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Home My WebLink About2025-04-23-SBC-min (High School and Center Recreation Working Group) MEETING NOTES Meeting Date: April 23, 2024 Project Name: Lexington High School Project Number: Subject: High School and Center Recreation Area Working Group Meeting Attendees: Mike Burton DWMP - Project Director Christina Dell Angelo DWMP - Project Manager Jacob Greco DWMP -Assistant Project Manager Lorraine Finnegan SMMA- Project Manager, Principal in Charge Erin Prestileo SMMA- Civil Engineer Will Park SMMA- Civil Engineer Jim Malloy-Town Manager Kelly Axtell - Deputy Town Manager Carolyn Kosnoff-Assistant Town Manager for Finance Mike Cronin - DPF Facilities Director Mark Barrett- LHS Public Facilities Project Manager Suzie Barry- Select Board Vice Chair Doug Lucente - Select Board Charles Lamb - Capital Expenditures Committee Rick DeAngelis - Director of Recreation Programs Melissa Battite - Director of Recreation and Community Karen Mullins - Conservation Director Christian Boutwell - Public Facilities Alan Levine -Appropriation Committee Deepika Sawhney- School Committee VeIf'IYlf'14'nt MassadhUsetts www,doii eaII"lid" +IIiIIn IIeII Q Q01n" Agenda Description Item 1. Introduction: Refer to attendees list. 2. Article 97 Update: Please see pages 6-8 for referenced attachments • Interim meeting to discuss Article 97 o Monthly meetings will start taking place in June • Spring of 2025 town meeting will be the motion to send it to Article 97 • L.Finnegan noted we are still in the PDP phase. o This is for conforming to the Design Program and not to create actual designs o Everything produced is subject to change o The PDP is looking to show how the Program can work and fit with various buildings o The PDP will be submitted on June 4th to the MSBA • The MSBA will provide feedback on the program and not the designs • L.Finnegan noted that the next phase, PSR (will go from June to December), will have to have one design chosen by the end of it. • L.Finnegan noted that after the PSR the actual design of one (1) building will start to take place Schematic Design starting in January 2025) and show details such as classroom locations and entryways and roughly 50 pages of specs. o The Construction Documents will have much more • L.Finnegan stated that MSBA will not issue reimbursement if there is an open Permit for wetland relocation. MEPA approval is required.The provided schedule shows the worst-case scenario for reimbursement. • L.Finnegan noted that the current (13) alternatives being priced will replace all fields and associated surroundings as part of the high school project. • L.Finnegan noted that the wetlands on site have been flagged but more study and research will take place. • W.Park reviewed the provided schedule o Design Phase • PDP Phase: At this phase all site options should be presented with potential development restrictions identified • January 2024 to July 2024 • PSR Phase:The MSBA requires a summary of the process undertaken to identify all potential issues and steps that are to be taken to resolve them. An updated schedule that includes dates of anticipated approvals (e.g. Article 97). • July 2024 to January 2025 • MSBA Approves Feasibility Study • February 2025 • Schematic Design Phase: Upon submission of the District's SD Submittal, it is preferred that the district have ownership, full control, and access of the site. However, if there are any prevailing issues that are mapped out to the satisfaction of the MSBA, staff will forward a conditional budget and project scope recommendation to MSBA Board of Directors. • December 2024 to August 2025 • MSBA Approves SD *Conditional See Advisory 45 • October 2025 • Town meeting& debt exclusion to approve project and funding ■ November/December 2025 • Worst case for MSBA reimbursement to commence • September 2026 o There is one section that includes all things Article 97& MEPA. Page 2 of 5 • We are currently progressing through the initial Article 97 local groundwork and introduction Meeting with MEPA. • January 2024 to January 2026 • Project introduction meeting with MSBA • January 2024 • PLPA initial call • February 2024 • PLPA waiver submission with alternatives (if applicable) • March 2024 to July 2024 • Advance alternatives from MSBA level to level suitable for EEA • July 2024 to March 2025 • PLPA portal notification (if necessary) • October 2024 to April 2025 • Town meeting Approval of Land Swap • May 2025 • State Legislative approval of Article 97 Bill -Prep& Filing • January 2025 to March 2026 • State Legislative Approval of Article 97 Bill • March 2026 to September 2026 • Engage M EPA Consultants and start Traffic Report • October 2024 to January 2026 • File and gain MEPA approval for ENF, DEIR, and FEIR • January 2025 to January 2026 o Wetlands • The risk of associated with this timeline is the challenge of permitting over 5,OOOsf of wetlands • It should be stressed that with this timeline"the Commissioner may waive the application of one or more of the regulations on the basis of overriding public benefit is intended to be employed only in rare and unusual cases.The provision authorizing a variance request directly to the Commissioner for projects on land within more than one city or town is intended to apply to projects that involve functionally related work in several contiguous towns (e.g., transportation and energy transmission facilities) and to provide for a single uniform determination concerning alternative locations and the other variance criteria." o Questions • A.Levine asked that it is true if the MSBA will not sign a PFA if all Article 97& MEPA issues are not solved • L.Finnegan stated that the MSBA board will approve the SD and project but will not start reimbursement until it is approved • M.Battite asked what the waiver process is • W.Park stated that using the waiver process will allows the project to go through the Article 97 process while avoiding MEPA • L.Finnegan noted the waiver takes out one step of the process but does not get rid of the Article 97 process • M.Burton asked how confident the team is in the 6-month legislation review time span • L.Finnegan noted that the time span is actually one year but if the correct leg work(such as this meeting) is done correctly the timeline is often reduced down to 6-months. • L.Finnegan noted that simply filling the wetlands is not a simple task as described above, especially when keeping the student population,the ability to continue their education. Page 3 of 5 • L.Finnegan noted that avoiding the wetlands entirely will severely disrupt the current education due to phasing the project as Arlington did.There will have to be use of a large number of modulars. • L.Finnegan stated that it will be very difficult to find a feasible option that stays entirely off Article 97 land • E.Prestileo described the two (2)figures provided, Figure A& B. Please see the attached figures under the presentation o L.Finnegan noted it is clear that the Town of Lexington owns this land, but it is used by multiple groups • D.Lucente asked if the parcel along Worthen Road can be included in the land use figures • J.Malloy stated that when SMMA is ready monthly meetings will be conducted in starting in June as many members of this working group are not included in the SBC. • C.Lamb said that in the 41-40 public plot is has been discussed that if this plot was not intended on being used it should be left off the plot to not stir up any issues. If it is planned on being used it should be added to start the conversation now. • D.Lucente asked if the building on plot B (Figure B) used the wavier process to build this on park land? o A.Levine stated that it was built prior to the adoption of Article 97 in the Massachusetts Constitution • J.Hackett commented that while being mindful of how this process works having been through an Add/Reno to a high school it was one of the most difficult experiences and was very disruptive to their education. Having already gone through disruptions within the pandemic this should be kept in mind. Public Comment • P.Kelley noted that is absolutely essential that the recreational fields are not disrupted. Kelley has presented something prior in a rough way but would like a serious look into how to accomplish the project goal without cutting the fields in half and using Article 97 land. o R.DeAngelis followed up P.Kelley's comment by stating that in the Boston High Rise buildings they do not use large laydown areas. DeAngelis suggested using the nearby landfill area and trucking the resources to the job site. If they must be taken it should be as late as possible • J.Hackett asked if there was a verbal commitment that plot 41-40 will not be used in the project o C.Lamb stated that it was said by M.Cronin it was "not in the cards" currently 3. Close Working group meetings will start again in June 2024 for monthly meetings.The website will be updated with meeting information on a weekly basis. Sincerely, III:� III''°�IIII °�Wllh°°i III""111""""111""1111111 III'°� Christina Dell Angelo Project Manager Page 4 of 5 Cc:Attendees, File The above is my summation of our meeting. If you have any additions and/or corrections, please contact me for incorporation into these minutes. Page 5 of 5 � o � z E aEQ min - o= oE� - o- E - E - v 3 - E E 3 s m - - ➢ `p E p E - v 3 _ E f o p w �n - � z a x ¢ w Q r - u � w m n o3 � a Q 3 v +• - v � v M r r i 4 � /i/// �%�i �/ ✓� �%err/�// /� // LEGEND '�� PLAYGROUND 0.08 AC WOODED 2.31 AC WETLAND 3.20 AC PEDESTRIAN CIRCULATION 1.06 AC VEHICULAR CIRCULATION 2.30 AC PARKING 0.62 AC BUILDING 0.61 AC OTHER 3.28 AC o ARTICLE 97 LAND 24.20 AC ' INFORMATION BASED OFF GIS AERIAL PHOT AND DRAFT SURVEY DATA.SOME AREAS ARE APPROXIMATE DATE: 311412024 LEXINGTON HIGH SCHOOL � SMMA Figure ISSUE: SCALE: 1"=400' 251 WALTHAM STREET REF: LEXINGTON, MA 02421 SYMMES MAINI3 M.KEE ASSOCIATES ARTICLE 97 AREAS 1000 Mal 1�3 s0huseAvenue DR BY: LCF ce�na��dge,moss 7husetts W 113 F:617,547.5400 F:617.648.4920 CK BY: JOB NO.:23090 PARCEL#/ID OWNERSHIP RESTRICTION NOTED IN DEED CURRENT USE m, r1G1 ) 1:1 A Town of Lexington None Public Park/Open Space B Town of Lexington Public playground, may revert to Public Park/Open Space grantor with consent, may be used 1 r , for education structures (Bk625/Pg543) C Town of Lexington Public park and playground Public Park/Open Space D Town of Lexington School purposes High School E Town of Lexington None Public Park/Open Space F Town of Lexington None Public Park/OPen Space G Town of Lexington None High School PROPERTY- LEXINGTON ASSESSORS ID 49-90 r/t r //; %�!� ' „y�. � ^��✓ �� Ji, 0 rr l�'d ii � ,:.� df//,,y�/�/ ur��'� -' �� ' �,.i��/li�i r G i i , Vr oofii i P iip o r, d i r FureDATE: 4/18/2024 LEXINGTON HIGH SCHOOL � SMMA ig ISSUE: SCALE: 1"=400' 251 WALTHAM STREET REF: LEXINGTON, MA 02421 SYMME6 MAN &M.KEE ASSOCIATES AREA USE RESTRICTIONS 1000 Ma achuseM Avenue DR BY: LCF Cambridge,Wssachusetts W 11 8617,647.5400 F:617.648.4920 CK BY: JOB NO.:23090