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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010-11-22-CPC-min Minutes of the Community Preservation Committee Monday, November 22, 2010 3:00 pm Room 207 Town Offices Present: Board Members: Wendy Manz,Chair; Marilyn Fenollosa (arrived 4:15 PM), Vice- Chair; Joel Adler, Norman Cohen, Jeanne Krieger, Leo McSweeney, Sandy Shaw, Betsey Weiss and Dick Wolk. Administrative Assistant : Nathalie Rice Also in attendance was Charles Lamb, Chair of the Capital Expenditures Committee. The meeting was called to order at 3:00 pm by Ms. Manz. 1.Update on Cotton Farm Bonding Costs – Rob. Addelson, Assistant Town Manager of Finance, met with the CPC to update the Committee on the bonding costs associated with the Cotton Farm acquisition. He explained that due to the receipt of the $500,000 Self-Help grant, (a reimbursement grant) the payments on the property needed to be accelerated. This meant the Town would be bonding $2.3M in FY 2012 with payments in FY 2012 and FY 2013. This is in contrast to the original agreement which called for an interest- free loan from the seller which would be paid back over a two year period. Mr. Addelson explained that since the $2.3M would be bonded, there would be associated interest costs. Interest rates he estimated would be in the range of 2% or less. He said the FY 2012 payment would be taken from the Undesignated Fund Balance. Mr. Cohen suggested that the CPC might authorize a payment in cash in FY 2012 to reduce the bond issuance to $1M, but Mr. Addelson was not certain this could be done. 2.Center Playfields, Phase II - Dave Pinsonneault, Superintendant of Public Grounds, met with the CPC and informed them that the cost of the second phase of the Center Fields Project had risen from an initial estimate of $575,612 to $911,862. He explained that the contractor conducting the analysis of the drainage structures under Field 2, (a baseball and football field), had found that the piping had collapsed, broken apart and/or silted up, resulting in restricted flow to Vine Brook. Discovered through camera work, this new finding necessitates replacement of the piping under Field 4 and results in the significant increase in the cost of the project. 1 Members were concerned about this increase, and particularly the ramifications for future work. They questioned whether other such pipe failures might be found which would increase the FY 2013 request of $605,718. Mr. Pinsonneault explained that once the piping under Field 4 was replaced, there would be no other piping that would need similar replacement. He said he did not expect the estimate for Phase III to be increased. Mr. Pinsonnealt explained the timing of the Phase II and III and the various rotations of the playing fields. Mr. McSweeney questioned whether artificial turf would be part of the upgrades to any of the fields, to which Mr. Pinsonnealt replied that such upgrades were being discussed, but would not be part of the project funded with CPA dollars. 3.Battle Green Monument Restoration – Mr. Pinsonneault then went on to describe a new project presented by the Public Grounds Department. He explained that he had submitted an application for the restoration of historic monuments around the Battle Green, specifically the Minuteman Statue, the Obelisk, the Minuteman Monument, the Flagpole and the Half Shell. He said for cost estimates he had consulted with professional conservator, Ivan Myjer of Building Monument Conservation (who had conducted the restoration of the Munroe and Ye Old Burial Ground cemeteries). Mr. Pinsonneault described the various restorations that were needed to each of the monuments, and in response to a question from Mr. Adler, explained the history of repairs to the Flagpole. There was some discussion later in the meeting of the possibility of expanding this project to include certain aspects of the Battle Green Master Plan project. 4.Vynebrook Village: Drainage Work –Steve Keane, Director of the Lexington Housing Authority, met with the CPC to explain his proposal for drainage work at the Vynebrooke Village housing development. (The project is the follow-up to design work approved in FY 2011 by the CPC). Mr. Keane said he had been working with engineer Fred Russell and that Town Engineer, John Livsey was familiar with the grid design proposed by Mr. Russell. He said the engineering work was still in progress, and that Mr. Russell felt there would be no significant impact on the Vine Brook Mr. Keane explained that the project would eliminate the 2-3 feet of water that accumulates after storms in the crawl spaces below the units, often resulting in mold problems. In response to questions from the Committee, Mr. Keane explained that the design study would be finished in January, and that the drainage work would be completed within a year. He was questioned whether there were State or Federal funds available for the project, to which Mr. Keane said there were not. He did add, however, that he had just received word that Lexington 2 would be getting a $200,000 grant to renovate the two common rooms at Vynebrooke Village to make them handicapped accessible. Mr. Keane said he would be meeting again with KarenMullins, Director of Community Development, before the December 7 CPC Public Hearing to discuss the wetlands permitting for the project. 5.Greeley Village: Creation of Accessible Unit – Mr. Keane discussed a second project with the Committee, the renovation of one, and perhaps two units at Greeley Village to make them handicapped accessible. He explained that at present there are no accessible units at Greeley Village, despite a significant need for them. He said the housing development was not in compliance with State regulations for accessibility. He presented a sketch plan of a unit, and showed the Committee the renovations that would be needed to bring a unit into compliance. Mr. Keane also noted that there was a possibility of utilizing manpower from Minuteman Tech, and thereby completing the renovation of two units, rather than just one, for comparable cost. There was some discussion about compliance issues at Greeley Village and the other affordable housing developments in Town. 6.Battle Green Master Plan Implementation – Mr. Pinsonneault and Cindy Brockway, consultant to the Tourism Committee, met with the CPC to discuss a proposal to implement the Master Plan funded with CPA funds in FY 2011. Mr. Pinsonneault explained that the development of the Master Plan was still in progress and that the proposal before the CPC was a placeholder. He said the Tourism Committee’s schedule would have to be very aggressive to have a defined project for the CPC by Town Meeting. Ms. Brockway, the consultant completing the Master Plan, gave an overview of her work, and showed the Committee a mock-up of one of the pages from her draft report. She noted that there are three different types of paving, three different types of stairs and several different types of lighting. She said the need for consistency would be important as the Committee defined its recommendations. She has been working on the project for six weeks. Ms. Manz asked Ms. Brockway to define the Tourism Committee’s “product”. Ms. Brockway responded that the Committee would propose a series of improvements, which would be approved by the HDC, the Selectmen, and ultimately by Town Meeting. In response to questions from CPC members, Ms. Brockway said that all the sidewalks would be handicapped accessible and that there would be a maintenance plan recommended as part of the Master Plan. 3 The CPC had a general discussion of the project, and noted that the specifics of the project were, and would remain, undefined for some time. Ms. Weiss suggested that perhaps some of the straight-forward elements of the Master Plan could be added to Mr. Pinsonneault’s Monument Restoration project. There seemed to be general support for this alternative, and it was decided that Mr. Pinsonneault and other representatives should return to the CPC after th the Tourism Committee met on November 30. Mr. Wolk urged Ms. Brockway and Mr. Pinsonneault to have specific costs (eg. for square footage of sidewalk) when returning to the CPC for particular projects elements. 7.Needs Assessment Report – Ms. Rice reported that she had received the last of the updates for the Needs Assessment Report and would incorporate them into a draft for members to review. She will send it to the Chair and Co-Chair for initial editing and then to the Committee at large. 8.Muzzey Condominium Association Window Replacement – Ms. Rice reported that she had spoken to Ginger . McGuire of the Muzzey High Condominium Association, and that Ms. McGuire wished to clarify a possible misinterpretation in her presentation at the previous CPC meeting. Ms. McGuire said the Association wished to apply for CPA funds for the entire 5 year project, a total of $253,915, in 2010, not to apply for incremental funding over five years. . Ms. McGuire will be meeting with the CPC at its next t meeting on December 6 to clarify this point, and to update the Committee on any progress she has made in applying for a bridge loan. The purpose of the bridge loan would be to enable the Association to replace all the windows at one time and therefore get the best price for the work. 9.CPC Signs for On-Going Projects – Ms. Shaw showed the Committee a mock-up of a CPC sign for projects in progress. The Committee was very pleased with the sign, and moved to approve the design. There was some discussion of the size of the sign and whether an 18”x 24” format was large enough to be seen at a distance. Members voted to approve the design and size of the sign; the vote was 8-1, with the dissenting vote reflecting the desire for a larger sign. The meeting was adjourned at 5:05 pm. Four documents were reviewed or presented at the CPC meeting; 4 (1)An updated list of project applications and costs entitled, “CPC Project Applications and Commitments FY 2012” dated 11/22/10. This document is on file in the CPC office. (2)A memo to Wendy Manz, Chair, from Ginger McGuire from the Muzzey High Condominium Association, dated November 22, 2010. This document is on file in the CPC office. (3) An amended cost page from Dave Pinsonneault, Superintendant of Public Grounds, for the Center Playfields Project , entitled “Phase 2: Field 2 – CPC Funding”, dated 11/22/10. This document is on file in the CPC office. (4)A sketch plan submitted by Steve Keane, Director of the Lexington Housing Authority, entitled “Proposed Drainage Improvements Plan Vynebrooke Village, dated Nov. 18, 2010.” Respectfully submitted, Nathalie Rice Administrative Assistant Community Preservation Committee 5