2004-09-16 Lynch Park Advisory Committee
Meeting Minutes September 16, 2004
7PM Beverly Public Library
Members present: Rich Benevento, Tom Scully, Tom Clark, Nancy Clark,
Liz Caputo, Nick Zarkades, Ellen Flannery, and Bruce Doig. Also
present: April MacPhail, Andrew Richard, Pam Brennan, and Stacy McHugh.
Chairman Rich Benevento said tonight’s unwritten agenda would focus on
Nick Zarkades’ marketing strategies and the meeting Benevento and Tom
Scully had with the Parks & Recreation Commission. He added that LPAC’s
display at Homecoming Events received an overwhelmingly favorable
response.
Benevento thanked April MacPhail of the Garden City Quilters for $450
for the carriage barn roof repair, 25 percent of the $1,800 her group
raised in their quilt raffle.
Benevento and Scully met with John Dunn, the city’s finance director,
who said LPAC will not need to seek RFPs, and that we can hire Tappe
Associates to continue their work for us although repairs aren’t
expected to begin until spring. A tarp may be placed on the roof for
the winter.
Scully said that Ray Bouchard, chairman of the city’s Building
Commission, has been assured by Mayor Scanlon, who is in total support
of the project, that we have the money to proceed. He said the plan now
is for the Lynch Park Trustees to apply $20,000 of their $200,000
commitment toward engineering drawings to be done this fall for bid
over the winter, allowing the roof, skylights and balustrade to be done
at once with a single appropriation.
Benevento said he was recently in Atlanta on business where he admired
a fountain plaza. He said some features could be adapted for Lynch and
other city parks. He took photos which he will share with the committee
later. Also circulated were photos taken by Joan Fairbank of the
restoration of a similar carriage barn in Endicott Park in Danvers.
Benevento said he and Scully attended a meeting of the Parks and
Recreation Commission where the issue of naming rights was discussed.
He said the commission unanimously allowed us to proceed while
reserving the right to approve how a name would be applied.
Zarkades said LPAC has to target 25 to 50 companies that might come up
with 50 percent of construction costs. One pitch is a hand-delivered
mahogany box to each CEO personalized with a brass plate indicating
that the carriage house would be named for the recipient company if
such a gift were made. Inside the box would be a letter from LPAC, a
brochure detailing plans for the park, and a CD or DVD containing the
master plan at a cost of about $25 per box.
Scully said Tappe has development staff who could assist us in these
efforts and that this promotion should be done now because this is the
time of year companies are making tax donation decisions. He suggested
committee members send him names of CEOs and companies. A preliminary
list (spelling loosely applied) includes Henry Bertolan, Sean Healy,
Ron & Kathleen Jackson, Jeffrey Horwitz, the Fonzo Brothers, Jim
Mullen, Joan Mullen, Donald Comb, Bill Cummings, Lynn Warren, Axcelis
Corp. Osram Sylvania, Ray Ozzie, Charlie Benevento, and Dan Carnevale.
A motion to approve this fundraising proposal was unanimously adopted.
LPAC’s phone box system is in place. Bruce Doig will assign members to
one of the eight boxes and when that is done Zarkades will furnish each
member with business cards and stationery with the box number on it.
Nancy Clark reported that the Guild of Beverly Artists is planning to
have a wet paint auction, probably on July 16, as a Lynch Park
fundraiser.
Zarkades presented a preliminary proposal for a juried arts and crafts
fair to be held at the park next September with the idea that it could
become and annual event and a long-term moneymaker to support the park.
Scully, speaking as Beverly’s Community Services director, added that
proposals should avoid public sale and consumption of alcohol. Members
will be asked to talk more in-depth about the proposal at LPAC’s next
meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 21, at the Beverly Public Library.
Respectfully submitted,
Tom Clark (for Joan Fairbank, secretary)