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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2006-10-05-CPC-min Community Preservation Committee Public Hearing October 5, 2006 Attending: Joel Adler, Norm Cohen, Marilyn Fenollosa, Wendy Manz, Leo McSweeney, Richard Pagett, Sandy Shaw, Betsey Weiss Not attending: Dick Wolk The meeting was called to order at 7:35 p.m. by Betsey Weiss, CPC chair. 1. Review Projects for possible Special Fall Town Meeting: a. Historic Study of the Hancock-Clarke House – Request for $25,000 – Susan Bennett, Executive Director, Lexington Historical Society Ms. Bennett described the project: this request is to fund a predevelopment study for the restoration of the Hancock-Clarke House. The Lexington Historical Society (LHS) has received a grant from the Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHC) that must be matched with like funds. The goal of the project is to identify existing conditions that need repair. The LHS is already aware that a too-heavy roof and the transfer of the property back and forth across Hancock Street are causing the walls to bow out. The project will generate detailed architectural drawings, describe options for wheelchair access and provide the basis for construction and bid documents for the actual restoration. This building, a National Historic Landmark, is extremely important to the town and has been under the stewardship of the LHS since 1896 when the Society saved the building from demolition. Norm Cohen: if a special town meeting is not held, and the project is deferred to Spring Town Meeting, will the project be in jeopardy? Ms. Bennett – No, if the matching grant is not received by the LHS, they will use funds from their endowment fund. The project is already proceeding, on schedule. Joel Adler: is the MHC grant contingent on receipt of CPA funds? Ms. Bennett – no, it is up to the LHS to provide the matching funds from whatever source they choose. Mr. Adler: who owns the building? Ms. Bennett – the LHS owns the land and buildings. Leo McSweeney: what is the anticipated total project cost? Ms. Bennett – probably more than $500,000, with additional funds needed to construct the wheelchair access. The biggest modifications will be made to the northern, newer part of the building; the historic parts will only be slightly impacted. Mr. McSweeney: will the LHS seek CPA funding for the actual reconstruction costs? Ms. Bennett – yes, the Society will apply, but their first priority is to receive a grant from the National Park Service’s Save America’s Treasures program. They will also seek additional funding from the MHC and other foundations and corporate sponsors. Mr. McSweeney: is there any prohibition from moving the building out of town? Ms. Bennett – no, but the LHS has no intention to do so. They will continue to operate the building as a historic house museum in Lexington Sandy Shaw: will the sale of the land across the street generate funds to help pay for the project? Ms. Bennett – no, that money will be used to retire outstanding debt on the Depot Square building. Richard Pagett: are the interior doorways large enough to accommodate wheelchairs for handicapped access? Ms. Bennett – no, the LHS plans to seek a variance for the historic doorways. Their architect is suggesting a plan to hinge the doors so that they can be opened to permit wheelchair access without affecting the appearance of the historic doors. They will have some sort of virtual accessibility for the second floor spaces. Accessibility is an important priority for the Society, especially since they recently had to refuse a request for a tour from a Hastings third grade class – a wheelchair-bound student could not be accommodated safely. Wendy Manz: is this project part of a larger plan to restore all of the LHS’s properties? Ms. Bennett – yes, the LHS has recently completed a strategic plan and has received a federal grant to analyze all of the Society’s historic properties. Buckman Tavern and Munroe Tavern are in quite good shape. They may consider work on the back of Munroe Tavern (1930s addition) and add handicapped access. The barn behind the Hancock-Clarke House has some structural issues. b. Freight elevator for the Lexington Depot Building – request for $44,000 – Susan Bennett, Executive Director, Lexington Historical Society Ms. Bennett described the project: The Depot Building has a large multipurpose space and two small offices for the LHS. The Society makes the space available for community groups and non-profits. When the recent construction occurred, an elevator shaft was provided but there were insufficient funds to build the elevator. The elevator would provide access to the storage space for table and chairs. Currently the situation is a bit difficult to deal with, since to keep rental costs down, the LHS requires user groups to do their own setup and dismantling. The elevator will make the building much more functional for the LHS and for the community. The rest of the reconstruction project was funded privately through a capital campaign; it is now being completed with the restoration of the cupola. Mr. Pagett: when the LHS finishes the restoration, using CPA funds, and pays off the outstanding debt with the land sale on Hancock Street, will it own the building free and clear? Ms. Bennett – yes, and this is important, because of all of the other projects, including Hancock Clarke, that the LHS is dealing with. - 2 - Mr. McSweeney: why is the LHS adding a freight elevator instead of a passenger elevator? Ms. Bennett – because only a few people will use it to transfer furniture. Also, a freight elevator is less expensive and requires fewer inspections. Mr. McSweeney: the cost of the elevator is listed at $36,000. What is the additional $5,000 for? Ms. Bennett – for the electrical work and installation costs. Charles, Lamb, Capital Expenditures: does the Town receive any money from the Depot building? Ms. Bennett – no, the building is not town owned or sponsored. The LHS does receive modest rental fees from users, limited to Lexington residents and organizations. Mr. Cohen: how many of the 11,000 Lexington households are LHS members? Ms. Bennett – approximately 1,000. c. Moveable shelving for the Cary Memorial Building vault – request for $60,000 – Linda Vine, Assistant Town Manager on behalf of Donna Hooper, Town Clerk Ms. Vine described the project: this is the last piece of the project for the Town’s vault restoration. The vault is the largest, where the majority of the Town’s documents are kept. In the long term, the Town would like to have an archival center outside the vault to regulate access to the documents. Ms. Bennett: added her support to the Town’s efforts to preserve its important documents. It was then moved, seconded and unanimously approved to close the public hearing. The CPC then voted whether to recommend each of the projects to Special Town Meeting, if held, and Spring Town Meeting, if not: $25,000 for Hancock-Clarke House – moved, seconded, unanimously approved $44,000 for the Depot Building elevator - moved, seconded, unanimously approved $60,000 for the Town Vault shelving -- moved, seconded, unanimously approved next meeting 2. Ms. Weiss then reminded the CPC members that the will be held at 5:00 on Wednesday, October 25 in Room 111. Rachel Dorr and Bob Disimeon from the Douglas House project will be attending to answer Committee member questions about the project. We will also discuss the Needs Assessment report. adjourn 3. It was moved and seconded to . The meeting was adjourned at 8:05 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Marilyn Fenollosa - 3 -