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2024-05-16 CPC Minutes (PDF) CITY OF BEVERLY PUBLIC MEETING MINUTES BOARD: Community Preservation Committee LOCATION: Beverly City Hall, 191 Cabot Street, 3rd Floor Chambers DATE: May 16, 2024 BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Chair Derek Beckwith, Suzanne LaMont,Heather Richter (remote), David Ershun, Christy Edwards, Vice Chair Robert Buchsbaum,Nancy Marino BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT: Jamie Jamieson OTHERS PRESENT: Director of Planning and Development Darlene Wynne, CPA Administrator Jean Delios RECORDER: Naomi Moca 1. Call to order Chair Beckwith calls the meeting to order at 7:04 p.m. and conducts a roll call. Beckwith reads the public notice regarding holding meetings both in-person and remotely due to COVID-19. 5. CPC Project MOU Extension Requests CPC took Agenda Item #5 (MOU Extension Requests) out of order. a. Larcom Theatre Marquee Restoration (6/23/2024) Lisa Crowell of the Larcom Theatre is present and summarizes the status of the project. The next step is to attend the Design Review Board meeting on June 6, 2024. Assuming the project progresses smoothly, Crowell predicts that the project will be finished by November 30, 2024. Beckwith asks if the cold winter weather could impact the project. Crowell answers that it should not, barring a snow emergency. Marino asks if the project needs more time. Crowell says that additional time would reduce the pressure to complete the project. The Committee discusses that there is no penalty for requesting additional time and that March 2025 is an appropriate target for finishing the project. Edwards: Motion to extend the MOU for the Larcom Theatre Marquis Restoration until March 30, 2025. Marino seconds. Beckwith takes a roll call vote. Motion carries (7-0). The members welcome Jean Delios,the new CPA Administrator. Delios introduces herself to the Committee. b. Restoration of the Beverly Farms Fence, Phase II (6/30/2024) Beckwith says there has been no communication from the applicant and the applicant may attend the June 20, 2024 meeting. Jean Delios updates the committee that she has emailed the applicant and is expecting a reply shortly. Beverly Community Preservation Committee May 16,2024 Meeting Minutes Page 2 of 4 c. Lynch Park Carriage House Preservation (7/7/24) Director of Parks and Recreation Bruce Doig is present. The Committee discusses that the basement of the Carriage House floods with every rain event,the recent public meeting at Lynch Park, the coastal resiliency study, the status of the sea walls, and the future of the Carriage House. Richter asks if any repairs to the building have been done since the CPA funds were awarded. Doig says that the funds have not yet been used. The Committee discusses that the funds were awarded based on an urgent need with the understanding that the work would be done within a few months, yet it has not been done. Beckwith observes that potentially a new solution will be needed in the future, so it may be appropriate to let the MOU expire. Marino asks if the job were put out to bid, whether it would be done faster. Doig says yes, but the cost would be prohibitive. The Committee discusses that allowing the MOU to expire may free up the unused funds. LaMont comments that the project remaining incomplete may result in demolition by neglect as time passes. The Committee discusses whether it is appropriate for the applicant to file an out-of- cycle application. Doig comments that it is appropriate to seek the Engineering Department's advice on what is the best approach. Buchsbaum: Motion to continue the Lynch Park Carriage House Preservation discussion to the June 20, 2024 meeting. LaMont seconds. Beckwith takes a roll call vote. Motion carries (7-0). d. Tennis Court Replacement Kimball-Haskell and Cahill Parks (5/30/2024) Doig presents a status update on the project and requests an extension of the MOU. Doig states that the tennis courts are under construction and work is progressing but that additional time is needed. The project is expected to be complete by the end of August. Edwards: Motion to extend the MOU for the Tennis Court Replacement at Kimball- Haskell and Cahill Parks to August 31, 2024. Buchsbaum seconds. Beckwith takes a roll call vote. Motion carries (7-0). e Gillis Park Improvements (7/7/24) Doig presents a status update on the project and requests an extension of the MOU. Doig states that the construction has started but has been delayed mostly by rain requiring extra time to complete. Edwards: Motion to extend the MOU for the Gillis Park Improvements to August 31, 2024. Buchsbaum seconds. The Committee discusses what the Committee voted to pay for, specifically whether a concrete pad was part of the package. Beckwith takes a roll call vote. Motion carries (7-0). CPC project close-outs a. Birch Plains Pickleball Court Sound Mitigation (6/14/2024) Doig summarizes the completed project saying the sound mitigation panels have been installed. He noted that a sound impact test was conducted before and after the sound mitigation 2 Beverly Community Preservation Committee May 16,2024 Meeting Minutes Page 3 of 4 equipment was installed. LaMont asks how the pricing of the work is determined and questioned the labor rates. Doig says the bids were handled by the Department of Public Services and were compliant with procurement laws. Doig noted that the complete project cost approximately $8,000 less than the CPA funds that were allotted because a better supplier was identified. b. Balch Street Housing Exterior Door replacement (6/30/2024) Wynne says the project has been completed and that she anticipates the project will be closed out at the June 20, 2024 meeting. Marino says residents have moved in. 2. Consultation and Q&A with the CPC There is no one from the public with general questions present. 3. CPA Funding Round 11 — Continued review of applications a. Beverly Affordable Housing Trust(AHT)Allocation —Mayor's Office Beckwith comments that Funding Round 11 may be an optimal time to see how this allocation works in practice, as there are fewer projects than usual this Round, and once all this Round's projects are funded, there will be $1,247,687 remaining unallotted. The Committee discusses that unused funds roll over each Round. Richter says that she does not see a project in this application and that City projects should be held to the same standards as other projects. Richter comments that the precedent set by other communities' CPCs who have approved similar allocations may not apply to this City. She suggests that it is permissible to grant less funds than are applied for. Marino expresses that the application lacks specificity. LaMont contrasts this application with the Habitat for Humanity application, which follows specific guidelines that work within a process that is already established and overseen. Edwards suggests that the Committee could compromise by approving the application,but a lower amount than requested. Edwards: Motion to approve the funding for the AHT allocation in the amount of $60,000 from the General Fund in the category of Community Housing for the purpose of Creation and Preservation. Buchsbaum seconds. Beckwith takes a roll call vote. Motion carries (6-1). LaMont votes against. Wynne notes that the votes taken for the other applications did not specify the funds from which they are drawn. She recommends that the Committee formalize those decisions with another vote. The appropriate fund allocations are discussed. Edwards: Motion that the Habitat for Humanity Home Repair,the Girdler House Generator, and the Girdler House Kitchen renovation projects are funded from the General Fund and that the Girdler House windows project is funded from the Historic Resources Fund. Ershun seconds. Beckwith takes a roll call vote. Motion carries (7-0). 4. CPA Funding Round 11 —Recommendation letter to City Council 3 Beverly Community Preservation Committee May 16,2024 Meeting Minutes Page 4 of 4 The members review and offer edits to the draft recommendation letter. 6. CPC Project Updates,if any a. Restoration of the Beverly Farms Fence Phase I and II b. Gruppe Mural Restoration Wynne says that there has been no change to the Restoration of the Beverly Farms Fence Phase I and II and the Gruppe Mural Restoration since the email update. 7. Approval of minutes a. April 18,2024 The members review and offer edits to the April 18, 2024 draft meeting minutes. Edwards: Motion to accept the April 18, 2024 meeting minutes as amended. LaMont seconds. Beckwith takes a roll call vote. Motion carries (7-0). 8. Other items not known in advance of the posting of this agenda - n/a 9. Adjourn Richter: Motion to adjourn. LaMont seconds. Beckwith takes a roll call vote. Motion carries (7-0). Meeting adjourns at 8:45 p.m. Next regular CPC meeting: Thursday, June 20, 2024, at 7 p.m. 4