2015-08-20CITY OF BEVERLY
PUBLIC MEETING MINUTES
COMMITTEE OR COMMISSION: Community Preservation Committee
SUBCOMMITTEE:
DATE: August 20, 2015
LOCATION: Beverly City Hall, City Council Chambers
MEMBERS PRESENT: Wendy Pearl — Chairperson, Marilyn McCrory — Vice
Chair, Heather Richter, John Thomson, Jon Paddol, Darrien
Crimmin, Thomas Bussone, Robert Buchsbaum
MEMBERS ABSENT: Henry Pizzo
OTHERS PRESENT: Planning and Community Development Director Aaron
Clausen, Beverly Golf and Tennis Commission Marty
Lawler, Friends of Dane Street Playground Josie Marino,
Community Services Director Bruce Doig
RECORDER: Aileen O'Rourke
Pearl calls the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
Introduction of members and members of the public
Consultation and O & A with CPC (7:00 p.m. -7:15 p.m)
There were no members of the public present for questions.
Administrative Business
Clausen provides a project update, the Planning Department received an interim report from the
Historic Society for the Hale House but the Planning staff has not had a chance to review.
McCrory presents a spreadsheet to Committee members to show remaining balances after
entering in the projects already approved with the 10% reserves in each category. Right now
there is a balance of $572,849. Reserves have been used in all categories except open space
since there were no current applications for open space. Camp Paradise debt service expenses
(about $59K) will show up in FYI comments Clausen. Pearl thinks showing OS reserve as
negative is confusing it's really a positive reserve with a current balance of $149K. Reserves
accumulate and can be spent any year and members can decide how much the debt service for
Camp Paradise will come out of the open space reserve or general reserve. Thomson wonders
who will keep track of the balance in each reserve category (Ayles will keep track of this). Pearl
reminds members they will need to keep track of the running balance in each category as they
approve projects and if the numbers don't add up to the 10% requirement, they will need to set
aside the balance.
Robert Buchsbaum arrives.
Review of Round 2 Applications
Reviewing top scores first.
Dane Street Playground
ound
Members were provided with an email from Bruce Doig answering the questions asked from the
Committee from the last meeting. Doig updates the Committee stating that Josie Marino from
the Friends of Dane Street Playground is working with several playground vendors that the
Recreation department has already worked with at Lynch park, Dix park, and Cahill park.
Marino passes around preliminary design plans. The new playground will use the existing
footprint with the main difference being to relocate the entrance so park patrons do not have to
enter from the driveway which will add a little more space for the playground. Additionally, the
fence will be replaced to make it harder for kids to get out onto the street which is a heavily
trafficked road. There will also be a custom designed mermaid and boat structure which will
both be climbing structures. The cost just for the playground structure is $135K. This does not
include surfacing which will be another $8 -9K or the new fence. The Mermaid statute is
estimated to cost $15K and the boat around $17K. The whole playground will have a beach
theme and will be in purple and green colors. Josie has already undertaken significant
fundraising effort as this new playground will be dedicated in the memory of her daughter.
Josie's family has donated $10K from her daughter's endowment fund, her family members
contributed another $20K. Local members and businesses contributed $4K. The David Lynch
trustees contributed $20K, with a total fundraised of $64K so far. Friends of Dane Street are
looking for 1/3 of funding from CPC, 1/3 from the Rec budget, with a little more than 1/3
fundraised by Josie. Marino is happy to phase in some of the amenities over time such as the
fencing. Pearl wonders if the Committee should offer more money. McCrory expresses concern
regarding the mermaid statue, and asks if the image could be redesigned. Several committee
members also agree that the mermaid could be more innocuous. Richter asks if there has been
any public input for the design of the park so far. Josie sent a letter to neighbors with her contact
info a year ago and heard nothing back from them. The Recreation commission will hold a
meeting on September 10' and a public meeting at the end of the month to present the designs
there. Josie states she can also post on the Friends of Dane Street playground website as well.
Clausen suggests reaching out to the Ward 2 Civic Association. McCrory remarks the
playground is a public playground /beach and Marino states that there are not many kids living in
the immediate vicinity. She will present the design to the public for feedback. Pearl states they
will need a new budget page with projected expenses. Thomson motions to approve $60K for
this project contingent upon an updated budget submission and confirmation the public process
will take place. Crimmin seconds. All in favor, motion carries unanimously (8 -0). Replacing a
play structure that was taken out due to deterioration, that's why considered rehab.
Golf and Tennis Commission
Members received supplemental information via email, Marty Lawler from the Golf and Tennis
Commission is present to answer questions. Lawler states the main priorities are the first 4 items
on the spreadsheet regarding accessibility to the bathrooms on the 2nd floor. There are ADA time
constraints that require improvements to start by May 2016. McCrory notes that expenses of
$15K are inaccurately shown as revenues. Lawler says that is correct, they are looking for
$346K from the CPC with a contribution of $15K from the BG &T Commission, coming out of
the maintenance funds. The smaller projects could be done out of maintenance funds states
Lawler and items 5 -7 could be a separate project submitted next year. Crimmins asks what
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happens if ADA improvements are not completed. Lawler states fines could be issued, but he is
not sure. The doors to the Great room are not ADA compliant as they are not wide enough for a
wheelchair to get through. Crimmin asks what triggers ADA compliance. Lawler states when
they installed the elevators that put them above the 30% cost of the value of the building, that
could have triggered it. Pearl asks if the 1st floor railings replacement also an ADA issue. Lawler
states it is but it is more of a building code /safety issue. Paddol expresses his concern that the
City is not contributing to the project as ADA compliance is important. Ayles notes that the City
has been pecking away at the larger rehab efforts over the years with the $500K bond. McCrory
asks if there is another source of funds for these projects. Lawler reports the current operator
(GFMI) has done a lot of improvements to the golf course and their contract doesn't obligate
them to contribute to improvements with the building but he could ask. Crimmin wonders if
there is an ADA trigger that could prevent functions from taking place because the building is not
in compliance, and perhaps that would motivate GFMI to contribute. Lawler states GFMI
sublets the food and beverage to another company who also has to pay for the heating and
cooling bills which are high. GFMI leases the entire building but he sublets food and beverage
as well as the tennis courts to another company. None of the revenue from the events go back to
the City, goes to the operator but Lawler suggests they have small margins. The success of the
golf course drives the value of the lease. Before this vendor, operations didn't support costs and
the vendor went into bankruptcy states Ayles. The lease is 5 years with 5 year option with at
least 3 years left. Payments do go up over time about $ l OK /year. The public benefit is that the
historic building is being preserved and used as it is intended purpose and provides discounts for
Beverly memberships. Pearl wishes there was an umbrella preservation/capital plan for long-
term preservation needs and an overall vision of the building as this seems like just a random list
of projects to be done. There was a study of the building that showed everything that had to be
done, it was called the Gale report and it is at least 5 years old. Lawler will have Lowd furnish
this report to the Committee. This is not bits and pieces but part of that plan. Pearl states the
Golf and Tennis Commission may need to go to HDC to review the interior finishes will be
preserved in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior standards for historic preservation.
Lawler will check with the architect, he does historic buildings.
Paddol wonders why the costs of repairing the existing problems with the building were not
partially passed along to the operator as part of the lease. This was not part of the bid process
says Lawler. Ayles states the bids are bounded by 30B procurement laws and there are no further
negotiations once a bid is approved. At that time, the building was in trouble and they needed an
operator to stay in business and make enough money so the asset didn't fall into further
deterioration. McCrory asks if MHC approvals were done. Lawler will ask the architect, will
need to know how long it will take to approve the plans. Pearl states under CPA, rehab is to
make the building usable for its intended purpose so that is why ADA compliance would qualify.
Preservation Restriction will require a review at state and local level states Pearl. Crimmin
wonders when there is a lease renewal, and could this increased lease value be put into a capital
improvement fund for future projects at the BG &TC. Ayles would like to see this enterprise be
self - sustaining and in order to do that, the operator needs to be successful. Pearl notes priorities
(1 -4) are still over $300K, members ask about the 40% markup and would like clarification. The
Architect can provide a rationale of numbers, Dowd will ask. It is likely the state bidding
requirements are necessary for the markup. Clausen will write up a request for clarification on
the general conditions and overall cost proposal markups and get a response. What will happen
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in May if work not started asks Bussone, will events not be able to be booked then? Committee
Members would like an answer to that question along with a copy of the Gale report.
Buchsbaum motions to table discussion pending clarification of action items. Seconded by
McCrory, all in favor motion passes unanimously (8 -0).
Members review remaining Recreation projects while Doig is present. Funded projects 7 -9 and
approved funding. The committee discusses the remaining projects.
Cove Tennis court
Neighbors raised money for a new playground but the tennis courts have continued to deteriorate
with large cracks appearing, making it a hazard to play on. Neighbors have expressed to Doig
they will help with fundraising. Cracks appeared because there are water pipes running
underneath that have fallen apart. The City plans to excavate what is there and put in a new
surface.
Richter asks why the lights at Cooney Field is the lowest priority. Doig responds the lights
replacement is a large expenditure and will become a necessity later.
Thomson would like to just fund the tennis courts at both locations. Crimmin says you need
fencing to play tennis and Doig states the regrading needs to happen in order to play safely.
Thomson would like to know what would happen if the CPC doesn't fund at the requested
amount. Doig states they may be able to get additional funding from the Lynch trustees. There is
a decent amount of outside funding to help leverage this project. Crimmin motions to approve
funding the Cove tennis courts at $100K. Richter Seconds. Motions carries unanimously (8 -0).
Clausen adds up the tally of what has been funded tonight, there is $412,841 remaining.
Members review the July 16, 2015 meeting minutes and offer minor edits. Richter makes a
motion to approve the minutes as amended. Seconded by Paddol. Motion passes (6 -0 -2) with
Crimmin and Bussone abstaining.
Discussion regarding the next meeting takes place. Members decide to set up another meeting in
August to review the remaining applications (which includes: the Beverly Housing Authority
roofing project, Hale House exterior improvements, the remaining recreation projects, and the
Golf and Tennis Commission project) before making recommendations to City Council in
September. The meeting will take place on August 27' at the Library at 7pm.
The September meeting is set for September 17t
There being no further business before the Committee, makes a motion. McCrory Seconds.
Adjourned at 9:07pm.
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