HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-11-30-CPC-min Minutes of the Community Preservation Committee
Thursday, November 30, 2017
Parker Room
Town Office Building
1625 Massachusetts Avenue
3:00 PM
Committee Members Present: Marilyn Fenollosa (Chair); Richard Wolk (Vice-Chair); Charles
Hornig, David Horton, Jeanne Krieger, Joe Pato, Robert Pressman, Sandra Shaw, Melinda
Walker.
Administrative Assistant: Elizabeth Mancini
Other Attendees: Wendy Manz, Capital Expenditures Committee liaison to the CPC; Peter
Noonan, President, Supportive Living Inc.
Ms. Fenollosa called the meeting to order at 3:00 PM.
1) Prior to presenting the FY19 request for CPA funding, Mr. Noonan shared a brief
video about the history of Supportive Living Inc., its facilities and programming.
Mr. Noonan then presented the request for$200,000 in CPA funds for the historic
renovation and adaptive re-use of 9 Oakland Street, the small building adjacent to
the Douglas House at 7 Oakland Street. SLI plans to convert the vacant building into
gym and office space. Mr. Noonan explained that the existing gym and office
quarters in the Douglas House are cramped. Renovating the space at 9 Oakland
Street would provide additional space for the entire facility. Mr. Noonan advised
that the entire project cost is $425,000 with the remainder of funding coming from
private donations.
The Committee also discussed the various programming at the Douglas House and
community outreach within Lexington. Mr. Noonan confirmed that the planned
renovations to 9 Oakland Street do not trigger any accessibility concerns.
The CPC voted in a straw poll to support the project (9-0).
After Mr. Noonan departed the meeting, the Committee continued to praise the
work of Supportive Living Inc. and the Douglas House. Ms. Fenollosa also reminded
the Committee that the CPC was awarded the Robert Kuehn Community
Preservation Award for its support of the original Douglas House project in 2007.
1
The Committee also thought it was best to present the renovation only as a historic
resource project. Open space was also indicated on the application because of
public gardens that are planned for the property but the Committee did not think
the gardens substantiated the categorization of the project as open space.
2) Ms. Fenollosa advised that she endorsed a grant agreement on behalf of the
Community Preservation Committee for the previously authorized Pine Grove Village
community housing project. The agreement stipulated the terms of the CPA grant to
the Lexington Housing Authority. Mr. Pressman praised Liz Rust from the Regional
Housing Services Office for the tremendous amount of work she performed on the
project.
3) Ms. Fenollosa advised that the request from LexHAB for supplemental funds for the
Busa property would not be finalized until January. The CPC voted the project as a
placeholder on the warrant (9-0). Mr. Pressman noted that the Community
Preservation Fund available balances could not support all FY19 project requests. It
was noted that Ms. Kosnoff, Assistant Town Manager for Finance, would need to
attend a meeting in order to advise on available balances and financing options.
4) The Committee also discussed the application submitted by Gerry Paul for a senior
housing feasibility study. The Housing Partnership intends to meet and discuss
sponsoring the project. The next step would be approval from the Board of
Selectmen.
5) After a motion duly made and seconded, the CPC voted (9-0) to approve minutes, as
amended, from the following meetings- October 5, 2017, October 12, 2017 and
November 16, 2017.
After a motion duly made and seconded, the meeting was adjourned at 4:05 PM.
The following documents and exhibits were used at the meeting:
1) SLI at 25 Years-Video Presentation
2) Application- 9 Oakland Street Renovation and Adaptive Re-Use
3) Draft meeting minutes- 10.5.17, 10.12.17 & 11.16.17
Respectfully submitted,
Elizabeth Mancini
Administrative Assistant
Community Preservation Committee
2