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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-06-23-TOUR2-min (corrected) Town of Lexington Tourism Committee Dawn McKenna, Chair info@tourlexington.us 1625 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE • LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02420 Tourism Committee Minutes Thursday, June 23, 2022 3:30 pm Conducted Remotely Members Present: Marsha Baker, Kerry Brandin, Margaret Coppe, Bebe Fallick, Dawn McKenna, Elsie Xu Members Absent: Wim Nijenberg Others Present: Doug Lucente (Select Board Liaison), Fred Johnson (Center Committee Liaison), Sandhya Iyer (Economic Development Director), Casey Hagerty (Economic Development Coordinator). Presenting the Battle Green Master Plan Streetscape were John Livsey (Town Engineer), Ross Morrow (Assistant Town Engineer), and Kien Ho, Nate Socha, Karen Leung, and Tyler de Rueiter (all from Beta Group) 1) Economic Development Report Operations Casey reported for Economic Development. The Liberty Ride started on June 17th. It is operating Friday – Monday at 10 and 11:30am. So far, the rides have been nearly sold out. Dawn continues to be concerned about the limited hours for the Liberty Ride Trolley about which she has talked with Sandhya. While she understands the pressure to keep it within budget that has been put on Sandhya, running it twice a day is not going to stimulate economic growth. There is some advocacy that needs to be done on the part of the Tourism Committee. Battle Green Tours have been operating 7 days per week at 10am, 11:30 am, 1 pm and 2:30pm. They have been extremely popular, and people have appreciated the weekday offerings as well as the outdoor option that the tours provide. May sales data from the Visitors Center was not available. Casey will provide that information in July. The people counter data showed indicated that 7,500 people visited in May. So far in June the number is 7,156 so will likely surpass the May numbers. It has slowed down a little bit now that the school tours are done for the summer. Families are expected to start coming soon. Charter tours have been steady and picked up steam from the last couple of years so that helps revenues. There have been at least one or two tour buses per day and their patrons come in to the Visitors Center and shop which is great to see. Marketing The Mass Office of Travel & Tourism (MOTT) grant is being implemented. There was an ad running a few times during Chronicle on WCVB. Lexington was the Stay and Play feature so there have been good leads from that as well as online promotions. Staff is working on a digital advertising program on Facebook and Google that will be running now through September 30th. Staff is also working with a videographer to come up with some edited video clips that can be used in future advertising. Other big advertisements included a half-page feature in the Arts and Travel section of the Boston Globe and one in the Boston Globe Magazine Summer Travel edition. Additional targeted local ad campaigns have been a recent focus. Website redesign The Select Board granted another $25k in ARPA funds for the website redesign which will be combined with available funds from FY2023 marketing and IT budgets. The contract should go out to bid by the end of July with the hope of having the consultant onboard by September 1st and the site ready to launch by April 2023. 2 Marsha asked for comparison data for 2019. Casey indicated that the Visitors Center is up 3000 visitors from May 2021. After discussion it was felt that the 2018 data which was prior to the move to Cary Hall and the pandemic would be the right benchmark. Casey will send that information to the Committee. Sandhya reported that every July they do a comparison report so some of that data will be in that upcoming report. During the discussion Casey was able to retrieve the May 2018 visitor statistics which showed 8,300 versus 7,500 in May 2022. Liberty Ride Survey Results The formal survey report is on pause. Sandhya was able to report that from the data she has seen, everyone likes the Liberty Ride, but nothing specific about what they want to see in the future. The data they have reviewed so far is from primarily non-users of the Liberty Ride. Now that the season has started visitors who are the users will be surveyed before a final report is prepared. Kerry mentioned that she had not seen the Chronicle clip and that we should post it on our social media, and have Sean Dugan (Information Officer) send it out to the broader community. Sandhya will send the link to Committee. Dawn talked about the progress being made with marketing and appreciated the efforts on this front. Casey also mentioned that the social media numbers had been growing over the last couple of years. 2) Battle Green Master Plan Materials discussion with Engineering Department John Livsey, Town Engineer updated the Committee on the Battle Green Master Plan Streetscape. They are far along on the design process since they last presented to the Tourism Committee on January 13, 2022. Spring Town Meeting approved construction funding so they are hoping to start construction early next year. They have been using the Battle Green Master Plan as the guide for elements and are looking to get our feedback on these elements. This project begins where the Center Streetscape leaves off at Cary Library and Meriam Street. The input from this group is critical and the design team wants to hear if we are headed in the right direction and gain insight into what guidelines need to be added. Lighting It is proposed that the height of the light fixtures be raised by 2 ft to minimize the number of light fixtures and that the bulb should use a modern LED to spread. Dawn stated that lighting is one of the elements that had not been approved by the Historic Districts Commission yet as research still needed to be done on what is available. The light being proposed by Beta is too Victorian for the Battle Green. The Battle Green was to be park lighting that was dim, not for travel purposes. Raising the height and using the LED fixtures here is not what was intended for the Battle Green. Kien asked how important the nighttime lighting is. The Select Board appreciated that it is a historic park-like setting, not meant to be heavily illuminated. John asked if we should use the lighting being put in the center and Dawn responded no. She also commented that it looks like too many light poles are being added. Marsha likes the Emery Park Design and would like to see the consistency and doesn’t want it to look too dark. The lighting on the Battle Green needs to be different than the lighting off the Battle Green. The lighting slide should show existing fixtures and the perimeter lighting different from the Battle Green proper. Talking with the Battle Green Master Plan consultant Cindy Brockway would help better understand the original intent. Sight furnishings Dawn indicated that all of this is being done as part of the work that Mark is doing in Phase II. The materials have been approved by the Select Board and Historic Districts Commission already. The roadway widths and sidewalks will be altered. Coordination with Mark is crucial to not undo work already designed, approved, funded and underway. Who is handling the electric boxes is not clear. While it would be nice to have the utility boxes off the Battle Green, it needs to be reviewed keeping in mind that the power is located there because of the tree that is lit during the holidays and for the Patriots’ Day programs. Vegetation This topic also needs to be coordinated with the other elements of the Master Plan. There has been a lot of thought put into the vegetation in the Battle Green Master Plan area. Trees and vegetation need to be coordinated so that 3 this work is not in conflict with the changes that have already been discussed and made. New plantings should not be added that impact the sightlines that have previously been created as part of the earlier work. Sidewalk Treatment options Nate explained that their idea for sidewalk treatment is different than the Battle Green Master Plan. There are two materials talked about: stone dust and exposed aggregate concrete. They believe that the exposed aggregate concrete should be incorporated as stable non-slippery surfaces along the edge of the Battle Green. Marsha asked if we can see the proposed materials installed somewhere locally. Nate indicated they would provide locations. General Comment on Process Doug indicated that the plan contained a lot of dense material we need to be able to see and digest before anyone can comment. Dawn agreed and indicated that she had just received the presentation today. She will send the presentation out to the Committee. John was then asked to walk through the other elements. A meeting with Dawn and the team onsite will also be helpful to narrow the issues. Subsequently, the team will be invited back to a meeting for further discussion. Parking, Traffic Calming, and Safe Pedestrian Access The changes proposed to these areas were reviewed: Massachusetts Avenue at Harrington Road; Massachusetts Avenue at Harrington Road – Ye Olde Burying Ground access path; Massachusetts Avenue at Bedford Street; Belfry Hill Design at Massachusetts Avenue at Bedford Street; and Bedford Street at Harrington Road and Hancock Street roundabout. One of the areas to discuss is where to place tour bus parking and where necessary stops are. Dawn indicated this topic has been well discussed and needs to be established. The current team needs to be brought up to date on each of these components before the Committee comments on what is being proposed. Bebe mentioned that a lot of questions were asked at the 250th Committee and as the representative from the Tourism Committee suggested John reach out to the 250th Committee to possibly make a presentation to that group. Kerry asked what the differences are between the streetscape and the current work. The current work is focused around monuments and access to monuments. The Battle Green Streetscape is more focused on the streets and sidewalk replacement and installation. Dawn mentioned that there are a few crossover projects. The paths were supposed to be stabilized aggregate, not stone dust. The Committee’s feedback was helpful. Discovered Plaque During construction of the fountain infrastructure, a high-quality bronze plaque was discovered behind the Minute Man statute in the bushes that no one knew about. It reads “the lighting of this statue is a gift to the Town in memory of Albert Ball Tenney of Lexington 1950.” The question for us to consider is whether it should be left where it is, moved in the general area on the Battle Green, or taken off the Battle Green and perhaps given to the Historical Society or archives or some other place. In the Annual Town Report under special revenues is a Albert Ball Tenney fund to maintain the lighting around the Minute Man Statue. Bebe mentioned that the Monuments and Memorials Committee is in an intensive search to identify existing memorials, and this should be shared with Chuck French. Dawn believes the plaque itself can be removed from the stone on which it currently sits. Doug felt that moving the plaque should be done carefully as there is also a Trustees of Public Trust fund. There would need to be a broader discussion with the Monuments and Memorials Committee and the Select Board before a decision could be made to move it. Dawn confirmed that it has to be moved from the current location due to the infrastructure and landscaping going in behind the statue. However, it could be relocated within the same general area and made more visible in a way it could be read. Dawn recommends that we reinstall it in the existing area where it was found. Margaret asked if someone could research the Selectmen minutes as to the decision made to install it and see if there were descendants of Mr. Tenney still in the area who might like to come to a ceremony. Kerry felt there was no question it should be reinstalled around the monument in an appropriate place. Doug downloaded the minutes from 1950 and there is only a one sentence description. Margaret thought we needed more information so we might add a descriptor. Dawn said that none of the plaques on the Battle Green provide more information. With that all agreed that we go forward and have it reinstalled in the same general area. 4 Group gatherings and games on Battle Green There have been a tremendous amount of people gathering and playing games on the Battle Green, and in groups of more than 7, in violation of both the Code of Lexington Chapter 100-10 Protection of the Battle Green and the Board of Selectmen Regulation for the Use of the Battle Green approved on November 19, 2018. It has become a much more active place like any other park. Marsha agrees that it has become difficult because of Covid yet additional signs are not desired. This means enforcement or policing by either tourism staff or the Town would be required and who would do that. Margaret also mentioned that parents with young children come and picnic there and it is a good way to introduce them to the Battle Green and does not want it to become unwelcoming. Dawn described the balance struck during the master planning process between using the space as a town common and active uses that are disruptive and unsafe. Dawn mentioned that with the Master Plan work being done and the orange fencing, it does not look like a sacred space. It was decided to re-evaluate whether this remains an issue once the interpretative rails have been installed and the work completed before taking any action. Lawn activities, signage and furniture Discussion turned to the way in which the Visitors Center lawn is being used which is not consistent with the Master Plan. Dawn showed a series of photographs of the lawn now that had about a dozen signs for a music festival that would take place on the Visitors Center lawn this weekend. It was not a town sponsored event. People in general are not allowed to put signs in that area. Bebe also pointed out the painted sticks added to the cluttered look of the space. Dawn described the look as honky-tonk. After spending so much time getting input into the use of various parts of the Master Plan area, it was frustrating that this is being allowed to occur. While it was understandable that during Covid some accommodations were made quickly, current furnishings do not meet the tenor of the types of furnishings appropriate for that site. Even the Town’s own signs are too much. It does not look like the dignified area that it was proposed to be. Dawn also noted that the Event Board in front of the Visitors Center still had Patriots’ Day on it makes it look like Lexington has nothing else going on. They used to be updated every week. Marsha noted that the furniture moves around and agrees that the proliferation of signs and the art sticks do not belong in that area. Casey indicated that it would be impossible to keep the furniture in one place. Committee members indicated that the area just does not look good. Dawn described how the Visitors Center architect originally proposed building the Visitors Center in front of Buckman Tavern along Mass Ave. The Committee made it very clear that the star was Buckman Tavern. The area behind the Visitors Center could be made more active. Doug suggested that the businesses like the fact that the furniture is out there. However, Doug hates it to be a free for all like it is now. There must be some balance. His recommendation is that the Tourism Committee work on a policy that the Select Board can review. Perhaps it could be a joint policy with the Center Committee. Dawn added if we are going to have furniture, we have to be deliberate about it and do something to clean up the standards. Fred will raise the issue with at the next Center Committee. He agrees that we need to significantly reduce the proliferation of signage. There is an inconsistency in the design of furniture styles and color. A balance can be struck between those gathering and interfering with the sightlines and the peaceful enjoyment of the historic area. Liberty Ride ARPA request The Select Board has been generously providing ARPA funds. However, there is a serious issue with the lack of funding for the Liberty Ride. A new vehicle is needed. The current trolley is 15-16 years old and the town is being taken advantage of by the contractor at this point. The Tourism Committee needs to advocate for use of ARPA funds. It would be helpful for Sandhya to provide a better understanding of what is being proposed so that the Tourism Committee can advocate appropriately. As stated earlier, the fact that the tour is only being run two times per day four days per week makes no sense. It is crazy that the Economic Development Department is being held to a standard that does not allow them to properly operate while they are still recovering for the economic impacts of the pandemic. This topic will be brought back for further discussion on next steps. Minutes Since draft minutes were not provided with enough time for advance review, this item will be deferred to the next meeting. Other sets of minutes will also be sent prior to the next meeting. Please read them and come prepared with suggested edits and to vote on the minutes. 5 Scheduling Meetings in Person July 14th is the last day we can meet via Zoom absent a change in the Governor’s order. Therefore, our next meeting will take place on July 14th via zoom. The meetings on August 25 and September 29 will be held in person so be sure to let Dawn know if you are unable to attend given the quorum issues. A new member should be appointed to the Committee on Monday which will help. 3) Updates and Miscellaneous Committee membership Terms of all members expire on September 30th. Be thinking of whether you intend to be reappointed. If so, fill out the application and take the ethics training if yours is not up-to-date. There will be at least one opening so give some thought to who the Committee might want to approach about applying to fill the vacancy. President’s Panel and Painting electric box Dawn spoke with Suzie Barry regarding possible use of funding on the Presidents’ panel and for painting the electric box behind the Visitors Center. Lex 250th has voted to spend all the available grant money that needed to be spent by June 30th. For both projects will cost $3k. Marsha suggested that when funds are available, careful thought is given to the design for the electric box. Her idea is to use a historic photograph which she saw done in Boston. Dawn mentioned that another idea was a map of sites in Lexington. Ideas will be considered once funding is available. GMVCB Meeting in Lexington Margaret, Sandhya, Casey and Dawn were at the Inn at Hastings Park yesterday for the monthly meeting of the Greater Merrimack Valley Visitors and Convention Bureau which was sponsored by the Inn. It was a nice evening for other tourism entities to learn about the Inn. The Liberty Ride Trolley was provided by the Town for marketing, as well as fife and drum musicians. The office is doing some more interesting marketing efforts which this event represented. The statewide visitation numbers are good and marketing efforts are being direct to lure people back to Lexington. Lexington Cultural District Margaret reported that Carolyn Kole, who replaced Luis Cotto as the point person for Cultural Districts at the Mass Cultural Commission, came for a visit last week. She was very positive. Margaret and the others who were able to meet reviewed the checklist and Carolyn answered questions. If we get our application in this summer, the site visit would take place in the fall and Lexington’s request to become a Cultural District would likely be on the agenda to be approved in January. Upon motion duly made and seconded, the meeting was adjourned at approximately 5:40 pm Unanimously passed by roll call vote. Respectfully submitted Dawn E. McKenna Approved: November 21, 2022