Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002-10-30-PWSC-minMinutes of the DPW Facility /Senior Center Re- Evaluation Advisory Committee October 30, 2002 Members in Attendance Chairman Paul Lapointe, Donald Chisholm, Michelle Ciccolo, Marshall Derby, Donald Graham, Steve Hurley, Peter Kelley, Bill Kennedy, Jeanne Krieger, John McWeeney, Liaisons and staff: John Rosenberg, Bill Hadley, Heather Sweeney, Kelly McKay Zeoli Updates of Previous Committees/Work Prior to this committee, two other groups worked on finding sites for the new senior center and DPW facility. The Senior Center Siting Committee and DPW Staff Working Group recommended to the BOS the sites on which they believed the two buildings should be built. The Senior Center Siting Committee's final recommendation, after looking at 18 sites in Lexington, was a location of the DPW Operations facility at 201 Bedford Street, Walgreens on Bedford Street and Worthen Road, or the Munroe Center for the Arts. However, the Munroe Center's board did not agree with this and the Committee could not successfully negotiate with the owner of Walgreens. Therefore, 201 Bedford Street became the default site. The DPW Staff Working Group recommended 60 Hartwell Avenue as the location for the new DPW Operations facility. Overview of Committee Charge Paul Lapointe, as chair of the committee, welcomed everyone and said that the committee will have a lot of work to do in a short period of time, as the BOS would like a report before Town Meeting. He also put together an agenda listing the committee's charge as the following: Identify costs and benefits of various options for reuse of 201 Bedford Street, recommend best possible reuse of 201 Bedford Street that will allow the Town the opportunity to build a new Senior Center and a new DPW facility, and determine the financing strategies that might be pursued. Bill Kennedy was concerned that the language used presupposed the BOS decision on the 201 Bedford site, even though the BOS has yet to take a stance. Paul said that he thought the charge was very broad, so he wanted to narrow it down into tasks. It was not his intention to limit the committee's scope or to suggest an answer. Peter Kelley believes that the committee should look at the needs and fundamental purposes of the DPW and the Senior Center. For example, what do they need to function? What are the optimum places to put these if they could go anywhere? His belief is that they should be in the center area, although they would be incompatible on the same site. Paul said that the charge also tasks the committee with finding the best possible use of the 201 Bedford Street location and project funding possibilities like debt exclusions or the sale of the site. Michelle asked what the value of the site is? John responded that the value depends on the density of what is going on it: apartments, a single family home, a business etc. He also said that one consideration for the future use of 201 Bedford Street, if it is no longer a DPW facility, is the zoning of the land. Would the Town change the zoning? And, what land use ideas would people come up with if there was no zoning there? Peter asked if the residents would be the final judges of what will happen? Will this go to a vote? Jeanne believes that it will go before Town Meeting for sure and to vote if there is a debt exclusion. She thinks the committee needs to look at what best satisfies the needs of the community, for example, the quality and scope of services, affordable housing etc. Michelle asked what the residents near the DPW facility said at public hearings about having such a facility so close? John answered that everyone pretty much accepted it, because they bought their houses knowing it was there. But people did want to explore the environmental issues of the facility. Don Graham said that he recently attended a conference workshop about designing a senior center. The workshop did not advocate building a joint housing/senior center site, because cliques tend to form with the people who live there. Also, the workshop presenters said that a 1 story building is not good, because people will have to walk too far within the building, it uses up more land than a multi -story building, and it is more expensive. Peter believes the senior center should be on Worthen Road. It would be a stand alone facility and the buses already pass right by. There would also be enough parking. Peter would like to know what the financial limitations are and Michelle and Peter both would like to define the criteria of the decision making process before the committee spends too much time and energy on this. Subcommittees 1. Define architectural program and optimal operating characteristics of a new DPW facility - Bill Kennedy, Marshall Derby, Steven Hurley, David Eagle, and John McWeeney 2. Define architectural program and optimal operating characteristics of a new Senior Center - Don Chisholm, Don Graham, Paul Lapointe, and Steven Hurley 3. Research and issue a Request for Interest to potential developers of 201 Bedford St. - Michelle Ciccolo and Jeanne Krieger 4. Determine decision - making criteria: How do we define "best" in "best possible reuse ?" - Michelle Ciccolo, Jeanne Krieger, and Peter Kelley Next Steps The next meetings will be at 7:45 a.m. in Town Hall in room G -15 on November 13 and in room 111 on November 27. Sheldon Spector has been identified as the liaison from the Appropriations Committee.