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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2006 CPC Rpt STM1Community Preservation Committee Special Fall Town Meeting 2006 The Community Preservation Committee is pleased to recommend three projects to Town Meeting for its consideration and approval. The three projects are (1) the preparation of a historic structure report of the Hancock - Clarke House, for $25,000; (2) the construction of a freight elevator in the Lexington Depot Building, for $44,000; and (3) the installation of moveable shelving in the Cary Memorial Building vault, for $60,000. Each of these projects was evaluated in light of the articulated criteria for acceptable CPA projects (as provided on the CPC page of the Town's website, http: / /ci.lexing!on.ma.us/ Committees/ CommunityPreservationCommittee /CPAUV.htm and vetted at a public hearing held on Thursday, October 5, 2006. In addition to the three Warrant Article projects, the CPC recommends approval of Warrant Article 4(i), which appropriates $20,000 to the Community Preservation Fund- Historic Reserve. These funds were the result of a settlement agreement with a developer who allegedly violated the Town's demolition delay by -law. The Community Preservation Act does not preclude deposits into the Lexington Community Preservation Fund from other sources, and once deposited, such funds are commingled with the tax surcharge receipts and allocated to CPA projects on the recommendations of the CPC with the approval of Town Meeting. Warrant Article 4 (ii)(a) refers to Phase I of the Hancock - Clarke restoration project and requests funding for a pre - construction study for the restoration of the Hancock - Clarke House. The Lexington Historical Society (LHS) has received a $25,000 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. The CPC recognizes the importance of maintaining Lexington's historic structures, which define the Town's history and promote tourism, and therefore supports this funding request. The second CPC project being brought before Town Meeting is the LHS's request for funding to construct a freight elevator in the Lexington Depot Building, as described in Warrant Article 4 (ii)(b). The CPC recognizes that the Depot Building is privately owned by the LHS. But its availability for use by Lexington community groups and residents for a nominal rental charge provides a significant public benefit to the Town. The following are a few groups or residents that have used the Depot Building: State Representative Jay Kaufman, for his monthly Open House; the Selectmen, for their goal setting meeting; Peter Kelley, for his election campaign party; Stand for Children; Belfry Hill Neighborhood Association; and the Eagle Scouts, for their recognition ceremony, plus many more organizations. Currently, the Depot has no access — other than by ladder —to the storage area over the function space and offices. There is no place except the elevator shaft itself to store the tables, chairs, sound system and lectern that are used by organizations renting the building. Crowding these items into the elevator shaft has been difficult and unsafe, and access to the second floor storage area is needed. The CPC supports the elevator project for several reasons: The Community Preservation Act permits the funding of projects for the preservation and rehabilitation of a town's historic assets — including improvements that make them functional for their intended use — whether the buildings in question are owned by government, private non - profit organizations, or privately. The Act recognizes that in many cases, a town's historic assets are not owned publicly and gives a town the latitude to preserve such assets regardless of ownership status. The elevator is key to making the Depot a multi - purpose facility —for example, permitting the display of exhibits on town history that can be stored when a community group wants to have a function in the building. 2. Public - private partnerships for the preservation of historic structures are common and mutually beneficial. Buckman Tavern is an example, where the Town owns the building but has leased it to the LHS on a long -term basis for the LHS to protect and maintain. The Depot Building required significant exterior and interior restoration after the Society purchased the building in 1999. To date, all funding for this $2.3 million project — including the purchase cost of the building — has been raised privately. One of the CPC's criteria is to have an organization raise or match funds -- which the Society has more than completed. 4. Events at the Depot bring people into the Center, which is good for restaurants and other Center businesses which need the foot traffic. Lastly, this grant is a small amount in comparison to what the Town receives in return from the Society from programming, a meeting facility, and restoration of the historic railroad station. The Society paid for the brick walkway that connects the municipal parking lot with Depot Square, and permits the town to use and collect revenue from the parking spaces on Society -owned land to the east of the Depot building. The third CPC project is the request for funding the installation of moveable shelving for the Cary Memorial Building vault, Warrant Article 4 (ii)(c). The shelving is the second and final piece of the Town's vault restoration project, for which climate control efforts were authorized at the March 2006 Town Meeting. The vault is the largest repository of the Town's historic documents. Town Clerk Donna Hooper has noted that "the Town Clerk has statutory responsibility for municipal records and.... there are valuable records which are at risk and already deteriorating because of inadequate or inappropriate storage, methods, materials or climate conditions in the vault ". After completion of this project, some important Town archives housed off -site will be returned to the Town Hall complex. The moveable shelving will provide maximum use of space and provide increased storage capacity for official town documents. In the long term, the Town would like to have an archival center outside the vault to regulate access to the documents. At the end of the October 5th public hearing, the CPC voted unanimously to support all three Warrant Article projects. The CPC is in the process of reviewing 16 projects for spring Town Meeting and will hold a public hearing on December 1e at 7:00 p.m. in Cary Hall to receive public comments. November 28, 2006 TOWN OF LEXINGTON COMMUNITY PRESERVATION COMMITTEE General Criteria The Lexington Community Preservation Committee will only consider proposals that are eligible for Community Preservation Act (CPA) funding according to the requirements described in the CPA legislation; specifically, • The acquisition, creation, and preservation of open space. • The acquisition, preservation, rehabilitation, and restoration of historic resources. • The acquisition, creation, and preservation of land for recreational use. • The creation, preservation, and support of community housing (including items such as annual payments to the housing authority to preserve or expand the affordable housing supply). • The rehabilitation and restoration of open space, land for recreational use, and community housing that is acquired or created using monies from the fund. Preference will be given to proposals that address as many of the following general criteria as possible: • Are consistent with current planning documents that have received wide scrutiny and input and have been adopted by the town; • Preserve the essential character of the town as described in the Comprehensive Plan; • Save resources that would otherwise be threatened and /or serve a currently under - served population; • Either serve more than one CPA purpose (especially in linking open space, recreation and community housing) or demonstrate why serving multiple needs is not feasible; • Demonstrate practicality and feasibility, and demonstrate that they can be implemented expeditiously and within budget; • Produce an advantageous cost/benefit value; • Leverage additional public and /or private funds; • Preserve or utilize currently owned town assets; and • Receive endorsement by other municipal boards or departments. Category Specific Criteria Open space proposals which address as many of the following specific criteria as possible will receive preference: Permanently protect important wildlife habitat, including areas that - are of local significance for biodiversity; - contain a variety of habitats, with a diversity of geologic features and types of vegetation; - contain a habitat type that is in danger of vanishing from Lexington; or - preserve habitat for threatened or endangered species of plants or animals. Provide opportunities for passive recreation and environmental education. Preserve and /or restore threatened or deteriorating public lands. Protect or enhance wildlife corridors, promote connectivity of habitat or prevent fragmentation of habitats. Provide connections with existing trails or potential trail linkages. Preserve scenic views. Border a scenic road. Provide flood control/storage. Preserve important surface water bodies, including wetlands, vernal pools or riparian zones. Preserve a primary or secondary priority parcel in the Open Space Plan. Historical proposals which address as many of the following criteria as possible will receive preference: Protect, preserve, enhance, restore and /or rehabilitate historic, cultural, architectural or archaeological resources of significance, especially those that are threatened; Protect, preserve, enhance, restore and /or rehabilitate town -owned properties, features or resources of historical significance; Protect, preserve, enhance, restore and /or rehabilitate the historical function of a property or site; Support the adaptive reuse of historic properties; Are within a Lexington Historic District, on a State or National Historic Register, or eligible for placement on such registers, or on the Lexington Historical Commission's Cultural Resources Inventory; Demonstrate a public benefit; or Demonstrate the ability to provide permanent protection for maintaining the historic resource. Affordable Housing proposals which address as many of the following criteria as possible will receive preference: Contribute to the goal of maintaining at least 10% affordable housing; Promote a socioeconomic environment that encourages a diversity; Provide housing that is harmonious in design, scale, setting and materials with the surrounding community; Intermingle affordable and market rate housing at levels that exceed state requirements for percentage of affordable units; Ensure long -term affordability; Promote use of existing buildings or construction on previously - developed or Town - owned sites; Convert market rate to affordable units; or Give priority to local residents, Town employees, and employees of local businesses. Recreation proposals which address as many of the following criteria as possible will receive preference: Support multiple active and passive recreation uses; Serve a significant number of residents; Expand the range of recreational opportunities available to Lexington residents of all ages; Jointly benefit Conservation Commission and Recreation Committee initiatives by promoting a variety of recreational activities; Maximize the utility of land already owned by Lexington; or Promote the creative use of railway and other corridors to create safe and healthful non - motorized transportation opportunities. COMMUNITY PRESERVATION FUNDS FOR THE HANCOCK - CLARKE PRE - RESTORATION PROJECT The Lexington Historical Society has requested funding of $25,000 to match a State Historical Commission grant of the same amount to undertake pre - restoration work on the Hancock - Clarke House. The Lexington Historical Society is undertaking a project to restore the Hancock - Clarke House, to provide accessibility (real and virtual) for the disabled, and to determine the feasibility of continued use of the structure for archives and museum storage. These funds allow the Society to engage the services of an architect and architectural historian to develop detailed construction plans and specifications for the restoration. The Hancock - Clarke House, circa 1700, was the Lexington destination of Paul Revere and William Dawes on April 18, 1775. Samuel Adams and John Hancock were the guests of Reverend Jonas Clarke, Lexington's long -time parson and a Revolutionary leader, that evening. The house was saved from destruction by the Society in 1896 and has been owned by the Society and open to the public since that time. It is a National Historic Landmark, on the National and State Register of Historic Places, and is the keystone of Lexington's Hancock - Clarke Historic District. The house has severe structural problems, most notably the separation of beams, wall paneling, and flooring, and bowing of the outside walls due to the weight of the roof on inadequate structural supports. Installation of cables with turnbuckles and a new roof and roof supports will be required to address these problems. Other capital issues that need to be addressed include installation of historically appropriate gutters and rain leaders to address continuing water damage to all sections of the building, and insulation and venting of the attic to prevent ice dams and condensation that contribute to roof failure. As part of the restoration project, the Society will provide accessibility for the disabled and is exploring the possible relocation of its archives and museum storage from the basement of the house. The Hancock - Clarke House is a nationally recognized architectural treasure due to its relatively unspoiled interior and exterior and has been studied and documented extensively for that reason. Its historic significance as a relic of the American Revolution is also nationally recognized. Hundreds of visitors tour the Hancock - Clarke House each year and the Society plans to make it a prominent part of the new education programs it is developing. The House is a critically important part of Lexington's historic heritage. Construction specifications will be completed early in 2007, and the Society's fundraising efforts for the project will begin then. The Society plans to apply to federal and state funding programs designed to assist in the restoration of structures that are of national significance as well as to private foundations. It is likely that the Society will apply for some Community Preservation Act funding as well. If funding is in hand, the restoration will begin in 2008. COMMUNITY PRESERVATION FUNDS FOR THE LEXINGTON DEPOT ELEVATOR The Lexington Historical Society has requested funding in the amount of $44,000 for an elevator to make the Lexington Depot functional as a multi - purpose community facility. The Depot building is made available for rental only to Lexington organizations and individuals. The Society charges non - profit and governmental groups a fee of $200 for the use of the building, designed to simply cover operating and maintenance expenses. The groups that have used or booked the building over the past year include: the Belfry Hill Neighborhood Association, the Meriam Hill Association, the Lexington Players, the Lexington Lions Club, the Lexington Field and Garden Club, Selectmen Peter Kelley's election campaign, Backers of Lexington Debate, the Yes for Lexington campaign, Lexington Community Education, the Munroe Center for the Arts, the Lexington Board of Selectmen, Stand for Children, Representative Kaufman's monthly Forum meetings, Eagle Scouts for recognition ceremonies, and the Bowman PTA. Organizations that have rented the Depot have found the fee to be reasonable and the facilities and location to be convenient. Currently, the Depot has no access — other than by ladder — to the storage area over the function space and offices. There is no place except the elevator shaft itself to store the tables, chairs, sound system, lectern, platform that are used by organizations renting the building. Crowding these items into the elevator shaft has been difficult and unsafe. Once the elevator is installed, these items and others can be brought upstairs to the storage space and readily retrieved as needed. The elevator is designed for freight because there is nothing overhead except a storage area. The Community Preservation Act permits the funding of projects for the preservation and rehabilitation of a town's historic assets — including improvements that make them functional for their intended use — whether the buildings in question are owned by government, private non- profit organizations, or privately, The Act recognizes that in many cases, a town's historic assets are not owned publicly and gives a town the latitude to preserve such assets regardless of ownership status. Public - private partnerships for the preservation of historic structures are common. In Lexington, for example, the Historical Society paid one -third of the purchase price for Buckman Tavern in the early 1900s with the Town paying two- thirds. While the Town owns the Tavern, it has been leased to the Society long -term. The Society pays virtually all operating and maintenance costs at Buckman Tavern with the Town paying for capital improvements from time to time, most recently a new roof. The Lexington Historical Society is a non - profit organization with 501(c)(3) status that has a long history of providing stewardship for the town's historic structures. The purchase and restoration of the Lexington Depot— an elegant and historic jewel in the center of town — has been paid for entirely with private funds with this single exception. The Society intends to continue operating the Depot as a community center for all of Lexington, and we believe maintaining the building in this status lends vitality to Lexington Center and provides a service to the entire community. TOWN OF LEXINGTON 2006 REQUEST FOR Community Preservation Funding Cary Memorial Building — Vault Shelving Project Requested Funding: Shelving replacement $60,000 The generation of records and documents occurs daily in the course of municipal operations. Resources to ensure proper maintenance and archiving of these records have been limited. Commitment to this initiative will provide for better retention and access to Lexington's historical materials. The Cary Memorial Building contains two vaults in which official town records and documents are archived. Both vaults are situated in the building's lower level; the smaller vault in the front and main vault in the rear of the building. Shelving in the main vault is configured in a manner that does not provide for optimal use of space to properly store records created for which long- term or permanent archiving is required. Re- shelving of the vault with moveable state -of -the -art shelving will maximize use of space and provide for increased storage capacity to accommodate records, including: board and committee minutes and records; town reports; payroll & retirement records; financial records; election & town meeting records; police & fire logs, and other records from as early as the 1700s. Proposals for the climate control work, for which CPA funding was authorized at the 2006 ATM, will proceed this winter, with anticipated work in 2007. Should vault shelving also be funded, the two vault projects would be coordinated as best possible for maximum benefit and minimal disruption. Completion of one project is not anticipated to preclude completion of the other should the projects be done independently. Donna M. Hooper Town Clerk/Records Manager November 2006