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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018-11-15-CPC-min Minutes of the Community Preservation Committee Thursday, November 15, 2018 Parker Meeting Room Town Office Building 1625 Massachusetts Avenue 4:00 PM Committee Members Present: Marilyn Fenollosa (Chair); Dick Wolk (Vice-Chair), Charles Hornig, David Horton, Jeanne Krieger, Joe Pato, Bob Pressman, Lisah Rhodes, Melinda Walker. Administrative Assistant: Gina Federico Other Attendees: Wendy Manz, Capital Expenditures Committee liaison to the CPC; David Kelland, Chair, Historical Commission;, Carol Kowalski, Assistant Town Manager for Land Use, Health and Development,; Jordan McCarron, Conservation Stewardship Program Coordinator (arrived at 4:04 PM);, Karen Mullins, Conservation Administrator (arrived at 4:07 PM);, Peter Noonan, President, Supportive Living Inc. (arrived at 4:30 PM);, Bob Phelan, LexHAB. Ms. Fenollosa called the meeting to order at 4:01 PM. 1) 17T" & 18T" Century Inventory Update of Buildings and Sites in Lexington- Mr. Kelland requested $20,000 in CPA funds to hire a qualified consultant to research, correct and update the Survey and Inventory Forms ("Form B's") for 104 171h and 18th century buildings and sites that already exist on the Lexington Cultural Resources Inventory but may contain incorrect or incomplete information. Mr. Kelland explained that the CPA request of$20,000 would be a matching request to a Massachusetts Historical Commission Survey and Planning Grant. It was stated that there are approximately 12,000 homes in Lexington, 2,000 of which are considered historically or architecturally significant and are listed on the Cultural Resources Inventory. An example was given of the home located at 884 Massachusetts Avenue in Lexington. The Form B states that the building was built circa 1830 but Mr. Kelland stated that the home was clearly built in the late 18th century.The CPA funding is important because without the work, the history and features of the buildings and sites are susceptible to alterations and potential destruction which can never be replaced. Mr. Kelland stated that the first line of defense in antique preservation is the homeowner. Homeowners are important because of oral history. It is possible that some of these homes have been in a family for numerous generations and the historic information may be of value. Ms. Kowalski stated that the Form B is standard throughout the Commonwealth. The 1 form not only tells the history of the property but also its architectural importance. This is important for potential reconstruction in the future.The Town of Lexington will celebrate its 250th anniversary of the Battle of Lexington and Concord in 2025 and the Inventory needs to reflect accurate information not only for residents but for tourists who will be visiting the Town. Mr. Kelland stated that the modest request of$20,000 will see a major return, benefiting more than just the community. The CPC raised the question of priorities since the funding requests for all FY20 projects are considerable. Ms. Fenollosa stated that in comparison to other Historic funding requests this one ranks high in priority because of the requirements for matching funds from the state. Ms. Walker commented that since this project impacts homeowners, it is a high priority. Mr. Pressman asked if sites require a building. Mr. Kelland responded no. Sites don't require a building, giving as examples the Old Burial Ground and the Battle Green. Ms. Fenollosa added that both sites and buildings will be looked at during the project and that the location of archeological sites will not be released to the public for fear of interference. Ms. Fenollosa also commented that the preparation of Inventory Forms has been acknowledged as a form of preservation and the project would qualify for CPA funding. The CPC voted in a straw poll to support the project (9-0). 2) Request to Allow Late Application for LexHAB- Mr. Phelan came in front of the CPC to respectfully withdraw LexHAB's late application for FY20 funding. Mr. Phelan explained that Bill Kennedy, Chair, of LexHAB could not appear before the Committee due to family matters. The reason why Mr. Phelan wanted to withdraw his application is because upon review of the materials submitted it was apparent that the request would not qualify for CPA funding. The initial application requested funds for general maintenance of LexHAB properties. General maintenance is not allowed under the CPA Statute. It was also noted that the majority of properties listed on the work summary were not acquired with CPA funds, thus making them ineligible for rehabilitation funding. Mr. Phelan commented that the list provided is a general summary of maintenance for all LexHAB properties. The Committee discussed whether withdrawing the application was the best course of action for Mr. Phelan. It was stated that the CPC has a long-standing relationship with LexHAB, and considering that the organization is operated by volunteers, that an extension should be permitted. Mr. Pressman also commented that the application should be allowed because currently there are no other Community Housing projects for FY20. The Committee agreed to allow an extension for LexHAB to submit an application and presentation by the next CPC meeting on November 29 that meets the CPA criteria for eligibility. It was also emphasized that the 2 application must be detailed, containing specifics of the cost and type of work that will be done and on which property. 3) Historical Renovation &Adaptive Re-use of 9 Oakland Street- Mr. Noonan appeared before the Committee to request $70,000 in supplemental CPA funds for a new structural design for the building located at 9 Oakland Street. Mr. Noonan appeared before the Committee on November 30, 2017 to request FY19 CPA funding in the amount of$200,000 for the historic renovation and adaptive re-use of 9 Oakland Street, the small building adjacent to the Douglas House at 7 Oakland Street. The reason for the supplemental funding request is because during the permitting process it was discovered that a new structural design would be required to make the building safer. Mr. Noonan explained that if he didn't receive the funds that the lower level of the facility would still open and the administrative level located upstairs would be delayed until funds were available. He then showed a short video about the Douglas House and its programs. The CPC voted in a straw poll to support the project (9-0). 4) Willard's Woods Site Improvements- Mr. McCarron and Ms. Mullins requested $138,273 in CPA funds for site improvements to Willard's Woods, specifically updating the accessibility of the stone bike path. Mr. McCarron explained that the request is similar to other CPA requests made in the past and that the project is to be completed in three parts. Part one would be a full land management and site plan completed by a natural resource firm. Part two would be to hire a designer to design accessibility improvements for different trails to create multiple entry points into Willard's Woods. Part three would be construction.The construction would be similar to the Wright Farm project. This project was identified as a top priority due to the lack of accessibility. A photo was circulated to demonstrate the lack of accessibility of the trail.The photo was of a muddy trial with pedestrians walking on the side of the trail near rocks and brush. Ms. Mullins stated that this would be a two year request.The first year would be design and the second year construction. Ms. Fenollosa commented that if FY20 is approved that there is no guarantee that FY21 will also be approved. Ms. Mullins stated that they structured their request this way because there is no definite plan yet. The CPC questioned how much of the funding request would be allocated to Open Space and how much will be allocated to Recreation. At the moment the answer is unknown and the Committee suggested coordination and prioritization occur between the Recreation and Conservation Departments.The CPC voted in a straw 3 poll to support the project with 7 votes in favor and 2 votes from Ms. Rhodes and Mr. Hornig for "needs more information". 5) Executive Session under Exemption 6—The CPC discussed if Wendy Manz, Capital Expenditures Committee liaison to the CPC should be permitted to join Executive Session under Exemption 6. The purpose of the session would be to discuss the minutes from the 10-4-18 Executive Session and a general update. It was decided that since she was present for the 10-4-18 Executive Session, she would be permitted to stay. After a motion duly made and seconded, it was voted by roll call (9-0) to enter into Executive Session at 5:13 PM under Exemption 6 to consider the purchase, exchange, lease or value of real property and to reconvene in open session; the Chair declaring that an open meeting might have a detrimental effect on the negotiating position of the Town At 5:30 PM, after a motion duly made and seconded, the CPC voted in a roll call vote (9-0) to exit Executive Session and return to Open Session to attend to the remain agenda items. 6) Committee Business-The Committee discussed the schedule and decided to call Peter Coleman back to a future meeting to discuss a cost breakdown of the proposed Inter Municipal Agreement with Minuteman High School to build a Recreation Athletic complex at Minuteman. A Committee member asked if there are any other possible late applications for FY20 funding. Mr. Wolk stated that there may be a Conservation land acquisition in addition to the one already on the projects list. It was suggested to put the additional land acquisition on the project list as a place holder. The Committee was reminded that the Needs Assessment drafts must be sent to Ms. Federico on or before November 21, 2018 so that she can compile the first d raft. The recent court case of Boelter v Wayland was briefly discussed. Ms. Federico informed the Committee of her phone calls to both the Division of Local Government and Nadie Rice Town Clerk, pertaining to the distribution of the edited Needs Assessment. Ms. Federico received conflicting answers and ultimately it was decided to distribute the Needs Assessment with the edits as long as individual Committee members were not identified as making the edits.This decision was based on what Ms. Rice advised categorizing the distribution of the Report as an administrative responsibility. 4 The CPA state match was mentioned noting that the Town will receive $922,256 or 19.8% in funding for FY18. 7) Minutes-The CPC approved the following Executive Session minutes but will release them only after they are authorized for release by the Town Manager: After a motion duly made and seconded, the CPC voted (9-0) to approve the minutes from the CPC meeting on October 4, 2018 Executive Session as amended but not to release them until authorized to do so. After a motion duly made and seconded, the meeting was adjourned at 5:49 PM. The following documents were used at the meeting: 1. Meeting Minutes 10-4-18 Executive Session 2. Form B 884 Massachusetts Ave Lexington 3. Photo of a trail located at Willard's Woods 4. Site Map of Willard's Woods Improvement Project 5. Project update of 9 Oakland Street 6. 9 Oakland Street Budget timeline 7. Court Case Boelter v Wayland 8. Ms. Federico summary of phone call to Division of Open Government Respectfully submitted, Gina Federico Administrative Assistant Community Preservation Committee 5