Loading...
12-14-17 CPC MinutesCITY OF BEVERLY PUBLIC MEETING MINUTES COMMITTEE /COMMIS SION SUBCOMMITTEE: DATE: LOCATION: Community Preservation Committee December 14, 2017 Beverly City Hall, 191 Cabot Street MEMBERS PRESENT: Wendy Pearl — Chair, Marilyn McCrory — Vice - Chair, Thomas Bussone 11, John Hall, Nancy Marino, James Matz, Heather Richter, Christy Edwards, Robert Buchsbaum MEMBERS ABSENT: None OTHERS PRESENT: Amy Maxner — Environmental Planner, Courtney Melei — Pete's Park Committee; Suzie LaMont — GAR Hall; Emily Hutchings — Associate Planner; Bruce Doig — Recreation Director; Aaron Clausen — Planning Director RECORDER: Travis Lovett Pearl calls the meeting to order at 6:30pm. Emily Hutchings explains the Historic District Commission looked at the pre - application for GAR Hall and they know the project will cost a significant amount of money and the city reduced the scope of the 5 Round application by just focusing on the east and west facades. They are looking at a reduced budget of approximately $350,000, Hutchings said. They expect to have the front facade work done by summer 2018. LaMont notes nothing new was taken on and that they knew the pre - application was a placeholder. Marino asked about the working collaboration with the Ward 2 Civic Association. Clausen said the two groups are collaborating. Administrative Business Extension Request — Hale House Exterior Restoration Hutchings states the Historical Society and City Council have approved the preservation restriction for Hale House exterior and comments from the Massachusetts Historic Society are expected within a couple months. Based on MHC review, they may revise the PR further by adding some baseline documentation and photos. Hutchings said they are asking for an extension to March 2018. McCrory suggests extending the grant agreement until June 30, members agree. McCrory motions to approve the request for extension to June 30, 2017. Bussone seconds the motion. The motion carries 8 -0. Community Preservation Committee December 14, 2017 Meeting Minutes Page 1 of 4 Maxner notes that the GA conditions final disbursement of CPA funds upon PR execution, and she thinks the Historical Society may have had outstanding invoices waiting for payment for some time now. Bussone moves to disburse funds to Historic Beverly for work that has been completed if they ask. Hall seconds the motion. The motion carries 8 -0. MOU Modification Pete's Park Bruce Doig said Courtney Melei has been the chair for the Pete's Park Committee project for the last three years. Doig said state officials loved the idea of the project even though the PARC grant was not awarded, and so the Land and Water Conservation Fund was applied for. Melei notes the Pete's Park Committee held three road races as fundraisers and are planning to contribute $120,000 to the project. Doig submitted a pre - application for Round 5 CPA funding in hopes of finishing the project by June 2018 but based on CPC feedback is here now for a modification to the previous Round 3 award. He explains that $150,000 will get the project where they want to be. Doig said they are hoping the Department of Public Services will be able to help out with undertaking construction. Pearl asked if there are any soft costs in the project. Melei said the project costs all came from a designer's estimates. Doig said the goal is to break ground by March and to be finished with the project by the middle of June. Melei said the park isn't hilly, so they don't have to change the grade too much. Matz asked if there was any work that could be done in the winter. Doig said the ground is frozen already and the work is all weather dependent. Marino said this would be the only park on the North Shore that is 100% compliant with ADA. Melei said it is a good story for Beverly. They are looking at a playground structure that will cost $85,000. Buchsbaum arrives at 6:45pm. Maxner said if additional funding is awarded, this would go before the full City Council on January 4t' with the public hearing to be set at the January 16t'' meeting. Bussone motions to amend the agreement to increase funding by $150,000. Marino seconds the motion. The vote carries 9 -0. Updates from Staff /Chair McCrory states that Mayor Cahill held a second meeting to discuss priorities dealing with historic buildings in the City. Richter said the application process should be completely open. Pearl said she also attended that meeting and her impression is the Mayor's intent is to look at the collection of historic properties and figure out how projects don't compete against one another for the same funds. Clausen said the reason the Mayor called the meeting was that the City at large has a number of preservation needs. Mayor Cahill's thoughts were to discuss and coordinate, not to control the application process, Clausen said. Pearl notes Sue Goganian was there to represent Historic Beverly and Goganian expressed her support for preserving municipal Community Preservation Committee December 14, 2017 Meeting Minutes Page 2 of 4 historic assets and her organization would not try to make that process difficult. Pearl notes the concern with the Golf and Tennis Club being in really rough shape with a high risk of fire. There's discussion at a very minimum about how to manage the historic assets, Clausen said. Applications might include bonding in order to make projects work. The GAR Hall project will cost at least $2.5 million and the Beverly Golf and Tennis project will cost at least $5 million, Clausen said. He added that Carriage House renovations at Lynch Park will cost somewhere between $4 million and $5 million. He notes the City is working to list the GAR Hall on the national historic register. Pearl would like to see a district amendment that includes Cabot Theater. Clausen said extending the district would not be feasible for securing grant funding for the 2018 round. Pearl said the sense of emergency regarding Beverly Golf and Tennis Clubhouse hasn't been presented to CPC members in the materials they have received so far. She notes Mike Collins said the electrical system could shut down the Golf and Tennis Club at any minute. Clausen said there is conversation internally about what the needs really are. General discussion ensues as to the application process and competition for funding across all CPA project categories. Clausen chairs the Beverly Housing Trust and he said the housing trust was intended to be established several years ago via the Inclusionary Zoning ordinance. Clausen said at the state level, trusts were intended to assist community preservation committees with using housing funds. The trust provides a mechanism to be responsive to the development cycle of affordable housing, Clausen said. He notes that the Beverly Housing Trust has released its notice of funding availability and will hold an open house on January l V to which all are invited. Approval of Minutes Members review and offer revisions to the minutes from July 13, 2017. Buchsbaum motions to approve the July 13, 2017 minutes as amended. Matz seconds the motion. The motion carries 9- 0. Other Business Maxner said that CPA signage should be added to a future agenda as noted in recent meetings. General discussion ensues as to signage types and requirements on a project specific basis. Hall offers to research signage styles and bring examples to the next meeting. Maxner will research various signage language. Members agree to research signage in general. Upcoming CPC Meeting Schedule • Full application deadline: January 11, 2018 • Meeting every 3 d Thursday; meet on Thursday, January 18, 2018 Members discuss inviting applicants to come in for discussions, but the January 18, 2018 CPC meeting will not include discussion with applicants. At the January 18, 2018 meeting, committee Community Preservation Committee December 14, 2017 Meeting Minutes Page 3 of 4 members will talk about applications and signage. Maxner notes as a reminder, Community Preservation Committee officers are elected in July. Adjournment Bussone motions to adjourn the meeting at 8:00pm. McCrory seconds the motion. The motion carries 9 -0. From here, the Committee will be meeting at SOMA at 256 Cabot Street for its holiday gathering. The next CPC meeting will be held at Beverly City Hall on January 18, 2018 at 7:00pm. Community Preservation Committee December 14, 2017 Meeting Minutes Page 4 of 4