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2024_10_CPC Minutes (pdf) City of Beverly Community Preservation Committee October 17,2024 Meeting Minutes 1 CITY OF BEVERLY 2 PUBLIC MEETING MINUTES 3 4 5 6 7 BOARD OR COMMISSION: City of Beverly Community Preservation Committee 8 DATE: October 17, 2024 9 LOCATION: Beverly City Hall, 191 Cabot Street, Council Chambers, 3rd 10 Floor, Google Meet Info: https:Hmeet.google.com/knw- 11 ytip-fwg 12 MEMBERS PRESENT: Chairperson Derek Beckwith, Christy Edwards 13 David Ershun, Jamie Jamieson, Suzanne LaMont, Nancy 14 Marino, Heather Richter, 15 MEMBERS ABSENT: Vice Chairperson Robert Buchsbaum 16 STAFF PRESENT: Jean Delios, Community Preservation Act Coordinator 17 RECORDER: Kristan Patenaude 18 19 1. Call to Order 20 21 Chairperson Beckwith called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. 22 23 2. Consultation and Q &A with the CPC 24 25 None at this time. 26 27 7. CPC Out of Cycle Applications — The Committee took up this agenda item out of order. 28 b. Lynch Park -Michael P. Cahill,Mayor 29 30 Mayor Cahill stated that the City is applying for a CPC Out of Cycle (OOC) grant, to fund 31 needed improvements at Lynch Park such as seawall repairs to mitigate overtopping and 32 constructing a swale behind that to protect flooding the Rose Garden. The City had pursued a 33 grant from CZM (Coastal Zone Management)but the application was not funded. A future 34 application is planned to try again to secure a grant from CZM. The proposal for the CPA OOC 35 grant was for two years of design and permitting work. This CPA OOC funding would be used to 36 complete the first year of work, design and permitting, and then apply again for the grant in the 37 future to help fund the needed improvements. The proposal also includes an analysis of the 38 carriage house and how to address its resiliency needs. 39 40 Beckwith noted that work cannot be funded that has already been started. It was also stated that 41 the CPC will review the pre-application submittal and vote on the eligibility of this. The vote 42 will be taken up at the later agenda item and pending approval the next step is to file a full 43 application for a CPA OOC award. 44 45 Page 1 of 8 City of Beverly Community Preservation Committee October 17,2024 Meeting Minutes 46 3. CPA Funding Round 12—Review of CPC FY25 Pre-Applications 47 48 Beckwith explained that this item is to hear from applicants on their pre-application materials to 49 determine if they are eligible for submission of a full application. Beckwith indicated that the 50 number of pre-applications received in Round 12 totaled 10 (1 hybrid, Independence Park filed 51 both ways for funding out of Round 12 and for an OOC award). There was also 2 OOC 52 applications: Independence Park and Lynch Park. 53 54 a.Abbott Street Right of Way/Public Way-Robin Luna Whitman - $350,000 55 56 Robin Luna Whitman explained that the category of open space is to protect the scenic vistas and 57 the land for recreation use. This seemed to be the perfect category for this project. The existing 58 rights of way are in various states of disrepair and are mostly inaccessible. Improvements, such 59 as replacing overgrown landscaping, would meet the criteria for the open space category. This is 60 also being applied for under the category of rehab and restoration as the project intends for a 61 capital improvement to make an asset functional for the public use. The area is currently 62 inaccessible for all and there are certain liabilities. The project proposes a street level pocket park 63 that could be accessible for all. She would like to discuss some of the concerns about this area 64 with the Mayor. 65 66 Beckwith stated that, in order to apply to rehab/restore open space, the land would need to have 67 been acquired by or created with CPA funding. It does not appear CPA funds were used to 68 acquire this land. The creation of a pocket park for this project could be considered under the 69 open space category. 70 71 The Committee stated that the first question is who has ownership or control of this area. 72 Whitman stated that she would continue to work to gather additional information on this item. 73 74 b. Cabot House Porticos - Susan Goganian- $28,000 75 76 The Committee agreed to discuss this item at the end of its review of pre-applications. 77 78 c. Independence Park 400+-Beverly Quadricentennial Inc. - $75,000 79 80 The Committee agreed to discuss this item as part of the Out of Cycle Applications later in the 81 meeting. 82 83 d. Restoration of Beverly Farms Cemetery Fence Phase II-Mary H. McCaffrey- $60,000 84 85 Mary McCaffrey explained that the project is to continue with Phase II to restore the Beverly 86 Farms cemetery fence. This project started in 2019. In the 2020 cycle (Phase I), an application 87 was submitted to install 271 linear feet of fencing, quoted at$224/linear foot, and $70,000 was 88 granted. Phase II was proposed and applied for 347 linear feet at$239/linear foot, and $80,000 89 was awarded. Phase I went out to bid in April 2021 and is being completed now. The cost for 90 this turned out to be $136,000. The bid for this Phase was accepted by City. She recently heard Page 2 of 8 City of Beverly Community Preservation Committee October 17,2024 Meeting Minutes 91 that there is also a$6,200 bond associated with the work. The Beverly Farms Improvement 92 Society (BFIS)has contributed significant sums to the overall project including work completed 93 before Phase I and II. This application is for an additional $60,000 in funding to cover the 94 shortfall of funds for Phase II. 95 96 Beckwith stated that he would like to see an application with additional funding attached to it, to 97 make sure the project can be completed. 98 99 Beckwith: Motion that the Restoration of Beverly Farms Cemetery Fence Supplemental 100 Funding for Phase II—Beverly Farms Improvement Society pre-application is 101 eligible under historic preservation. Marino seconds. Motion carries by roll call: 102 Beckwith— aye, Ershun— aye, Jamieson— aye, LaMont— aye, Marino—aye, 103 Richter—aye, Edwards— aye; (7-0). 104 105 e. Greater Beverly YMCA- Shoe Shop Restoration-YMCA of the North Shore - $20,000 106 107 Tim Flaherty, Executive Director Greater Beverly YMCA, explained that the overall intention is 108 to improve the entrance to the YMCA for safety reasons. In speaking with the Historic District 109 Commission (HDC) and neighbors,there was interest in restoring the historic Shoe Shop 110 building. The structure is approximately 10'x5'. This was the start of the United Shoe company. 111 The funding would be used to design and restore the building in place. The HDC will be taking 112 this up at their October 30, 2024 meeting. Beckwith requests that the applicant forward the form 113 to Jean (CPA Coordinator) once the HDC approves the project and then it will be added to the 114 application materials for this CPC Pre-Application. 115 116 The Committee noted that it will be able to discuss eligibility for the project but cannot approve 117 the project without first seeing the design with additional details. 118 119 Edwards: Motion that the Greater Beverly YMCA Shoe Shop Restoration pre-application be 120 considered eligible for funding consideration in the CPA category under historic 121 preservation and rehabilitation and restoration. Jamieson seconds. Motion carries 122 by roll call: Beckwith— aye, Ershun— aye, Jamieson— aye, LaMont— aye, Marino 123 — aye, Richter— aye, Edwards—aye; (7-0). 124 125 L Exploration of Recreation Improvements to the Beverly Common and Odell Park - 126 Beverly Main Streets - $150,000 127 128 Erin Truex, Executive Director, Beverly Main Streets, explained that Beverly Main Streets is a 129 nonprofit dedicated to promoting and enhancing Beverly's downtown economic vitality, cultural 130 and historic resources, and quality of life. It utilizes a variety of volunteers in the community. 131 The Downtown 2030 Group aims to form a collective vision for the future of downtown Beverly 132 in partnership with City officials,business leaders, and residents, with the ultimate goal of 133 determining which components should be in the downtown area. This proposal is to expand what 134 is occurring in the Common with established goals that incorporate a variety of viewpoints and 135 constituents. The primary goal is to introduce more facilities and engagement opportunities for Page 3 of 8 City of Beverly Community Preservation Committee October 17,2024 Meeting Minutes 136 seniors and children that are otherwise absent. For the purposes of this application, the group 137 chose to include Odell Park as it is increasingly mentioned as a gateway to Beverly. Activating it 138 would be helpful to those on Rantoul Street, in consideration of new developments in the area. 139 This proposal aligns with the recreation category. This funding will be used for a feasibility 140 study to determine what can operationally occur in the parks. 141 142 Beckwith asked what the funding will specifically be used for. Truex stated that the funding will 143 be for a dedicated project manager, whose primary scope of work would be the feasibility study, 144 while incorporating community feedback and support. 145 146 Marino asked how this is considered under the recreation category. Truex explained that this will 147 serve a significant number of residents and will promote the use of corridors to create safe and 148 healthy spaces, including for pedestrian transportation. This meets a recreational need that is not 149 currently met by the City. It also expands on the universal access to recreational opportunities. 150 Under the open space category, the Common borders a designated scenic road and provides 151 public access. There are a number of people that may not be able to access the Common, which 152 is why Odell Park is added into the application. 153 154 Marino stated that she does not believe this piece of property, the Common, is designated as 155 recreational land. There was discussion as to if this funding is requested for public engagement 156 and planning process. Truex stated that the group does not want to make decisions on 157 implementation before determining what can be accomplished. The main goal is to incorporate 158 recreational items to these areas, but this needs to be done after a feasibility study and 159 community engagement. The Committee discussed if this is an eligible project, as the feasibility 160 study is not for an identified,known improvement at a park. Truex stated that there are a few 161 specific items listed in the preapplication, such as access to water, increased lighting, and 162 recreational materials. 163 164 Marino stated that the requested funding is for a study and someone to perform the study. Truex 165 stated that this is a portion of the request. The feasibility study is to understand what needs to 166 occur first. LaMont noted that the $150,000 seems to be a lot for just a study. Truex stated that 167 the requested funding is for the study and implementation of the items mentioned in the 168 preapplication. Beckwith stated that the scope of this project should be limited to a feasibility 169 study. It is then unclear what the results of the feasibility study would be and that could impact 170 future eligibility of improvements using CPA funds. This aspect of the project will need to be 171 fine-tuned. 172 173 Richter: Motion that the Beverly Main Streets pre-application for a feasibility study is 174 eligible under recreation, for the purpose of rehabilitation, and restoration. 175 Jamieson seconds. Motion carries by roll call: Beckwith—aye, Ershun— aye, 176 Jamieson—aye, LaMont— aye, Marino— aye, Richter— aye, Edwards— aye; (7- 177 0). 178 179 g. 2025 Facade Renovation and Restoration Project - The Cabot Performing Arts 180 Center - $55,944 Page 4 of 8 City of Beverly Community Preservation Committee October 17,2024 Meeting Minutes 181 182 Jennifer Gonyea, Director of Development Cabot Theater, explained that the fagade 183 improvement project will bring it back to the original design. This will include replacing the 184 existing marquee, which will uncover the existing rose window,with a more historic blade 185 marquee from the 1920s. The request is for work on the window and fixing up the awning at this 186 time. The need for a claw back agreement was noted. 187 188 LaMont: Motion that The Cabot Performing Arts Center pre-application for the 2025 fagade 189 renovation and restoration project is eligible under the category of historic 190 preservation for The Cabot's restoration. Jamieson seconds. Motion carries by roll 191 call: Edwards—aye, Ershun— aye, Jamieson— aye, LaMont— aye, Marino—aye, 192 Richter—aye, Beckwith—aye; (7-0). 193 194 h. Balch Playground Renovation -Beverly Recreation Department- $150,000 195 196 Bruce Doig, Director of Parks and Recreation explained that the Balch Playground has two 197 structures, and the one for ages 5-12 needs updating. The structure itself is sound and temporary 198 fixes have been done to make it safer in the interim. ADA compliance is always considered. 199 200 The Committee asked about consideration of a cooling station or shaded area. Doig stated that 201 there are some nice shade trees at Balch. Balch was restored in 2000 with a grant and receives a 202 lot of use. 203 204 There was discussion regarding a potential splashpad for this park 205 206 Richter: Motion that the Beverly Recreation Department Balch Playground Renovation 207 pre-application is eligible under the category of rehabilitation and recreation. 208 Jamieson seconds. Motion carries by roll call: Edwards—aye, Ershun—aye, 209 Jamieson—aye, LaMont— aye,Marino— aye, Richter— aye,— aye; (7-0). 210 211 i. Holcroft Park Splashpad -Beverly Recreation Department-$100,000 212 213 Doig stated that Holcroft Park has been mostly renovated at this time. Additional funding is 214 being requested for a splashpad after the other work is complete. 215 216 Richter: Motion that the Beverly Recreation Department Holcroft Park Splashpad pre- 217 application is eligible under the category of recreation and rehabilitation. Marino 218 seconds. Motion carries by roll call: Edwards— aye, Ershun— aye, Jamieson— 219 aye, LaMont—aye, Marino—aye, Richter— aye, Beckwith— aye; (7-0). 220 221 j. Gillis Park-Dan Richards,Friends of Gillis Park- $100,000 222 223 Dan Richards explained that this is an application for renovation and restoration of Gillis Park. 224 Specifically, the project focuses on the entrance to the Park. It is currently very narrow and not 225 ADA compliant. Access is difficult and there is no seating. The project would also replace the Page 5 of 8 City of Beverly Community Preservation Committee October 17,2024 Meeting Minutes 226 current WWII memorial. This project will allow for accessibility, seating, and will also replace 227 the existing water fountain. A flagpole that can withstand the elements is also part of the 228 proposal. Fundraising is being considered to help offset the cost and Representative Parisella has 229 filed a$200,000 State Earmark for the renovation. 230 231 Beckwith asked if the memorial and fence around it could be considered historic preservation. 232 There may be a formula to consider what the CPA funds will cover versus the entire budget for 233 the project. A full application will show the delineation of the project, and which items are 234 proposed for the CPA funds. 235 236 Richards stated that the common area is proposed to be open with stone benches around a paved 237 half circle for those entering. Benches will also be on the outside of the entrance for casual 238 sitting. 239 240 Edwards: Motion that the Gillis Park pre-application, submitted by the Friends of Gillis 241 Park, is eligible for CPA funding under the category of recreation with a project 242 purpose of rehabilitation and restoration. Jamieson seconds. Motion carries by roll 243 call: Edwards—aye, Ershun— aye, Jamieson— aye, LaMont— aye,Marino—aye, 244 Richter—aye,Beckwith—aye; (7-0). 245 246 b. Cabot House Porticos - Susan Goganian— $28,000 - The Committee took this up out of 247 order 248 249 Beckwith explained that this is an application from Historic Beverly for a $28,000 grant relating 250 to a $50,000 project under the category of historic preservation for the purpose of rehabilitation 251 and restoration. 252 253 LaMont: Motion that the Cabot House Porticos pre-application is eligible for CPA funding 254 under the category of historic preservation for the purpose of rehabilitation and 255 restoration. Ershun seconds. Motion carries by roll call: Edwards—aye, Ershun— 256 aye, Jamieson— aye, LaMont— aye, Marino— aye, Richter—aye, —Beckwith- aye; 257 (7-0). 258 259 The Committee took a brief recess. 260 261 4. CPC Project Updates, if any 262 263 None at this time. 264 265 5. CPC Project Closeouts,if any 266 267 None at this time. 268 269 6. CPC Project MOU Extension Requests, if any 270 Page 6 of 8 City of Beverly Community Preservation Committee October 17,2024 Meeting Minutes 271 None at this time. 272 273 7. CPC Out of Cycle Applications 274 a. Independence Park 400+ -Beverly Quadricentennial Inc. - $75,000 275 276 Gin Wallace and Barbara Broudo, Beverly Quadricentennial Inc., explained that the Beverly 277 400+in 2026 is a year of activities celebrating Beverly's birthday and what happened before 278 Independence Park became historic. An upgrade to Independence Park is proposed as part of the 279 activities. A design firm is proposed to be hired with some of the funding in order to get the 280 project started as soon as possible. The Park is not currently ADA compliant. 281 282 There was discussion as to if any of the project elements could be considered under the category 283 of historic preservation. 284 285 Edwards: Motion that the Independence Park 400+pre-application is eligible for CPA 286 funding consideration under the category of recreation for the purpose of 287 rehabilitation and restoration. Richter seconds. Motion carries by roll call: 288 Edwards— aye, Ershun— aye, Jamieson—aye, LaMont—aye, Marino—aye, 289 Richter—aye,Beckwith—aye; (7-0). 290 291 The Committee addressed this as qualifying as an Out of Cycle Application. The six criteria were 292 reviewed. Beckwith suggested tightening the budget numbers a bit for the final application 293 submission in order to show where alternate sources of funding may be coming from. 294 295 Edwards: Motion that the Independence Park 400+project be determined to meet the 296 criteria for consideration as an Out of Cycle application. Richter seconds. Motion 297 carries by roll call: Edwards— aye, Ershun— aye, Jamieson—aye, LaMont— aye, 298 Marino—aye, Richter— aye, Beckwith— aye; (7-0). 299 300 b. Lynch Park—Ibrahim Lopez-Hernandez, Sustainability+Resilience Project Manager, 301 City of Beverly— 179,385 302 303 The Committee discussed the project's eligibility. The applicant team explained that an 304 emergency application has been submitted to the Conservation Commission for emergency 305 repairs to the seawall near the Rose Garden. Long-term protection of the Park will require State 306 and local permitting, which is part of the scope of the project. The permitting process will likely 307 take two years to the start of the project. Lynch Park now is listed on the National Register of 308 Historic Places. No funding is being requested for any portion of the project that is currently 309 underway. The Rose Garden portion of the project alone is approximately $5M for construction 310 costs. The intention of the project is to reinforce the seawall near the Rose Garden in order to 311 preserve and protect it. This portion is design and permitting to consider implementation of this 312 preservation. 313 314 Edwards: Motion that the Lynch Park Climate Resilience Design and Permitting 315 Committee's project be determined eligible for funding consideration under the Page 7 of 8 City of Beverly Community Preservation Committee October 17,2024 Meeting Minutes 316 CPA categories historic preservation and recreation with the project's purpose as 317 preservation and rehabilitation and restoration. Ershun seconds. Motion carries by 318 roll call: Edwards—aye, Ershun— aye, Jamieson— aye, LaMont—aye, Marino— 319 aye, Richter— aye, Beckwith— aye; (7-0). 320 321 The Committee addressed this as qualifying as an Out of Cycle Application. The six criteria were 322 reviewed. 323 324 Edwards: Motion that the Lynch Park project be determined to meet the criteria for 325 consideration as an Out of Cycle application. Jamieson seconds. Motion carries 326 by roll call: Edwards— aye, Ershun— aye, Jamieson— aye, LaMont— aye, Marino 327 — aye, Richter— aye, Beckwith—aye; (7-0). 328 329 8. Approval of minutes 330 a.August 15,2024; September 12, 2024; September 19, 2024 331 332 The Committee agreed to review and approve the meeting minutes at a future meeting. 333 334 9. Other items not known in advance of the posting of this agenda 335 336 None at this time. 337 338 10. Adjourn 339 340 Beckwith: Motion to adjourn at 10:21pm. Ershun seconds. Motion carries by roll call: 341 Edwards— aye, Ershun— aye, Jamieson—aye, LaMont—aye,Marino—aye, 342 Richter—aye,Beckwith—aye; (7-0). 343 344 Next meetings:November 21, 2024;December 19, 2024 Page 8 of 8