01-17-19 CPC MinutesCITY OF BEVERLY
PUBLIC MEETING MINUTES
COMMITTEE /COMMISSION: Community Preservation Committee
SUBCOMMITTEE:
DATE: January 17, 2019
LOCATION: Beverly City Hall
MEMBERS PRESENT: Marilyn McCrory - Chair, Heather Richter, John Hall,
Wendy Pearl - Vice Chair, Nancy Marino, Christy
Edwards, Robert Buchsbaum
MEMBERS ABSENT: Tom Bussone II
OTHERS PRESENT: Amy Maxner - Environmental Planner; Emily Hutchings
- Associate Planner; Andrew DeFranza - Harborlight
Community Partners; Kristin Carlson - Harborlight
Community Partners; Aaron Clausen - Planning
Director, Chris Wilcock - Ryal Side Civic Association
RECORDER:
Travis Lovett
McCrory calls the public hearing to order at 7:00pm.
Pre - applications for Round 6 - City Wide Historic Preservation Plan - Planning
Department
Maxner states she forwarded the CPC's questions to the CPA Coalition and the City Solicitor
regarding whether CPA funds can be used for a City wide historic preservation plan. She
reads from email correspondence from both. The Coalition advised that a city -wide
preservation plan in and of itself is not an eligible project but may be within the CPC's
purview using administrative funds to undertake as a due diligence studying the City's
historic resources, possibilities and needs. The City Solicitor agreed with this assessment
after a review of the CPA statute (Chapter 44B).
Discussion ensues as to the Solicitor's determination. McCrory notes that the CPC could
vote to use administrative funds (which can total up to 5 percent of the annual budget) to
fund such a plan if the CPC decides it is a necessary due diligence task. Hutchings said
Massachusetts Historic Commission could provide matching funds up to $15,000 in support
of a plan, a grant which the Planning Department would apply for on behalf of the CPC.
Maxner reports that the administrative budget has been about $44,000 per year, with
unused funds automatically transferred to the general reserve account.
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Pearl motions to make the determination that the pre - application for a City -wide historic
preservation plan is ineligible for CPA funding. Edwards seconds the motion. The motion
carries 7 -0.
Discussion ensues as to the CPC's inclination to fund a preservation plan using
administrative funds. Hutchings said matching funds are a requirement for Massachusetts
Historic Commission funding. Pearl would recommend that the CPC pursue the plan, as a
historic preservation plan would dovetail into the Master Planning process that is about to
commence. Hutchings said that based on the MHC grant timeline, the historic Plan would
need to be complete by June 30, 2020. Marino doesn't want to see the city lose the
opportunity for the grant and would be in favor of funding the historic plan to better inform
the CPC's decisions. Pearl said a plan could address some issues the committee has been
grappling with.
Pearl motions to use $15,000 out of the administrative fund account to fund undertaking a
preservation plan which the Planning Department would manage on behalf of the CPC. Hall
seconds the motion. The motion carries 7 -0.
Pearl and McCrory advise Hutchings that the scope of the grant application to MHC needs to
coincide with the CPC's statutory responsibilities and CPA requirements. Hutchings states
she will work closely with Maxner on the scope and will consult with MHC and set up a
meeting to discuss the same.
Round 6 Funding Application Review
Harborlight Community Partners - Anchor Point Phase 1 Community Housing
McCrory states that the CPC agreed to help expedite the review of the Anchor Point
community housing project due to timing of state funding cycle. Andrew DeFranza,
Executive Director of Harborlight Community Partners, said this application is for Phase 1
of a 100% affordable project in a 40R district created at the intersection of Tozier and
Sohire Roads. He explains that Phase 1 will construct 38 of 75 units total, with 20 percent
of the units set aside for formerly homeless families, and the project will have a variety of
supportive overlays, including adult education and after - school programming. DeFranza
said the state typically funds between 25 -30 projects and there are 99 projects under
consideration. McCrory said she thought the application was very thorough. Richter asked
for an explanation of a 40R. DeFranza said a 40R designation is a zoning overlay that
allows the city to create a district or an area that has an affordability requirement. It
creates incentive money for the town with 40S payments /reimbursements for school costs
for children who live inside of a 40R district. Clausen said the incentive payment and bonus
payment would go to the City's general fund. The question of what is the impact on the
schools with affordable housing is an issue, Clausen said. DeFranza said that 40S payments
are annual and that 40R payments are a one -time payment.
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Pearl asked if permits and finances are in place for both phases. DeFranza said they are
permitted for both phases. DeFranza said the City Council was unanimously in favor of the
project.
Discussion ensues as to local preference, affordability restrictions, traffic study and general
budget outline provided. DeFranza explains that other funding sources set affordability
restrictions, but that after 30 years there are re- capitalization and refinancing options that
are often necessary to manage debt and capital improvements. Maxner reads emailed
comments from CPC member Tom Bussone who could not attend the meeting.
Pearl said she is fine with the 30 -year restriction and that a $250,000 investment from the
CPC would be amortized over the time frame of the investment. Buchsbaum said they
would like for the project to be in perpetuity. There will be state restrictions, local
restrictions, and permit restrictions, DeFranza said. Hall asked how many of the CPC's
evaluation criteria should met. Pearl said projects rarely meet all CPA criteria but that was
to be expected. DeFranza said the development budget and operating budget were
included.
Carlson said financial commitment, however large or small, from the City is vital in securing
state grants. Edwards said it would be important that the CPA funds are only used for
construction costs. Hall said he has some broader concerns about the size and relative
isolated location of the project, noting he favors more inclusionary smaller -scale projects
but appreciates Harborlight's goal with Anchor Point.
Pearl motions to approve the request for $250,000 for the Harborlight Community Partners
Anchor Point Phase 1 community housing project to be funded out of the community housing
fund and the general CPA fund, provided that all funds are used only for construction of the
actual affordable units. Marino seconded the motion. The motion carries 7 -0.
Round 6 CPA Application Review
McCrory suggests the CPC review its initial Round 6 application scores as assigned by
committee members (ranked by highest to lowest score):
• Beverly Parks and Recreation - Herlihy Park - 31.5
• Harborlight Community Partners - 30.5
• Beverly Historical Society - Cabot House Restoration - 27.5
• Beverly City Clerk Document Preservation - 25
• Edenic Development Community Garden - 23
Herlihy Park
McCrory turns attention to Herihy Park, which scored the next highest. She welcomes Chris
Wilcock from the Ryal Side CA. Pearl said it would be helpful to have a site plan with
landscape design included in the application. Buchsbaum said it's helpful to have
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community support and this application seemed to have robust support based on the
letters included in the application. Marino wondered if they had found any committed in-
kind services from the community. Wilcock said the Ryal Side CA has tripled its
membership in the last couple years, and there are a lot of members ready to volunteer on
this project as well as private fundraising.
Members review the application and ask for the following additional information:
• Written back -up for cost estimates
• Future maintenance costs
• ADA compliance should be shown on the site plan
• Information on parking restrictions on the street
McCrory states that Bruce Doig and Todd Rotando should be invited to the next meeting for
further Q &A.
Historical Societv - Cabot House Fence Restoration
McCrory notes that this project seems to focus on replacing two fences (one wood and one
iron fence) along with landscaping work. Maxner reads off the project description for this
phase to fund site survey, replacing the iron fence and associated granite supports and
sidewalk brickwork, and installation of a historically appropriate wood fence. Pearl said
there is a good guidance from the 1938 Plan that was funded by the Works Progress
Administration. Richter notes that there were no letters of support. The Committee
reviews and discusses the project, and ask for the following additional information:
More information on the wood fence is needed - what is the basis for the design,
type of wood, is there a period appearance that you want to replicate
The existing bricks within the footprint of demo in the sidewalk - can they be reused
Pearl asked that Sue Goganian be invited to the next meeting for further Q &A.
Citv Clerk - Municipal Historic Document Preservation
McCrory turns attention to the City Clerk's application for document preservation. Pearl
said it seems like the CPC is providing an operating budget, not a project budget in handling
these requests. McCrory said she actually felt that the application was better prepared than
previous submissions. Edwards said it wouldn't be unreasonable to have the applicant
describe the file format and the conservation treatment. Pearl wonders why the City is not
required to go out to bid, as Kofile is the only vendor and making thousands without
competition. Discussion ensues as to digital archiving. The Committee reviews and
discusses the project, and ask for the following additional information:
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• Provide more detail as to exactly what type of conservation treatment the list of
documents need (what are their current condition and what needs to be done to
them to preserve them)
• Efforts toward digitizing and on -line archiving, and the CPC would like this explored
better
• Requirements for storage of restored /preserved records, do they need to be on site
or can they be stored elsewhere that has climate control
McCrory states that Wes Slate should be invited to the next meeting for further Q &A.
Adjournment
Marino motions to adjourn the meeting at 9:10 p.m. Hall seconds the motion. The motion
carries 7 -0. The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, February 21, 2018 at 7:00 p.m. in
Beverly City Hall.
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