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HomeMy Public PortalAbout20101020 - Community Preservation Committee - Meeting MinutesCommunity Preservation Committee Minutes – October 20, 2010 Page 1 of 5 Community Preservation Committee Members in Attendance: Henry Kunicki, Jeff Doherty, John Coolidge, Andre Navez, Marcus Waldron, Bill Shaw, Al Rogers, Lily Holden (9:00 PM) A. The meeting began at 7:30 PM in Room 211 of Town Hall. B. Other Business: 1. Reorganization. Mr. Coolidge stated the Committee needs to reorganize after the departure of two members, including the Vice Chairman. Mr. Kunicki nominated Mr. Coolidge as Chairman. Mr. Doherty seconded the nomination and all members voted in favor. Mr. Coolidge nominated Mr. Doherty as Vice Chairman. Mr. Kunicki seconded the nomination and all members voted in favor. A discussion was held regarding a Clerk position, but the members decided it was not needed since the Committee will have an Administrative Assistant soon. 2. Administrative Assistant Position. Mr. Coolidge stated that Ms. Lazarus, Director of the Land Use, Planning & Permitting Department, had narrowed the field of applicants down to 2 from 4 originally. He stated the Committee should come up with a list of expected responsibilities this person will need to perform. Some of the items the Committee came up with were: minute taking, website management, publicity, and spreadsheet management. Mr. Coolidge stated Mr. Kunicki has offered to be involved during the interview process and he would let the other members know when the interviews will happen. 3. Parks & Recreation Fields Dedication. Mr. Doherty stated he attended the dedication of the Fruit Street Fields. He stated he was impressed at the turnout of people for the event and at the magnitude of the fields themselves. He stated the CPA did get some publicity out the event and even Senator Spilka and Representative Dykema were in attendance. He stated there were no current members of the Board of Selectmen present, although some past members were there. Mr. Rogers stated the contractor in charge of the project was really good and he also gave credit to the new Town Engineer, Dave Daltorio. C. 7:45 PM Public Hearing for New Project Proposals for Use of CPC Funds for FY 2012. 1. Hopkinton Historical Society Materials Access Project, Bill Shaw. Michaelyn Holmes presented the request to the Committee. She stated this is jointly sponsored by the Historical Commission, Historical Society and Library. She stated this request represents a vision of the groups to allow historical materials to be preserved and accessible to the public. She stated the documents that were contained at the Historical Society Building have been inaccessible during the renovation. She stated the request right now is only applicable to materials at the Historical Society, but may extend at some point to include Cemetery and Town Hall records. Mr. Kunicki asked if there are any plans to digitize maps that the Society may have and Ms. Holmes stated that isn’t part of this project, but might be something they would consider in the future. Ms. Holmes stated they would like to use two paid experienced consultants for this project to teach volunteers how to properly perform the cataloguing and preserving of the documents and work with the Society’s Curators. Mr. Kunicki asked if the $15,000.00 they are asking for is enough money to complete this project and Ms. Holmes stated probably not. Mr. Shaw stated there are 700 items that are deeded gifts to the Society and that makes up less than half of the total items the Society has. He stated they didn’t want to ask for too much money right now. He stated they Community Preservation Committee Minutes – October 20, 2010 Page 2 of 5 want the project mostly performed by volunteers, but need the professional staff to get them started. Mr. Navez asked about the breakdown of the funds. Ms. Holmes stated the salary of the professional staff is the biggest portion of the funds and they know it is kind of low for the extent of the project, but they feels this is kind of like a Phase 1. Mr. Kunicki asked how much time is allocated to complete Phase 1 and Ms. Holmes stated they are hoping to complete it in 2 years. Mr. Coolidge asked if they had conferred with Ann Click, Town Clerk, regarding cost and process of archiving documents since it is similar to a project she is doing presently. Ms. Holmes stated they have not spoken with Ms. Click and they didn’t want to overestimate the cost of the project right now and keep it in manageable boundaries to get started. She stated this is kind of Phase 2 from the Library Treasure Room project, but it is a Society based project. She stated they ideally would like to have the catalogue online and accessible to the public so that the Library would know what the Society has and vice versa. Mr. Rogers asked if the ultimate goal would be to have all materials at the Society and Ms. Holmes stated no, just have it accessible to the public as much as possible. Mr. Shaw stated having things at the Library means they are accessible to the public. He stated it is his feeling to leave things were they are for the time being and get it all catalogued first. Documents Used: Hopkinton Historical Society Materials Access Project CPC Funds Proposal dated 10/13/10. 2. Trustees of the Hopkinton Library, ramp, Linda Kimball. Mr. Coolidge stated Ms. Kimball is not present tonight. He stated the proposal is to replace the handicap accessible ramp at the Library. Mary Pratt asked how much money was in the fund for Historical Preservation and Mr. Coolidge stated $124,000.00 plus $280,000.00 discretionary funds. Mr. Coolidge stated they are asking for $20,600.00 for the project. Mr. Rogers pointed out that the Library is trying to move to a new location. Mr. Navez stated he would like to see some plans for the ramp. Mr. Rogers stated the company that provided the quote for the ramp project has done work for him in the past and they do exceptional work. Documents Used: Letter from Board of Trustees of the Hopkinton Public Library to the CPC dated 10/12/10. Estimate from Norfolk Iron Works to Brian Main, OPM dated 9/21/10. 3. OSPC, land purchase, Jeff Doherty. Mr. Doherty stated the Open Space Preservation Commission (OSPC) has been looking at 3 different parcels over the past 18-24 months. He stated they would like to get the parcels appraised to get an accurate assessment before making an offer to purchase any of them. He stated the OSPC would like the CPC to hold a place for them if they can get the appraisals done in a timely manner. Mr. Kunicki asked how much money the OSPC was looking for and Mr. Doherty stated $300,000.00 to $1.3 million depending on the parcel. Mr. Navez asked how many total acres the 3 parcels contain and Mr. Doherty stated 85-100 acres. Mr. Rogers asked if they are buildable parcels and Mr. Coolidge stated 2 are and 1 isn’t. Mr. Doherty stated one parcel already has Planning Board approval for a development. In response to a question regarding the location of the parcels, Mr. Coolidge stated that isn’t public information at this time since they are still in negotiations with the land owners. 4. Town Clerk, ongoing records restoration program, Ann Click. Ms. Click stated she is continuing a project to restore Town records in the Town Clerk’s office. She stated the companies that have performed the restoration work have differed and their techniques differ as well. She brought examples of 3 different Community Preservation Committee Minutes – October 20, 2010 Page 3 of 5 techniques from 2 companies that have done restoration for her recently. She stated the technique she likes the best includes removing acid from the documents and encapsulating them in plastic sleeves. She stated the most recent documents completed were not encapsulated, but the company who completed the work was the low bidder on the proposal. Mr. Kunicki suggested that if she wants the documents encapsulated, that she be specified in the bid package in the future. Ms. Click stated she is only asking for a third of the money from the almost $36,000.00 estimate since she plans on spreading the project out over 3 years. She stated once the records have been restored, she would like to assess and fix the environment of her vaults. She stated she isn’t aware if it falls under the purview of the CPC and Mr. Coolidge stated it does since it is a way of preserving historical documents. Ms. Click stated the lighting and humidity are wrong among other things. A brief discussion was held regarding scanning the documents and the document management system the Town Hall is trying to implement. Mr. Doherty asked if there were any written policy or procedures for viewing the documents, such as cotton gloves for some of the books. He stated this would be especially important for use once Ms. Click is no longer there and Ms. Click stated she didn’t have one, but she will make sure it happens. Mr. Shaw mentioned a system he has knowledge of that involved copying historic documents a single time and allowing the public to view copies and leaving the original documents untouched. Documents Used: E-mail from Ann Click to John Coolidge dated 10/13/10. Conservation Proposal dated 10/11/10. 5. Hopkinton Trails Club/Sylvan Way Parking Project, Jeff Furber. Mr. Furber stated the Trails Club is asking for $2,400.00 to construct a gravel parking area on Sylvan Way adjacent to Winter Street for the purpose of parking to access Cameron Woods. He stated they would like to make it large enough for 3-4 cars. He stated he has spoken with Elaine Lazarus, Director of Land Use, Planning & Permitting, and she didn’t have a problem with it. He stated he has spoken with Don MacAdam, Conservation Administrator, and will be filling out the necessary paperwork to submit to the Conservation Commission for approval. He stated the cost included gravel only as the Trails Club will spread the gravel and maintain the area themselves. Mr. Rogers asked if they were spreading the gravel on top of existing grass and Mr. Furber stated yes, they have done it before at Hopkinton Area Land Trust projects with good results. Mr. Coolidge asked if the neighbors had been contacted yet regarding the proposal and Mr. Furber stated not yet. Documents Used: Parking at Sylvan Way/Cameron Woods CPC Funds Proposal dated 10/12/10 with attached map and photo. 6. Hopkinton Trails Club/Cameron Woods Entrance Sign & Kiosk, Jeff Furber. Mr. Furber stated they are requesting $2,300.00 for signage and a kiosk for the Cameron Woods trail. He stated they would like to put a large sign at the trial head at Winter Street/Sylvan Way and a kiosk to hold maps, etc. Mr. Rogers asked if the cost was just for the signs and Mr. Furber clarified that cost would be also include the installation of the signs and kiosk. Mr. Coolidge reminded Mr. Furber that if any of the Trials Club’s requests were over $5,000.00 they would need multiple quotes for the project. Peter Lagoy asked about trail access from Pond Street. Mr. Furber stated that area is really the Town Forest, but it does lead to Cameron Woods and they would like to put a sign there as well. A brief discussion was held regarding parking on Wood Street for access to Cameron Community Preservation Committee Minutes – October 20, 2010 Page 4 of 5 Woods and the possibility of speaking with some homeowners near the trail about parking. Documents Used: Cameron Woods Entrance Sign & Kiosk CPC Funds Proposal dated 10/12/10. 7. Hopkinton Trails Club/Center Trail, Jeff Furber. Mr. Furber stated heavy rains have caused portions of the Center Trail to washout. He stated they need to find someone with expertise in erosion control issues. Mr. Coolidge asked if the washout was at the wetland crossing and Mr. Furber stated no, it is before the first bridge crossing. Mr. Furber stated the goal is to stop the erosion and come up with a plan to alleviate the problem permanently. Mr. Coolidge asked if a culvert under the trail would fix the problem and Mr. Furber stated one proposal he has received would be to install plastic pipe in a few places under the trail. Mr. Rogers stated this proposal seems to be for maintenance and asked how that worked with CPC funds and Mr. Coolidge stated the trail was created with CPC funds and so it is an appropriate and allowed proposal. Mr. Coolidge stated he recently saw a grant for $18,000.00 and that is the same amount Mr. Furber is requesting and asked if it for the same thing. Mr. Furber stated the Hopkinton Area Land Trust has applied for a grant to fix the trail and this is a backup incase the grant doesn’t get approved. Mr. Rogers suggested railroad ties or retaining walls to help support and stabilize the trail. Mr. Furber stated he has had a very difficult time finding anyone to help and look at the problems. Mr. Rogers suggested have the DPW Director look at it since he is an engineer. Mr. Furber stated the total cost may be less than requested if fixing only a portion of the trail would fix the problems for the rest of the trail. Mr. Navez stated he would not just want to see the trail fixed, he would want to make sure it didn’t happen again. Mr. Coolidge suggested asking for more money to have an engineered plan designed to fix the problem and have the CPA money as backup to the grant money. Mr. Rogers suggested seeing if any engineering firms would be willing to look at it and suggested Mr. Furber contact the Parks & Recreation Department for information about CDM, the firm who designed the Fruit Street Fields. Peter Lagoy asked how much CPA money was for active recreation and Mr. Coolidge stated $550,000.00. Mr. Lagoy stated Milford is finishing up their paved bike trail and he hates to see people leave town to use trails when Hopkinton has so many already. Mr. Furber stated the Trails Club is not interested in paving the Center Trail. Mr. Coolidge stated there are materials that can be put down that allow bike riding, horseback riding, etc., without paving. Documents Used: Center Trail CPC Funds Proposal dated 10/14/10 with attached photos. Proposal from Cali Corporation to Hopkinton Rail Trail dated 7/9/10. 8. Cultural Arts Alliance/ESL. Mr. Coolidge stated this proposal is not ready to be presented yet. He stated the proposal is about the next phase in the barn restoration. He stated the CPA funds already helped to fix the foundation, roof and floor of the building. 9. Downtown Revitalization Committee, Peter Lagoy. Mr. Lagoy stated his Committee has been working on taking a historic look at the aesthetics of downtown Hopkinton and looking at the roadways. Lily Holden arrived at this time. Mr. Lagoy stated he is trying to get a feel for procedure. Mary Pratt stated that some buildings in the downtown are already under historic restrictions through the State. Mr. Lagoy stated he will have more of a proposal for the Committee at the next meeting. D. Other Business. Community Preservation Committee Minutes – October 20, 2010 Page 5 of 5 1. Mr. Coolidge stated the next meeting will be November 17, 2010. He stated the Committee has to vote the money for the proposals to get a total figure to go to the Appropriations Committee with during the budget process. Mr. Navez and Mr. Shaw stated they will not be able to attend the meeting on the 17th. 2. Ms. Holden asked that if the Affordable Housing gets voted out at the State Elections if it would affect the CPA money and Mr. Coolidge stated no. Ms. Holden mentioned that the groundbreaking ceremony for the Mayhew Court affordable housing project is tomorrow morning. 3. Mr. Shaw stated the Historical Commission is meeting next week and asked if the proposal from the Downtown Revitalization should be on their radar. Mr. Coolidge suggested he contact Peter Lagoy about it. He stated their focus seems to be on parking and streetscape right now. Mr. Kunicki stated they have also talked about buying the wires along Main Street. E. Progress Reports existing Projects approved May 2010 ATM. 1. Town Hall Renovations/upgrades. Mr. Kunicki stated the overall structure of Town Hall will need to get looked at and the windows would be the last thing done. He stated there might not be any money left for windows by the time the masonry and roof work is completed. 2. Fruit Street Fields/Access Road. Mr. Rogers stated the fields are in and completed. 3. Mr. Shaw stated he will start reporting in on the Historical projects. Mr. Kunicki asked when the Historical Society Building would finally be opened again. Mr. Shaw stated they have been waiting for Keefe Tech to finish up some things and should have their occupancy permit shortly. He started they are hoping to have a Grand Opening sometime next summer. F. Mr. Kunicki made a motion to continue the Public Hearing for New Project Proposals for Use of CPC Funds for FY 2012 to November 17, 2010. Mr. Doherty seconded the motion and all members voted in favor. G. Adjourn. Mr. Kunicki made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Mr. Doherty seconded the motion and all members voted in favor. The meeting adjourned at 9:20 PM. Other Documents Used: CPC Agenda dated October 20, 2010. Submitted by Anna Rogers, Inspections Administrative Assistant. Approved by the CPC: _____________________