HomeMy Public PortalAboutCommunity Preservation Committee -- 2017-09-13 Minutes \� � pt6 VUiii/z
O all
� oF'+ at
Apprgv�d •. 7 -Qr0 !
o a, = 2198 Main Street ` " ji
`
Brewster, Massachusetts 026314898 DATE : 10/ 11/ 17
"B P`oVN 9 ���� (508 ) 896 - 3701 u
°��/i1/k/innuiii1110 ""�°�� FAX (508 ) 896 - 8089
COMMUNITY PRESERVATION COMMITTED ' ` ` ` ' ` '' s
Held a Regular Meeting
On Wednesday, September 13 , 2017 at 4 : 45 p .m.
At The Brewster Town Office Building, 2198 Main Street, Brewster, MA
MEETING MINUTES OF SEPTEMBER 13 , 2017
Present : Paul Ruchinskas , Peter Johnson, Elizabeth Taylor, Diane Pansire , Faythe Ellis ,
Roland Bassett, and William Klein .
Also Present : Town Administrator Mike Embury, Assistant Town Administrator Donna
Kalinick, Jill Scalise and Ellen St . Sure .
Absent : Barbara Burgo
The Chair called the meeting to order at 4 : 45 pm .
Recording or Taping Notification : As required by the Open Meeting Law we are informing you that the
Town will be videotaping and/or audio taping this public meeting. In addition, if anyone else intends to either
video or audio tape this meeting they are required to inform the chair. " We request that all cell phones be turned
off or to vibrate.
1 . Welcome and introductions
The Chair welcomed the new citizen ' s representative, Diane Pansire to the Community
Preservation Committee . Diane is a long-time resident and is very interested in affordable
housing issues and anything that strengthens the Town of Brewster . The Committee
introduced themselves . The Committee membership list was distributed .
2 . Vote to approve minutes of July 26, 2017 meeting .
This vote was held to a future meeting due to the meeting minutes not being available due to
the unexpected absence of Donna Moberg due to Hurricane Irma .
3 . Discussion and possible vote of Open Space Committee ' s $ 432 , 000 funding request for the
acquisition of the Borden - Burk/ Meetinghouse Road property .
Elizabeth Taylor reviewed the Open Space Committee' s request for $ 432 , 000 for the
acquisition of the Borden - Burk/ Meetinghouse Road property located off of Slough Road . The
request was distributed to the Committee . This was originally approved at Town Meeting a
few years ago with an agreement to purchase this property, but this didn' t happen because the
CPC Meeting Minutes of
September 13 , 2017 Page 1 of 5
seller could not prove he owned all of the land , particularly the southern 27 acres of the
property . In the meantime, the owners of the southern end of the 27 - acre parcel contacted
the town and have agreed to sell it to the town for $ 432, 000 . This directly abuts the Dennis
Water District Zone 2 land and other property owned by the Town of Brewster . This property
is very important because it is located in Zone 2 and will help to protect drinking and ground
water and wildlife habitat . Zone 2 properties are very important to protect from development .
A state grant has been applied for that if approved will cover about half of the cost of the
parcel . There is a pathway, Meetinghouse Road that runs through the property and was
probably a historic Native American trail and there are many trails in this area .
The Dennis Water District Commissioners will be approached to help with the funding of this
property and there are a number of other potential sources to fund this property and we will
need to wait and see what gets approved . Options will be outlined at the Special Town
Meeting . The Conservation Trust will contribute $ 50, 000 to this purchase .
Motion made by Peter Johnson to approve CPC funding up to $432, 000 towards the purchase of
the Borden- Burk/ Meetinghouse Road property as submitted by the Open Space Committee .
Roland Bassett seconded .
VOTE : 7-0-0
4 . Discussion and possible vote on the Brewster Historical Commission' s $ 9 , 300 professional
services funding request for the Form B analysis of historic structures .
Faythe Ellis reviewed the Brewster Historical Commission' s current projects and request for
$ 9, 300 for professional services . One project is working on the inventory of historic properties
in town and the second project is to complete " Form B' s" . The current contract for obtaining
the " Form B' s" expires and these additional funds will allow this project to continue to move
forward . It is hoped to have 70 Form B' s completed by November 30, 2017 but it is uncertain
this will be attained . Drafts of the Form B' s are submitted to the Historical Commission and
once they are reviewed , they are updated to the state database . There was a review of
municipal procurement law and RFP' s are for requests of $ 50, 000 or more . Quotes are to be
obtained for requests of 0 to $ 10, 000 and from $ 10, 000 to $ 50, 000 would be an invitation to
bid and a contract would be given to the lowest qualified bidder . In the current contract, any
unexpended funds after November 30, 2017 will be transferred back into the General CPC
Historic Account .
Motion made by Roland Bassett to approve the Brewster Historical Commission's $ 9, 300
Professional Services funding proposal . Elizabeth Taylor seconded .
VOTE : 7-0-0
5 . Acceptance of Town Paines Creek open space funding request and vote to refer the request to
the Open Space Committee for its review and recommendation .
The Town ' s application for the Paines Creek Open Space Funding request was distributed to the
Committee . Peter Johnson recused himself because the Brewster Conservation Trust currently
owns this property . There was a brief review of the history of this property . This request is to
purchase the property for the town for $ 195, 000 and to work with the Conservation Trust for a
CPC Meeting Minutes of
September 13 , 2017 Page 2 of 5
conservation restriction , allow use of the property and to grant an easement for parking that
would accommodate about 25 cars and would be lined with stone . This parking may be used
to establish a van shuttle to Paines Creek .
There was discussion about the CPC funds to be used to purchase this property and both
Recreation and Open Space funds may be used to fund this project . The Recreation
Commission will be meeting the first Monday in October and should have a recommendation at
the next CPC meeting scheduled for October 11, 2017 .
Motion made by Roland Bassett to refer the Paines Creek application to both the Recreation
Commission and the Open Space Committee for their recommendations . William Klein
seconded .
VOTE : 6-0-0
Peter Johnson rejoined the meeting .
6 . Discussion of current status, including purpose and policies and guidelines of the existing
affordable housing homeownership buy-down program .
Jill Scalise, Town Housing Coordinator and Donna Kalinick, Assistant Town Administrator
reviewed the current status of affordable housing homeownership buy- down program as well
as the purpose , policies, and guidelines . Donna thanked the CPC for funding the Housing
Coordinator position .
Jill is looking for input as she redesigns the application for the buy-down program and she is
contacting both the CPC and the Brewster Housing Partnership in regard to this and to clarify
the procedures and policies as well as the initial intent of the town with regard to affordable
housing . It is her understanding that the town wants to add to the affordable housing stock
and continue to keep identified affordable housing affordable .
She has found six properties bought through the buy- down program have been included in the
town' s Subsidized Housing Inventory ( SHI ) . There is one home that does not entirely meet
these requirements but that is considered affordable by the town though not by the state . The
one home not recognized by the state, once it is resold could become part of this state
recognized SHI . This program began with a warrant article on the 2007 Spring Annual Town
Meeting . Originally, $ 360, 000 was allocated for the buy- down program . About $ 20, 000 to
$ 30, 000 was spent per home to buy-down . It appears that there is a balance of $ 182 , 000 in
this program account .
Jill is also reviewing how other towns are handling affordable housing and she has met with
both Housing Coordinators and Committees . Different towns are handling affordable housing
differently and she shared how Yarmouth and Harwich run and administer their programs .
Brewster' s focus has been on retaining affordable housing stock homes . Yarmouth has two
separate programs and their buy down program is called preserving affordable housing . Both
Yarmouth and Harwich use Housing Assistance Corporation as a partner to administer the
program at 6 percent of the cost of the house . Housing Assistance Corporation runs the
marketing plan to get market rate homes on the town ' s SHI . The SHI goal is 10 percent of a
town ' s housing .
CPC Meeting Minutes of
September 13 , 2017 Page 3 of 5
There was discussion about how the CPC wanted to have as the focus of its program . The state
requirements are difficult to meet . Those homes that have deed riders on them are assessed
less than a market rate home . There was a brief review of the history of CPC funding with
regard to affordable housing . The original intent of the CPC was to stretch the funding and
increasing the number of affordable houses . Brewster' s program is a Buy-down subsidy
program and if the lender wishes to see the buy-down as a down payment that is a legitimate
use of these funds .
First-time Homebuyer counseling is recommended and many lenders make this a requirement .
First —time homebuyers are buyers who have not owned a home in the last three years . Local
Initiative programs allow a debt ratio up to 45 percent but may be as high as 50 percent . It was
felt that the CPC didn' t want to get into debt ratios and as long as a lender is willing to loan
money that would be acceptable .
The program application packet will include an application with the home identified along with
a purchase and sales agreement and a lender approval letter . Jill Scalise will verify the
application information and eligibility and will write a letter to the CPC verifying the
qualifications and requested actions . The CPC will then vote on it and if approved it will be sent
to Town Counsel for the deed restriction and second mortgage promissory note and the
funding request . Jill Scalise will present these applications in person before the CPC . Jill
Scalise has office hours for the public that are posted on the town ' s website .
7 . Discussion of CPC Town Meeting warrant articles .
There will be two reallocations of CPC funds with the return of funds to appropriate fund
balances . There will be an article in the warrant for the Meetinghouse Road purchase and
potentially the Paines Creek purchase . October 2, 2017 CPC will present to the Board of
Selectmen and the Finance Committee will be sometime in October .
The Recreation Department plans on submitting a request to take care of handicap accessibility
on the town fields .
8 . Report on status of open projects .
Elizabeth Taylor distributed and reviewed the draft budget to the Committee . There was a
brief review of open projects . The bonded projects were reviewed with regard to annual bond
payments due this fiscal year .
There was a brief review of project contacts and the Committee liaisons .
There was an update on the Habitat project on Tubman Road and the first six homes .
The state has funded the Cape Cod Village project .
Cape Rep has a final bill to be submitted soon .
CPC Meeting Minutes of
September 13, 2017 Page 4 of 5
There was a brief review of the Brewster Woods project .
The Baptist Church steeple is close to having something to be presented to the CPC .
The Kings Highway Committee will be reviewing the Bikeways' project again .
9 . Items the chair could not reasonably anticipate .
There were no other items discussed .
10 . Next meeting : Wednesday, September 27, 2017 at 4 : 45 pm at Town Hall
Motion made by Peter Johnson to adjourn the meeting at 5 : 50 pm . Roland Bassett
seconded .
VOTE : 7-0-0
Respectfully submitted,
Po `
Donna J . Moberg
Items used at the Meeting :
•
Borden/Burk/Meetinghouse Road Property funding application
• Brewster Historical Commission Professional Services request
• Paines Creels Open Space Funding Request
• Draft budget
• Habitat Update
i
CPC Meeting Minutes of
September 13 , 2017 Page 5 of 5