Walker commented that fire suppression is an essential service and wondered whether this funding request should be funded with Town funds. Ms. Mullins commented that the Whipple Hill trail is in a serious state of disrepair, and that even if there were no need for expanded fire access, there is still a need for funding to fix the trail. After a motion was duly made and seconded the Committee conducted a roll call vote (9-0) in a straw poll to support the application. Restoration of East Village Clock Project: Nancy Sofen presented a $9,600 project to restore the East Village clock that is located in the steeple at Follen Church . The cost breakdown is $8,100 for the repair with a $1,500 contingency. Ms. Sofen described how the clock was a gift to the Town from the “Citizens of East Lexington” in 1914 and throughout the years has been given regular maintenance by volunteers. The clock has not undergone a serious repair in fifty years. Mr. Horton asked if the Town had acknowledged ownership of the clock. Ms. Sofen stated that the Town had been unaware of its ownership and that the documentation of the original donation was stored at the church. Ms. Krieger asked about the East Lexington Civic Association and whether they claimed ownership. Ms. Sofen described that the East Lexington Civic Association has been inactive for some years but that the citizens that originally bequeathed the clock stated that it was to be given to the citizens of East Lexington. After a motion was duly made and seconded the Committee conducted a roll call vote (9-0) in a straw poll to support the application. Hancock Clarke Barn: Carol Ward, Executive Director of the Lexington Historical Society, presented a request to stabilize the Barn at the Hancock- Clarke homestead. Ms. Ward stated that so far, the Historical Society has raised $25,000 and was asking the CPC $118,419 for restoration funding. Ms. Ward described the plans that the Historical Society has for the space, 3 including turning the Barn into an educational space for school groups and for other functions held at the space, and that the restoration presents a public benefit. Ms. Ward described that this is the first phase of the restoration. Les Savage also described what the stabilization would entail, including replacing the roof, replacing siding slats as needed, shoring up the foundation, exterior paint job, work on the rubble foundation, and replacement of lally columns that were originally temporary. Mr. Savage stated that the new plan was to replace these with pressure treated lumber as well as to install fans in the loft for better ventilation and to replace the windows on the window spaces. There are also plans to put electrical work in the Barn to allow for better educational programming. Ms. Fenollosa asked about subsequent phases. Ms. Ward commented that the first phase was to stabilize the structure and that once this is complete the Society will evaluate and decide what the completed educational space will look like. Ms. Ward also said that any subsequent phases will be dictated by funding. Mr. Beuttell asked about the tree removal that was included in the proposal and what exactly the scale of that tree removal is. Mr. Savage stated that there is at least one tree that needs to be taken completely down due to its condition but that the rest of the tree work is less for removal and more general tree work. Ms. Walker asked about the potential capacity of the space once it is complete. Ms. Ward commented that the space should accommodate about 30 or 40 people (at least one school class) sitting and more standing. Mr. Sandeen asked how old the building is; Ms. Ward commented that the building is from the 1850’s and while the current barn does not date from colonial times, there were barns on the property before this was constructed. Mr. Creech asked specifically about the footprint of the building; Mr. Savage said that he did not have the figures on hand but that his best guess would be about 25 by 30 feet. Mr. Creech also commented that the pricing figures for window replacement coming in at $6,000 seemed high. Mr. Savage said that they $6000 was an estimate and that the price included installation. Mr. Creech also asked about the electrical system and whether it was connected to the street. Mr. Savage commented the system would be 200 amps and that a trench would be dug to connect the Barn to the Hancock-Clarke House. It was noted that any unused CPC funding is returned to the CPC. Ms. Fenollosa asked about ADA accessibility; Mr. Savage told the Committee that the slope at the front of the building was not very steep but that he did not know the exact grade. Mr. Savage also said that wheelchair users could easily traverse from the Barn to the rest of the homestead. Ms. O’Brien asked what the duration of phase 1 would be ; Mr. Savage predicted that the stabilization would be completed in about 3-6 months. After a motion was made and duly seconded the Committee voted by roll call (9-0) in a straw poll to support the application. Committee Finances: Carolyn Kosnoff, Assistant Town Manager for Finance, joined the Committee to go over the CPC finances for the coming year. Ms. Kosnoff said that the Finance Department is still hard at work closing books from the prior year and therefore she does not yet have the specific amount that will be in the Undesignated Fund Balance. Ms. Kosnoff told 4 the Committee that there is an $8,600,000 carry-forward and a projected revenue of $8,100,000. The Committee will also receive interest on revenue still in the accounts. Ms. Kosnoff projects that at the conclusion of FY23 the Committee will have a balance of $8,900,000. Ms. Kosnoff also stated that the state match is projected to be approximately 35%, however this will not be known for sure until November 15 th. Ms. Kosnoff also described the Committee’s debt servicing obligations, including $1.78 million in debt servicing in the next financial year. She noted that there is considerably less debt in FY25 --only $681,200. Ms. Kosnoff stated that the amount available to fund projects would be diminished by application of the Committee’s policy of retaining a balance. Ms. Fenollosa acknowledged the Committee’s desire to retain a $2 million balance in reserve for emergency requests, but noted that with projected revenues of S14.9 million against total requested new projects of $13.3 million, if all projects were recommended, the CPF fund would still have a sizeable balance of $1.6 million. In response to a question by Mr. Pressman, Ms. Kosnoff agreed that balances in the open space and community housing buckets would not be available to fund recreation and histor ic resources projects. Ms. Kosnoff was asked whether the Munroe Center project could be funded by debt. She answered that it could be funded by debt. Mr. Pressman mentioned statements he heard regarding the Stone Building project during the Select Board meeting of September 12, 2022. One statement was that there was not enough information available to estimate the total cost of the project. The second statement was that a design cost could be several hundred thousand dollars. Ms. Kosnoff also stated that the Stone Building project, which is currently slated to cost $11,000,000 to complete, could be financed by debt. Ms. Kosnoff then went on to state the Finance Department’s requirements for a debt-serviced project. Any type of study would not qualify, nor would costs of upkeep. The cost of a debt-funded project also would need to be at least $1,000,000, especially since with increasing interest rates and inflation it would be imprudent to use debt financing for projects with small price tags. Minutes: The approval of minutes from 9/20 will be postponed until the next meeting. Committee Business: The next meeting of the Committee will be Thursday, November 10th beginning at 4:00 over Zoom. Ms. O’Brien left the meeting at 6:08; Mr. Creech left the meeting at 6:16. After a motion was made and duly seconded the committee voted by roll call (7 -0) to adjourn the meeting at 6:17. Respectfully submitted, Christopher Tierney, Administrative Assistant 5 Meeting Materials: Willard’s Woods Site Improvement CPA request Whipple Hill Trail Repair, Fire Access CPA request East Village Clock Restoration CPA request Minutes dated 10/20/2022 (not used) Community Preservation Fund Balances CPA Debt Service for FY24 Approved 11/17/2022