HomeMy Public PortalAboutCommunity Preservation Committee -- 2014-08-13 Minutes o}4���mtv,, rrrrrli° 2198 Main Street
Brewster,Massachusetts 02631-1898 Approved: 9/10/14
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MEETING MINUTES r
COMMUNITY PRESERVATION COMMITTEE
Wednesday, August 13, 2014 at 4:30 p.m.
at The Brewster Town Office Building, 2198 Main Street, Brewster, MA
Video&Audio Recording or Taping Notification: "As required by the Open Meeting Law we are informing you that the Town
will be audio taping this meeting. In addition if anyone else intends to either video or audio tape this meeting they are
required to inform the chair."
Present: Elliott Carr, Dion Dugan, Jean Boehm, George Boyd, Paul Ruchinskas, Peter Johnson,
Roland Bassett and Elizabeth Taylor.
Absent: Bill Klein
Also present: Jillian Douglas, Ellen St. Sure, Sarah Turano-Flores, Town Counsel and Leedara
Zola fdr Habitat for Humanity.
The Chair called the meeting to order at 4:31 pm
Review/Correction/Approval of 7/23/14 minutes:
It was requested to return to the minutes at the end of the meeting to review the
content and make corrections.
2. Habitat-620 Tubman acquisition- review/vote on conditions needing CPC approval in
order to expend CPC funds for acquisition
There was clarification on how maintenance is handled on affordable housing projects.
The CPC is not responsible for the maintenance of affordable housing units. The
Committee then went into Executive Session. Please see item 2a.
Following the Executive Session, the CPC Committee returned to open session at 4:55
pm and there was a review of the Tubman Road project with regard to the agreement
dealing with financial, permitting, evaluation of different lots, and title exam.
Title: Town Counsel reviewed the preliminary findings of the title to the Tubman
Road property and the actual title is due on Friday. The chain of title looks good,
however the location has presented problems. The portion of the land with the
problems is the lot that will be transferred to the town. The title attorney and the
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August 18, 2014 Page 1 of 5
surveyor will need to certify that there is a good and clear title. If there are issues, they
will be known on Friday and if the problems are unsolvable, the project will not go
forward. It was decided to allow the Town Counsel to notify the CPC Chair regarding
the clear title so the project could close on time.
Motion made by Peter Johnson to have town counsel notify the chair of the CPC
regarding a good marketable title when and if it is available as stated in Item 3 of
the award letter. Elliott Carr seconded. VOTE: 7-0-1
Appraisal: The Chair reviewed the appraisal for the parcel to be transferred to the
town. The parcel is accessible by the town through the Police Station. There was
discussion on other ways it may be accessible. It would not be accessible through the
Habitat for Humanity portion. There was a brief discussion on the appraisal.
Motion made by Peter Johnson to approve the town's contribution to the project of
$53,000 for the Tubman Road parcel to be transferred to the town. Roland Bassett
seconded.
VOTE: 8-0-0
Financials: The Chair reviewed the financials and permitting process. Not all of the
financials were available when the Housing Subcommittee met in July, but
preliminary financials were reviewed. Now all of the information is available and it is
felt that the permitting is extremely likely to be approved by the town though
conditions may apply. However, there is always the potential that an abutter could
appeal. The O'Reilly engineering report was reviewed and it does not find any
environmental issues on the site. The perc test is fine. The cost of the affordable
housing units and development costs were reviewed. Habitat will be including solar
panels worth $24,000 per unit and it is hoped to receive full subsidy for this amount.
There was a review of the schedule and Habitat has to have all of their comprehensive
permits with all appeals over by two years of the closing or the parcel to revert to the
Town. There was a brief review of Phase I and Phase II of the project. The Housing
subcommittee recommends the project because it appears to be a feasible project and
all conditions have been satisfied.
Motion made by Roland Bassett to approve the Tubman Road project by Habitat
for Humanity. This motion approves condition 3 of the award letter with regard to
permitting and feasibility of the project. Elizabeth Taylor seconded.
COTE: 8-0-0
Extension of time in Item 4 of the award letter. An extension on the closing date that
states the project will close within four months of town meeting was requested. Due
to the uncertainty of the title, it was recommended that this date be extended to six
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August 18, 2014 Page 2 of 5
{ it
months from town meeting.
Motion made by George Boyd to extend the time of the closing for the Tubman
Road property as stated in the award letter by an additional two months. Jean
Boehm seconded.
VOTE: 8-0-0
24. Executive Session
Motion made by Paul Ruchinskas to enter into executive session at 4:39 pm to
consider the purchase, exchange, lease, or value of real property as the chair
declares that an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the negotiating
position of the public body. Elliott Carr seconded. Vote by roll call:
Elliott Carr - yes
Dion Dugan - yes
Jean Boehm - yes
George Boyd - yes
Peter Johnson - yes
Rolland Bassett - yes
Paul Ruchinskas - yes
Yankee Drive Town Home Condominium Association
There was a discussion and vote on the funding request by Yankee Drive Town Home
Condominium Association. It has been determined that this was not an appropriate
use of CPC funds as rehabilitation of community housing is only allowed if the
housing was acquired with CPC funds. There was also a brief discussion as to if this
would affect the affordable housing units and retention. There was brief discussion if
there is a need for reinvestment in affordable housing program. It was suggested that
perhaps a loan program could be established to help with maintenance of affordable
housing. There are approximately 250 affordable housing units including rentals in
town and the town currently has no liability with the affordable housing units they
have created. It is felt that this should be a future agenda item.
Motion made by Roland Bassett to deny the application for the request of funds
by the Yankee Drive Town Home Condominium Association as it is not an
eligible CPC project. Peter Johnson seconded.
VOTE: 7-0-1
4. CPC Application
There was discussion and vote on the Secretary of the Interior Standards for
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August 18, 2014 Page 3 of 5
rehabilitation of historic preservation projects and that these should be included on the
CPC application. There was a brief discussion about the standards and it was felt that
the challenge would be in implementing these standards. It was decided that the
guideline language be placed in the application in two places. These standards may
also pertain to gravestones. These standards only apply to requests for CPC funds.
The Historic Commission and the CPC should agree on the Secretary of the Interior
Standards applying to a project. The CPC award letter will stipulate that the project
will need to be monitored, perhaps by someone hired by the applicant, to meet the
restrictions as outlined in the Secretary of the Interior Standards for rehabilitation of
historic preservations projects.
Motion made by Peter Johnson to approve the application with changes as noted
With regard to the Secretary of the Interior Standards for rehabilitation of historic
preservation projects. George Boyd seconded.
VOTE: 8-0-0
Town Meeting Articles-
There was a discussion and a vote on the allocation of additional state match funds
received beyond those budgeted for as well as other funds into the appropriate reserve
accounts as well as other Town Meeting CPC articles. There is a request for a formal
vote on these allocations at the upcoming town meeting.
Motion made by Peter Johnson requesting that the Town Accountant and a CPC
member prepare articles for the next Town Meeting to reallocate the CPC reserve
funds listed in the Town Accountant's fifth CPC account, such as the additional
State match funds and unexpended administrative allocations, in accordance with
the CPC allocations. Jean Boehm seconded.
VOTE: 8-0-1
Brewster Woods update
Paul Ruchinskas updated the CPC Committee on the Brewster Woods project. It is
hoped that the RFP for a developer will go out this year and state funding application
be submitted in 2016. The project needs to be fully permitted before it moves
forward. Currently, Brewster Housing Authority does not need to access any of the
CPC funds for predevelopment.
7, Topics the Chair did not reasonably anticipate
The playground problems have been resolved and the project is now moving forward.
There was a discussion on the July 23, 2014 meeting minutes and whether they were
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August 18,2014 Page 4 of 5
too detailed. Some felt they were too detailed with a number of misrepresentations
and mistakes, but others cautioned about condensing them too much. It was decided
have a discussion with the minute taker.
Schedule of next meeting
The next scheduled meeting is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, August 27, 2014
at 4:30 pm
8. Executive session
Motion made by Paul Ruchinskas to enter into Executive Session at 5:57 pm to
consider the purchase of real property for open space such that an open meeting
may have a detrimental effect on the negotiating position of the public body. The
Committee will be adjourning from Executive Session. Roland Bassett seconded.
Elliot Carr—yes
Dion Dugan —yes
Jean Boehm —yes
George Boyd —yes
Paul Ruchinskas -yes
Peter Johnson —yes
George Boyd —yes
Roland Bassett—yes
Elizabeth Taylor - yes
Respectfully submitted,
Donna Moberg, Recording Secretary
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