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04-12-18 CPC MinutesCITY OF BEVERLY PUBLIC MEETING MINUTES COMMITTEE /COMMISSION: Community Preservation Committee SUBCOMMITTEE: DATE: April 12, 2018 LOCATION: Beverly City Hall, 191 Cabot Street MEMBERS PRESENT: Wendy Pearl, Tom Bussone, Christy Edwards, Nancy Marino, Heather Richter, James Matz, John Hall, Robert Buchsbaum, Marilyn McCrory MEMBERS ABSENT: OTHERS PRESENT: Amy Maxner - Environmental Planner; Chris Lovasco - YMCA of the North Shore; Bill Lowd - Beverly Golf and Tennis; David Dionne - Beverly Golf and Tennis; Robert Dever - City of Beverly Engineering Department; David Gelineau - City of Beverly Purchasing Director; Andrew DeFranza - Harborlight Community Partners RECORDER: Travis Lovett Pearl calls the meeting to order at 7:00pm. Questions for YMCA - Cabot Housing - O &A Chris Lovasco, CEO of the YMCA of the North Shore, addresses the CPC and notes the word "Christian" hasn't been in the YMCA mission statement since he began working there in 1994. There is a national mission which does reflect Christian values, Lovasco said, but there is no preference for any religion, creed, or race at YMCA of the North Shore. Lovasco said a limited liability corporation (LLC) has been set up as a subsidiary to handle operations of the housing project and that Cabot Housing LLC is a stand -alone organization. The CPC thanks Lovasco for coming in this evening. Beverly Golf and Tennis Commission - O&A Lowd explains that the Beverly Golf and Tennis Clubhouse has seen a 10% increase in business over the last three years after having installed an elevator in the clubhouse. Pearl said CPA funds could be used to hire an on -site project manager (OPM), but assessment or feasibility studies have to be restricted to community preservation related projects. Dever said he believes all project costs will be eligible for CPC funds because the intended use of the clubhouse is to serve as a function hall. Dever said the goal is to keep the property as Community Preservation Committee April 12, 2018 Meeting Minutes Pagel of 4 historic as possible and that he believes the design process can't be broken down into smaller phases. He said he doesn't know how else to keep the building alive. Dever said it might take a month to hire an architect and the architectural drawings should be ready within a year, Dever said. Pearl asked Dever to make these clarifications in writing. There would be two separate request for proposal (RFP) processes: one to hire an OPM and another to hire an architect. Dever said they need to improve air conditioning, electrical services, ADA compliance, and the interior of the clubhouse. Funding would cover the services of an OPM, the services of an architect, and a plan for the building. Dever said they anticipate a $5.1 million total project cost. Edwards has serious concerns about where the $5 million is coming from. Pearl sees the assessment as a valuable tool, no matter who is managing the property. Edwards said her concerns stem from not seeing a lot of city investment in the property to date. Gelineau said the city took out a $1.5 million investment bond about 8 years ago. Maxner asked if the OPM will have a preservation background or if the architect will have that background. Dever said the architect will have that background. Pearl said the OPM should also have historic preservation experience as well. Round 5 Application Decisions YMCA - Cabot Housing Busonne asks the lease terms for residents. DeFranza notes that the YMCA will require a 12 month lease from tenants. Edwards said that she feels the religious issues have been addressed. Pearl said it's the type of housing the city needs and it fits in the neighborhood. Pearl's biggest question is how the Historic District Commission feels about the alterations to the building. Hall and Marino want to see housing benefit Beverly residents in local preference. DeFranza said having the preference for Beverly residents is specified on the written form. DeFranza said the state law says there is a 70 percent local residency preference, referring to the 3 -town Mayoral agreement between Salem, Peabody, and Beverly. Matz said they at least owe reciprocity to the two communities that Beverly has agreements with. McCrory motions to fund the Cabot Housing, LLC affordable housing project in the amount of $200,000 from the housing reserve and the general reserve. Bussone seconds the motion. The motion carries 8 -0, with Matz abstaining from voting. City Clerk Records Bussone said they have gotten a lot of use out of the historic records. Hall has questions about the conditions of the historic records and how much needs to be preserved. Pearl would like to see a plan with every document assessed and prioritized. Bussone suggested that after this round of funding, the CPC could ask that comprehensive plan be set in place, and perhaps that undertaking could be funded by CPA. Community Preservation Committee April 12, 2018 Meeting Minutes Page 2 of 4 Bussone moves to fund the city clerk historic municipal document preservation in the amount of $59,119 out of the historic preservation reserve. Marino seconds the motion. The motion carries 8 -0, with Matz abstaining from voting. CPC members agree they would like to see a document conservation plan for future funding consideration. This plan will include criteria for document selection beyond meeting the age criteria threshold. Hale Farm Landscape Restoration Phase 2 Maxner notes that Sue Goganian forwarded a restoration plan to the CPC for review. Buchsbaum said they should plant local flora and he has some concerns about bringing non - native species to the property. Pearl notes that the budget listed grants of $22,000 for the project. Pearl said there are Secretary of the Interior Standards for landscapes. Edwards said the planting plan was part of the scope of the project in the narrative and listed on the budget sheet. Pearl said that disbursement of funds would be contingent upon receiving a plant list that shows a preference for native species. Matz reviews to confirm that Round 5 funding would support construction of the terrace and south deck, tree planting, additional site prep, developing a planting plan, shrub plantings, screen plantings, and ADA walkway installation. Members review the project narrative and agree. Edwards motions to fund the Hale Landscape Rehabilitation Project in the amount of $146,300 from the historic preservation reserve with the remaining funds coming from the general reserve as needed with the stipulation that the planting plan consider native species wherever possible. Buchsbaum seconds the motion. The motion carries 8 -0, with Matz abstaining of voting. Beverly Golf and Tennis Matz said he has fielded public complaints about the Clubhouse more than any other programs that CPC funds. Pearl said the facility is definitely a preservation priority for the City and the property could be a revenue generator, but she would like to see phases built into the project. Edwards said the application that was presented did not address the issue of where the $5 million estimated project cost will come from. Edwards said there was no letter of support from Mayor Cahill and she said it is extremely difficult to invest in a set of plans without a sense of the city's commitment. Bussone said this is the first step and that if they want to preserve this property, they have to act or conditions will only get worse. McCrory said the project seems worthwhile in theory, but the application is poorly written and deficient in her opinion. Pearl said the applicant clarified the scope in tonight's meeting. Pearl said the plan will be useful in a lot of ways and this could be promoted as a way to get the public invested and the administration to do the work. Pearl said they need a "Friends of Beverly Golf and Tennis" group. Marino said the perception of this facility is that it is private not open to the public and she thinks the City needs to do a better job of Community Preservation Committee April 12, 2018 Meeting Minutes Page 3 of 4 community outreach. Bussone said historically they have not been able to have functions due to the hall conditions and lack of ADA compliance, and at one point, the clubhouse was a popular wedding venue. Pearl said they should have their next public hearing at the Golf and Tennis Club, perhaps beginning with a tour of the facility. Pearl said the CPC should decide on merits of doing the assessment and design. Richter doesn't get the sense that the city is invested in this project. Bussone motions to approve the Beverly Golf and Tennis Commission architectural assessment in the amount of $400,000 from the general fund on the condition that the OPM has a historic preservation background and that the assessment and design are for CPA eligible activities. Hall seconds the motion. The motion carries 7 -2 with McCrory and Edwards voting in opposition. Administrative Business The draft meeting minutes from March 15, 2018 are reviewed, members offer edits. Bussone motions to approve the minutes as amended. Richter seconds the motion. The motion carries 8 -0 with Matz abstaining from voting. Next CPC Meeting Scheduling Maxner notes that the Round 5 recommendations will be submitted to the City Council in time for a public hearing at the Council's May 21St meeting at the latest. Members agree to set aside May 17t as a tentative meeting date. Adjournment Bussone motions to adjourn the meeting. Edwards seconds the motion. The motion carries 9 -0. The meeting adjourns at 9:00 pm. Community Preservation Committee April 12, 2018 Meeting Minutes Page 4 of 4