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HomeMy Public PortalAboutCommunity Preservation Committee -- 2010-08-25 Minutes~~~ :: ". 1:]_ 1.1 1 I.a»~ .~:....~ .~ ~ ~!i: ~.....~ 7 (~.~ ~.~.~ Date Approved 9-22-10 '~~~ ~ `~~ Vote 5-0-0 '~~~' "~' :.. ~~:~ Town of Brewster COMMUNITY PRESERVATION COMMITTEE Meeting Minutes August 25, 2010 Present: Paul Hush, Terry Ryder, Paul Ruchinskas, Elliott Carr, Jeanne Boehm, Roy Robinson, Roland Bassett Jr. and Elizabeth Taylor Guests: concerned citizens regarding 38 Paines Creek Road application, Jillian Douglass, Charles Sumner Documents: on file with 2010.08.24.001 Agreement letter: CPA Affordable-Housing Price Buy-down Buyer Assistance Prog ra m 2010.08.24.002 letter: CPA Administrative Funds for Affordable Housing Meetings 2010.08.24.003 Land acquisition Professional Service/Administrative Fee Account 1) Report from the Recreation Commission regarding the application that was sent for their consideration; 38 Paines Creek Road Agenda was changed to accommodate a discussion regarding 38 Paines Creek Road CPC application. Paul Hush gave a little background as to who and where CPC funds can be spent. The CPC was approved at TM; allocated as 50% Open Space, 10% Affordable Housing, 10% Historic Preservation and the other 30% divided housing, historic preservation or Recreation. This proposal fits in the Recreation part of this. It was sent to Open Space for review then to Recreation for the same review. Open Space is supportive of buying the property but felt it should not be bought with Open Space monies. They felt this was a Recreation issue and should be referred there. Audience Member (not through the chair) what is the definition of Open Space? Taylor: with some Open Space projects it includes recreation, but in this case there are issues due to the house on the property. The part of the land to be used by the public is for recreation use. The Open Space Committee has been prioritizing parcel purchases and their main interest at this time is water protection. Better served under Recreational funds. Hush-summarized this position, 30% applicable to Recreation is $258,000.00. at the most. There isn't 1.2 million in that portion. This has been sent along to the Selectmen. Showing you the limitations. Richard Harb- if you were to float a Bond and the bond payments were less that $250,000 would that be possible? Hush-theoretically possible but it would take all the Recreation funds for a long time. $75,000.00 a year. Hush-review to catch Rollie up on what is going on for this proposal. CPC Minutes 08-25-]0 Page 1 of 6 Bassett- Recreation Committee has discussed this at length; they feel it was too much money to spend on one project. Unknown audience member-how much money is generated each year for the 10% Recreation portion? Hush-Recreation does not get 10%, they share a 30% portion. Maybe $275,000.00 total not just for Recreation Carr-You must understand this there are groups for Historical and Housing. Unknown audience member- (continued discussion "bonding issues") they have no idea regarding bonding runs. Carr-we ask other groups to contribute monies, not much credibility until you have concrete funding plan. There are other projects within this same type. Roberta Wuillemier-I see this project as "preservation of a piece of Brewster"; could you lead us in a direction as to how we can get others involved; Conservation being one. This is big project. Oyster Project was an involvement. It is a piece of history, conservation and Brewster. A small piece of property with big impact. Hush-Buying about 100 feet of beach front also with a house. Carr- A lot with a house is not open space. If removed, a lot with a parking space is not open space. A real long shot because you have a long way to go. The only thing is a town wide beach project. How much money is the town going to have to put up? Laughlin- People come to Brewster not to see Historical houses but to go to the beach. How would you rate our beach access? Our major drawing point. Hush- Present this to the Town. Laughlin-if the homeowner persists, everyone could be kept off that section of beach. Tan Massarelli- This is serving a lot of people, to buy a little bit more is worthy of consideration. It would be adding right to the public beach. This qualifies for a state self-help grant, but we feel we should see our tax dollars through CPC. We would like to spend our tax dollars to benefit a lot of people. Unknown- what about the motel, making a parking lot out of it? Why can't you take that money and use it for buying the beach and let the motel owners sell it on their own, where we could use the beach for recreation. Carr-that is another property. Unknown-the house on that property is a teardown, once that is done it will meet Open Space law plus Conservation. Hush- introduced Charles Sumner Sumner- the land is very interesting, it is not cheap. If you are serious you should talk to the Selectmen. It is a question of are the Selectmen interested in pursuing the property? The may not be a great deal of interest because of the cost. I suggest you get on the Selectmen's agenda. I work for the Selectmen, if they want me to work on this acquisition I will. It is a policy issue; how do the Selectmen feel about it? CPC Minutes 08-25-10 Page Z of 6 Uraknw-- this property is worth 1-1.5 million. Carr-not worth that if they can't build a house on it. Unknown- (some background given regarding the offer of the LaSallette property and this same property in 2000). We have to stop passing up properties that are unique to the town. Focus into the future. Pool monies; Open Space, Natural Resources etc. Hush- It will come to the voters of this town as to they want to spend this amount of money. We will vote on this but there is not enough money in the CPC that were are a legitimate purveyor to do this. Put something in front of the Town Meeting. Unknown- could this committee vote to make a specific contribution, if TM approves they would provide a certain amount? A yearly commitment. Hush-We have a specific plan in front of us that we will vote on. If this is rewritten it can come back for another discussion and vote. We cannot commit to that right now, there is no application. Robinson-consensus from the audience, we should figure how to do this. This is not our prevue, it should come through the Selectmen. Usually when a project comes before the CPC there is a commitment of money outside of the CPC. Hush-our responsibility is to receive, hear and distribute CPC monies for the best use of as we appropriate and then we present that to Town Meeting for approval, and it is there ultimate vote. No prejudice for or against any proposal, just the best fit for the town. Unknown- do other projects come in with upfront money? Did that motel come in with upfront money? Carr-that is not a case before us. Not a town project was through Conservation Trust. Rita Barry- when the Town bought the Jolly Whaler, we bought that through a Special Town Meeting? Was it Through the Land Bank? YES Sumner- you can go through all acquisitions that the Town has purchased. Town Meeting authorized these purchases. You can go to TM and vote. This will get you no where to criticize every past purchase. Jolly Whaler was Land Grant, Quivet Creek, small town funds, grants and was a lot of private donations. Brewster protects a lot of open space. Sell your project, show its value. CPC cannot commit 20% of their funds for this one project. I don't think this committee; the Selectmen or the Town would support that. We need to purchase a lot of land in Zone 2 for public water supply. The CPC may or may not help us out. The rest comes out of your pocket (taxes); an override. It is going to take a Town Meeting vote and a ballot vote. The Selectmen are your elected officials, bring this to them. I will work on whatever they tell me to work on, how this will be put together. Find a way to fund this that is constructive. Carr- state grant will not come through until the Town has voted it, you need private directions and get a commitment from the Selectmen first. Beach is the only thing that will sell this. Do all these things and get someone to shape it for before Selectmen and Town Meeting; it isn't Open Space or Recreation as Brewster understands it. Pair it down and sell the concept of Beach. Shape it and get the numbers down. tan Massarelli -when you funded other CPC projects with grants how did they get this? Carr-there are people that can help you find the correct grant. tan Massarelli What goes first the cart or the horse? CPC Minutes 08-25-10 Page 3 of 6 Tay/or-If you are serious, when we go to buy land get an appraisal done and come up with an offer from the landowner. Someone has to deal with the landowner. How long it has to be before it closes? What is the exact price they will settle for. You must have an agreement with the seller and your time. Then you work out a funding plan from many sources; present as a total package. Go to the Selectmen and talk to them. They have a lot of questions. You can come with your own article for the warrant to present to the whole time. You will need a lot of PR. Talk to Steve McKenna, at CZM about grants. We work with one person handling all the work. Value first, contact owner, time frame then present project. Jan Massarel/I-when you purchased land in the past, didn't you negotiate with the owner? Carr- We do not negotiate personally but our "agent", who is paid through Open Space funding. Taylor-the Compact negotiates for Brewster, Mark Robinson; we hire him. Sumner- the Town has a team, Mark Robinson, Town Counsel, etc. we work on this for a couple of years for land acquisition. If the Selectmen tell us to work on it we will. Since 1990 every acquisition we made we had a P+S before going to TM. Boehm- Self Help grants are applied for by many communities, not just Brewster. Lots of fingers in the pie. Will the state approve 1.5 million for 1 acre of land? Unknown- if the Selectmen approve/back this project, will they set up the "team" for appraisals, grant application etc. Sumner-Yes, I will put together a team if they authorize this. Be positive, this may take a long time and the property may be sold tomorrow. First contact will be open session. Issues relative to title, appraisal that is Executive Session. Karen Friedman- Saints Landing is the Quahog center for Brewster. It would be nice if it is more accessible. Important for the town shellfish center to be maintained. Bassett- $270,000.00 is not all Recreation, just a shared portion. Hush-If you can make this work, that will be fine. Taylor-suggest withdraw of application to re-write rather than a negative vote Carr- I think if this discussion plays a TM, everyone would want their beach done. This should be a Town Beach project; you being the first because you presented it first. Never voted for anything without it being approved by the appropriate committee. Motion: Jan Massarelli, through the Chair, makes a request to withdraw w/o prejudice the application for 38 Saints' Landing land purchase. Second: Elliott Carr VOTE : 8-0-0 2) Review a new housing buy-down application and upcoming plans to promote housing buy-down- Jillian Douglass Bux down application Jillian presented resale of a LIP unit on Yankee Drive. State is offering $20,000.00 in addition to CPC. Maximum resale price is $232,000.00. Byers come from HAC ready to buy list. They are requesting $30,000.00 from CP. Reduction $50,000.00. A market loan through TDBank. Does not add to Brewster's housing stock, but it retains a unit. There will be a universal deed restriction on this property. Single family home. CPC Minutes 08-25-10 Page 4 of 6 Ruchinskas- My understanding is that the first $60,000.00 assigned was to retain existing housing units and the second $300,000.00 was to go toward the purchase of new units toward housing stock. Carr: I think we need a full discussion as to what these monies are to be used for. Motion: Roland Bassett Jr. to provide $30,000.00 through Buydown program for 123 Yankee Drive property. Second: Elizabeth Taylor VOTE: 7-0-0 Public Relations efforts to market/promote Housing Buydown Program Ji//ian Doug/as- has begun to set up a forum, to be held in the Fall, with HAC, Community Development Partnership, realtors and banks. Talking about multiple topics; availability of program and suggestions about how this should be tailored. Hoping for a meeting in September. Included will be a discussion of the AADU bylaw; its impact and use. Ask peoples opinion at this forum. We will also be talking about "first time buyer" programs. Six units of land; HP still under the belief we will seek a developer to build through a RFP; then will apply for Comprehensive Permit. 3) Report of efforts to counter the pending state ballot initiative that would end the 40B progress- Jillian Douglass November ballot question; eliminate 40B Very important that you know about this. Ballot question #2. 4) Review regular Minutes of July 28, 2010 MOTION: by Elliott Carr to approve minutes as presented. Second by Roy Robinson VOTE: 6-0-1 Review EXECUTIVE SESSION Minutes of July 28, 2010 MOTION: by Elizabeth Taylor to approve minutes as presented. Second by Jeanne Boehm VOTE:6-0-1 5) CPC Liaison reports - To postponed until next meeting Paul Hush Brewster Affordable Housing Fund Affordable Deed Restricted Buy-Down Program Cape Rep Theatre Crosby Mansion Paul Ruchinskas Latham Centers Elizabeth Taylor Bates Property Matthews Property Skyline Property Elliott Carr Stony Brook Mill Sites Committee Terry Ryder Brewster Cemetery Commission #1 CPC Minutes 08-25-10 Page 5 of 6 Brewster Cemetery Commission #2 Roy Robinson Higgins Farm Windmill Restoration BHS Barn Restoration at Spruce Hill Blacksmiths Shop restoration Roland Bassett Tennis Court/Quick Start Project 8) Other business Roland BassettJr.: Motion to adjourn meeting Roy Robinson: Second VOTE: 7-0-0 Next Meeting: September 8, 2010 CPC Minutes 08-25-10 Page 6 of 6