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HomeMy Public PortalAbout2020-1-124 BBN UPDATE TOWN OF 1630 WATERTOWN • Office of the Town Manager _ < i Administration Building ;:Y` 149 Main Street t ' Watertown,MA 02472 Phone: 617-972-6465 www.watertown-ma.gov Michael J. Driscoll townmgr@watertown-ma.gov Town Manager To: Honorable Town Council From: Michael J. Driscoll, Town Manager Date: November 19, 2020 RE: Agenda Item—Informational Presentation Update As you are aware, an Informational Presentation on the possibility of a strategic partnership with Buckingham Browne &Nichols School and the Town of Watertown was given at the November 12, 2019 Town Council Meeting. For background purposes, attached please find the following: ➢ November 8, 2019 Agenda Item correspondence regarding an Informational Presentation on the possibility of a strategic partnership between Buckingham Browne &Nichols School and the Town of Watertown ➢ Related excerpt from the November 12, 2019 Town Council Meeting minutes As a follow up, I respectfully request an Informational Presentation Update be placed on the November 24, 2020 Town Council Agenda. The Update will be on the possibility of a strategic partnership between Buckingham Browne &Nichols School and the Town of Watertown. The Update will be given by Dr. Jennifer Price, Head of Buckingham Browne &Nichols School and David Barnett, President and CEO, Mount Auburn Cemetery. Thank you for your consideration in this matter. cc: Dr. Jennifer Price, BB&N Head of School David Barnett, President and CEO, Mount Auburn Cemetery Honorable School Committee All Department Heads TOWN OF 1630 WATERTOWN ell Office of the Town Manager 4 "{ Administration Building - 149 Main Street Watertown,MA 02472 . Phone:617-972-6465 www.watertown-ma.gov Michael J.Driscoll townuigr@watertown-ma.gov Town Manager To: Honorable Town Council From: Michael J. Driscoll,Town Manager Date: November 8,2019 RE: Agenda Item—Informational Presentation As you are aware and as indicated in the attached July 3rd and September 9, 2019 Miscellaneous Items, Mount Auburn Cemetery is selling six acres of their Grove Sheet property. Further, Goal I of the Town's Open Space and Recreation Plan reads as follows: "Improve the amount, accessibility and condition of Watertown's Recreational Resources." Additionally,the Honorable Town Council's Fiscal Year 2020 Budget Policy Guideline 11.I. reads in part as follows: "Develop a budgetary plan to meet the identified need for acquisition of land for open space and/or recreational use." Given the above and as you are aware,the Town is working on the possibility of a strategic partnership with Buckingham Browne &Nichols School(BB&N)regarding the potential joint use of the above mentioned Grove Street property. We are very excited about BB&N's potential purchase of this property and the impact this property could have on the residents of Watertown. Specifically,the Town's plan is to establish a joint use agreement through a Memorandum of Understanding that would allow our residents to use BB&N's proposed fields in the evenings, on weekends, and throughout much of the summer. In return,BB&N would have access to the Town's Filippello Park fields right after school each day for their athletic teams. This is a very exciting opportunity for a partnership with BB&N and the Town of Watertown that will increase open space for recreation and exercise. We believe this would be an excellent public/private partnership that would benefit both the residents of Watertown and BB&N. For additional background purposes,I have enclosed various related documents: • BB&N's proposed rendering for Grove Street property • October 17,2019 Letter of Support to the Trustees of Mount Auburn Cemetery • November 8,2019 correspondence to the BB&N Community As a follow up to all of the above and a conversation with the Honorable Town Council President Mark S. Sideris, I respectfully request an Informational Presentation be placed on the November 12t" Town Council Agenda. The presentation would be on the possibility of a strategic partnership between Buckingham Browne&Nichols School and the Town of Watertown. The presentation will be given by Dr. Jennifer Price,Head of Buckingham Browne&Nichols School. Thank you for your consideration in this matter. cc: Dr. Jennifer Price,BB&N Head of School Honorable School Committee All Department Heads TOWN OF 1630 WATERTOWN Office of the Town Manager ^ - Administration Building 149 Main Street Watertown,MA 02472 Michael J.Driscoll Phone:617.972.6465 Town Manager www•watertown-ma.gov townmgr@watertown-ma.gov To: Honorable Town Council From: Michael J. Driscoll,Town Manager Date: July 3,2019 RE: Miscellaneous Items Today's Miscellaneous Items includes the following: Resident Notice-Piermont St/Tappan Ave Arsenal Parking Garage Tweet from Watertown Police(@WatertownPD) Watertown's fully funded Retirement System as of July 1,2019 -----Bloomberg Radio -2 Boards and Commissions—Appointment Letter—Cultural Council Debbie Dunn Retirement Party -July 30ti' GIC FY17-18 Annual Reports Debrief Call from Ist Meeting with National Grid Gas Bright Summer Ahead: Great News for Your Mystic DCR Traffic Advisory: Greenough Boulevard in Watertown DCR Recreational Advisory: Paul Dudley White Bike Path UMass finalizes $235M Bayside ground lease-Boston Business Journal Mount Auburn Cemetery will sell 6 acres A new Waltham High School: The price of the "most expensive high school in the state" is going down- News-Wicked Local Waltham -Waltham,MA From: Driscoll.Michael To: osmond.Marsha cc: Dent.Heads;Comm Dev&Develone Subject: Mount Auburn Cemetery will sell 6 acres Date: Wednesday,July 03,2019 8:10:37 AM Please include in today's Misc Items to Council. -----Original Message----- From: Smith, Earl Sent: Wednesday, July 03, 2019 7:53 AM To: Driscoll, Michael <mdriscoll@watertown-ma.gov> Cc: Magoon, Steven <smagoon@watertown-ma.gov>; Tracy,Thomas <ttracy@watertown-ma.gov>; Gonzalez, Jennifer <jonzalez@watertown-ma.gov>; Smith, Earl <esmith@watertown-ma.gov> Subject: Mount Auburn Cemetery will sell 6 acres Cemetery will sell 6 acres http:/ledition.Daaesuite.COM/DODovers/dynamic article DODover.aspx?artouid=7aQ7acda-616c-4330- 9c3c-9d0PabO4a6,53&app'Id=1165 11/7/2019 Mt.Auburn Cemetery to sell six acres in Watertown-The Boston Globe ML sell six acres i Watertown By Tim Logan Globe Staff,July 2,2019,4:57 p.m. dt f 1fi JF d I Mt.Auburn Cemetery is selling about 6 acres it owns in Watertown,a deal that real estate industry experts say could bring$25 million or more to its coffers. MOUNT AUBURN CEMETERY Mt. Auburn Cemetery is the latest Greater Boston institution seeking to secure its future by cashing in on the region's hot real estate market. The historic cemetery is selling about 6 acres it owns in Watertown, a deal that real estate industry experts say could bring $25 million or more to Mt. Auburn's coffers. https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/other/2019/07/02/auburn-cemetery-sell-six-acres-watertown/EPWRX8ohaAzkBMb5biOLPP/story.htmi 1/4 11/7/2019 Mt.Auburn Cemetery to sell six acres in Watertown-The Boston Globe The site is home to a parking lot and a former cement plant on Grove Street, across the street from the cemetery grounds. It's land Mt. Auburn does not really need, said president David Barnett, but can use to bolster the cemetery's endowment and fund long-planned improvements to burial services, horticultural space, and greenhouses on the 175-acre complex. "It seems like the perfect time to capitalize on this," Barnett said. "Some of it may go to achieve our vision for new facilities. Some of it may go to the endowment." From universities to civic organizations, a growing number of nonprofits in and around Boston are selling real estate these days, taking advantage of the booming demand for buildings, and building sites. Among others, YW Boston recently put its historic home in the Back Bay on the market, while Simmons University is planning to lease half of its Fenway campus to a developer, who would help it rebuild the other half. It Mt. Auburn's case, the cemetery is selling what is essentially surplus land it has accumulated over the years. https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/other/2019/07/02/auburn-cemetery-sell-six-acres-watertown/EPW RX8ohaAzkBMb5blOLPP/story.html 2/4 11/7/2019 Mt.Auburn Cemetery to sell six acres in Watertown-The Boston Globe IVI'r.. /�,I14.)itl'II f;C-)6YICsic�ty 6_�zttrl is P a. lAf I Y • Iy Dados do mapa©2019 Google Imagens 02019,CNES/Airbus,MassGIS,Commonwealth of Massa Mt. Auburn has owned most of the site since the 1940s, Barnett said. It was once used for storage,but in recent years part of the property has been leased to nearby Mt.Auburn Hospital for employee parking. The rest is the site of a now-demolished cement plant the cemetery purchased in 2009 for $4.75 million, in part, Barnett said, to prevent it from ever again being used as a cement plant. To that end, he said, Mt. Auburn will want to make sure that the buyer plans a use that's "compatible" with the historic cemetery across the street, likely office or lab space, or perhaps housing. Any project would likely need zoning approvals from the town as well. The City of Watertown s comprehensive plan calls for commercial development in the area, which today is a mix of small office buildings and older light industrial sites. The Mt. Auburn property for sale sits in the eastern corner of Watertown, near Arsenal Street, which is emerging as a popular destination for life science companies looking to https://www.bostonglobe.com/buslness/other/2019/07/02/auburn-cemetery-sell-six-acres-watertown/EPW RX8ohaAzkBMb5blOLPP/story.html 3/4 11/7/2019 Mt.Auburn Cemetery to sell six acres In Watertown-The Boston Globe tap the talent of Cambridge-area workers while securing slightly lower rents than those in Kendall Square. Ben Sayles, a senior director at real estate firm JLL, which is worlung with Mt. Auburn on the sale, said the site could attract a wide range of developers, and various potential uses. He expects interest will be high. "It has been exciting to see the east end of Watertown come alive during the past five years,"he said. Tim Logan can be reached at tim.logan@globe.com.Follow him on Twitter at @bytimlogan. Show 17 comments @2019 Boston Globe Media Partners,LLC https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/other/2019/07/02/auburn-cemetery-sell-six-acres-watertown/EPW RX8ohaAzkBMb5blOLP P/story.html 4/4 TOWN OF 1630' WATERTOWN ` Office of the Town Manager Administration Building 1A- 149 Main Street Watertown,MA 02472 Phone:617.972-6465 www.watertown-ma.gov Michael J.Driscoll townmgr@watertown-ma.gov Town Manager To: Honorable Town Council From: Michael J. Driscoll,Town Manager Date: September 9,2019 RE: Miscellaneous Items Today's Miscellaneous Items includes the following: Additional Information Tomorrow Night's Agenda item 9.C. --Acceptance And Expenditure of a Gift of Funds for Veterans Services Mount Auburn Cemetery Packing Lot I Marketing Launch Police Officers-Thank you! Town of Watertown,MA,IT Assessment Website Survey Flooding on Belmont Street Street Letters -Milling Sept 11, 12, 13 Hand, JoAnna From: Driscoll, Michael Sent: Monday, September 9,2019 4:15 PM To: Osmond, Marsha; Hand,JoAnna Cc: Dept. Heads Subject: Mount Auburn Cemetery Parking Lot( Marketing Launch Attachments: The Grove Street Lot-Teaser.pdf Please include in today's Misc Items to Council. From:Magoon,Steven Sent:Monday,September09, 2019 3:15 PM To:Driscoll, Michael<mdriscoll@watertown-ma.gov>; Subject:FW: Mount Auburn Cemetery Parking Lot ( Marketing Launch FYI r From: DiRoberto,Cole Imailto:Cole.DiRobertoPam.iN.com1 Sent: Monday,September 09, 2019 11:57 AM To:Magoon,Steven <smagoon(@watertown-ma.gov> Cc:Sandy Tierney<STIERNEY(@mccallalmv.com>; Lauren Donahue<Idona hue(@mccailalmv.com>;Sayles, Ben <Ben.Savles(@am.ill.com> Subject: Mount Auburn Cemetery Parking Lot ( Marketing Launch Hi Steve, We wanted to give you a heads up that we will be launching our marketing effort tomorrow for the Mount Auburn Cemetery parking lot on Grove Street. The attached"teaser"is the marketing flyer we will be using throughout the process in our discussion with prospective investors. Thanks, Cole Cole DiRoberto Analyst Capital Markets Jones Lang LaSalle Americas, Inc., a licensed real estate broker One Post Office Square, Suite 3500 Boston, MA 02103 T+1 617 848 5867 M +1 508 981 7332 cole.diroberto(a,am.ill,com us.iILCom/Capital markets On July 1, 2019, HFF was acquired by JLL. Learn how we're better together. z DjLL 71H4 One of the 2019 World°s Most Ethical Companies® Jones Lang LaSalle For more Information about how JLL processes your personal data,please click here. 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''� �."; C CO ��� �'i oo �t3j ry In � ' O In Lo a 00 t0 S ` 00 aLit o IT F c o O .� u a ��! - �!; i tl. _ L U a) to +' u u E 00 NW kr E'y M1 II I > � . L.1 U � c !L 0) c `) tJj W CO i I.a � s a x+ i 1 i Id? C7 174 {, ! 140 t �. i piat u'll ce, + i , !_ I �-, _ _ IL1 i _. 4 �r r I,'a Ill'' � 1�1 !,� 1 iij�•9 ;� ''"' �Ipl � L• fl j T'if 'r„s` 'iiA. iy� 11i't„da t�to i 'i TOWN OF 1630 WATERTOWN ` a • Administration Building ` .� .• �r , : !" 149 Main Street Watertown,MA 02472 Phone;617-972-6465 Fax;617-972-6404 wwwmatertown-ma.gov { October 17,2019 Dean Trustees of Mount Auburn Cemetery, We are writing to inform you that the Town of Watertown is working on a strategic partnership with Buckingham Browne and Nichols School regarding the potential joint use of the Grove Street property that you are currently selling. We are very excited about BB&N's potential purchase of this property and the impact this property could have on the residents of Watertown. Specifically, our plan is to establish a joint use agreement through a Memorandum of Understanding that would allow our residents to use BB&N's proposed fields in the evenings, on weekends, and throughout much of the summer. In return,BB&N would have access to the Town's Filippello Park fields right after school each day for their athletic teams, This is a very exciting opportunity for a partnership with BB&N and the Town of Watertown that will increase open space for recreation and exercise. We believe this would be an excellent public/private partnership that would benefit both the residents of Watertown and BB&N. In,closing and as part of the bid process,we are very supportive of BB&N's bid for this property. The proposed use would be compatible with your historic cemetery and we respectfully request your serious consideration of BB&N's offer, Marls S. Sideris MichaelT riscoll Town Council President Town Manager BUCKINGHAM C B BROWNE&NICHOLS SCHOOL November 8,2019 Dear BB&N Community: As many of you know, over the last year we have been engaged in a Strategic Planning process that has incorporated a Campus Master Planning process. During this work, it has become clear that as we envision the future of BB&N, it is essential that we think strategically about increasing space on our campuses with the goal of enhancing all aspects of the student experience. To that end, we are writing to update you on two important real estate opportunities for BB&N. We want to make sure our entire community is up to date on strategic conversations that have been happening at the Board level, and now are entering a more public phase. The first piece of real estate news is that the school has finalized the purchase of a property adjacent to the Upper School at 197 Coolidge Hill on October 29th. This property,located directly north of the Nicholas Athletic Center,had been the longtime home of a BB&N alumnus and his family. We are extremely grateful for the opportunity he gave us to present an offer prior to the property going to market. The acquisition of this 0.8 acre lot and its 6,250 square-foot Ml Aubwn H I ospllal i ' t home, combined with our purchase of the neighboring 30 i ;r ' ' •� Gery's Landing property four years ago, increases our e+eV,0\ `. Upper School campus footprint by 20 percent. (See Upper , School campus footprint at left; the 197 Coolidge Hill lot is �' indicated b the arrotiv. This level of contiguous expansion � r/P A Y ) g p shAdy Hill 50001q _ ;�-, ;. . : marks an incredibly rare opportunity at our Cambridge location,providing increased flexibility as we plan for the school's future. In the short term,the owner will remain in °°knoll°m°°w.gl' ' � the house, as we begin the process of readying the --Hlchols Upper Sgooll properties for educational use. The second opportunity evolves from the long-term desire for additional athletic fields for BB&N. We are working on a potential partnership with the Town of Watertown to increase our field space. Specifically,we are discussing the possibility of BB&N purchasing a 6-acre lot on Grove Street that is for sale by Mount Auburn Cemetery. If we are able to acquire the parcel,we would then develop a joint-use agreement allowing BB&N to use the two fields at Filippello Part-,(a 14-acre Watertown park adjacent to this lot) after school each day. In return,we would grant the town access to the two fields we would build on the Grove Street lot,when we are not using them. There are a number of commercial developers interested in this site, and the reality is that we most likely will not be able to compete with them on price,given where we understand other offers stand. What we hope will differentiate BB&N's offer,however,is the strategic partnership with Watertown that our proposal represents. In order to demonstrate our commitment to this partnership and detail the benefits it would bring to both BB&N and the town,we will appear in front of the Watertown Town Council on Tuesday,November 12th. Because this will be a public meeting,we wanted to be sure that we informed you about this proposal in advance of that forum. While we are pleased to share with you this exciting opportunity, our Board will need to carefully assess the potential acquisition. In addition,the Mount Auburn Cemetery Board will have to weigh the highest-price bid versus our unique commitment to increase open space and ensure a use compatible with the Cemetery's vision for the lot. The Cemetery Board has informed bidders that they will determine the winning proposal in the next few months. Thank you for your support. Please reach out to either of us with any questions. We are committed to providing the best opportunities for all our students and ensuring our long-term viability as one of the top independent schools in the region. Sincerely, Dr. Jennifer Price Chuck Brizius BB&N Head of School Chair,BB&N Board of Trustees Informational Presentation on the possibility of a strategic partnership between Buckingham Browne &Nichols School and the Town of Watertown- Dr. Jennifer Price,Head of Buckingham Browne & Nichols School Mr. Driscoll stated that Mount Auburn Cemetery is selling six acres of its property on Grove Street. The Town has goals to increase access to open space and to develop sites for recreational use. The Buckingham Browne&Nichols School (BB&N)would like to work out a joint use of property with the Town. Under the agreement,the School would acquire the Mount Auburn land and allow the Town to use it on evenings,weekends, and summer; in turn,the Town would allow BB&N to have access of the fields at Filippello Park daily after school for their athletic fields. This would increase open space use through a public/private partnership. Dr. Jennifer Price made her presentation to the Council. She stated that BB&N is a school with 1,000 students providing education from Pre-K to Grade 12. Students, of which 24%receive financial assistance, come from 90 communities. Twenty-five students are from Watertown; 32 of BB&N's faculty and staff, or 16% of employees, are from Watertown. The school has three campuses. The School needs more space and has insufficient space especially for Athletics. There are ten teams using only three fields creating a situation where practice often starts at 5:00 -5:30 pm causing a long day for the students. Also,there are parking issues. The School is proposing a private/public partnership relating to property that is being sold by Mount Auburn Cemetery. The School is proposing to purchase the property and establish two fields, a freldhouse, and eighty parking spots on the property that is adjacent.to Filippello Park. BB&N would allow Watertown to use the Grove Street fields on evenings, Saturday afternoons, and Sundays and the Town would have scheduling rights to the fields in the summer. In return, Watertown would permit BB&N to use Filippello Park after school and have all day access to it in late August and during the March break. BB&N has submitted its bid to Mount Auburn,which is competitive but is not competitive with a biotech or development bid. Final bids need to be made on November 26;Finalists will make their presentations on December 4; and the Cemetery Trustees will be malting a decision on December 12. After the presentation,the Councilors stated their support and raised the following items: ➢ This is a huge opportunity for the Town to provide additional open space and assist with recreational fields for the community ➢ This situation would allow for 20 acres of contiguous open space ➢ The Council would oppose a large development in that area ➢ This purchase would slow development and would not increase an already difficult traffic situation along Grove Street ➢ The proposed use would be compatible with the historic cemetery site ➢ This is something the community needs to communicate its approval of to the Cemetery Trustees ➢ A letter of support for the BB&N proposal signed by Town Council President Sideris and Mr. Driscoll was sent to the Trustees on October 17, 2019 ➢ There was a request that an additional letter be signed on behalf of the Council for this proposal.