Community Preservation Committee
April 8, 2013
Minutes
Members present: Chair Frederick Keator (FK), Channing Gibson (CG),
Kate McNulty-Vaughan, (KMV), Albert Harper (AH), Joe G. Strauch (JS), Eugene Chague (EC), Olga Weiss (OW), Catherine May (CM) and Anthony Patella (AP).
Also in attendance: Mary Albertson (MA), Town Planner.
FK called the meeting to order at 7:05 PM.
OW made a motion to approve the March 11, 2013 minutes with one correction. Seconded by JS and the Committee voted 8-0 to approve. EC abstained because he did not attend the meeting.
Susan Wissler, Executive Director of The Mount, offered a brief presentation regarding the concept of a partnership between the town and The Mount to transform the grounds into a public park. She distributed maps. Copies of the maps were filed in the “FY’14 Administration” file.
Ms. Wissler explained that The Mount is a valued cultural landmark. However, there are significant banks loans and no endowment. She is concerned that Berkshire Bank could foreclose on the property. She said that recent appraisals suggest that the highest and best use of the property is for a private residence. She fears that public access to the property will be lost.
Ms. Wissler suggested that Berkshire Bank partner with the town to develop a strategy to secure the property for public benefit in perpetuity. There is $3.9 million in debt that must be repaid by 2016.
Ms. Wissler said The Mount is a popular destination for weddings. She suggested that revenue from weddings could be dedicated to maintenance of the grounds. She wants to ensure that the property is not a burden to Lenox. She said her goal is to continue to operate the historic mansion. She said it costs approximately $750,000 per year to operate the mansion and she is not seeking operating funds. She suggested using revenues from weddings to establish a reserve fund for the maintenance and preservation of the grounds.
Discussion ensued regarding the proposal. Ms. Wissler said she has talked to the abutters and they support the concept. She explained that The Mount is 50 acres. Scarafoni Associates owns an abutting 100 acres and might be interested in allowing public access. Ms. Wissler said that The Mount Board of Directors conducted a meeting in March and supports this concept. She suggested that 2014/2015 is the target date to complete this transaction.
The consensus of the Committee was that this is a bold concept that deserves careful consideration. The Committee thanked Ms. Wissler for attending the meeting.
FK introduced Charlie Browne, Town Accountant. FK invited Mr. Browne to attend the meeting and discuss the status of CPA accounts. FK distributed handouts showing the distribution of CPA funds. Copies of the handouts were filed in the “FY’14 Administration” file.
FK thanked Mr. Browne for helping him understand how CPA accounts are setup and reconciled. It is complex. In the past the CPC did not specify funding allocations for CPC projects. There have been a few projects that did not move forward such as the Community Center window replacement or the Baczek property purchase. In the past, CPC only made recommendations on the type of project, and did not include recommendations on account allocations. The auditor has determined that the funds must be returned to the project category. This means that there are less funds in the undesignated fund category and more funds in the designated fund categories. FK used the Baczek property as an example and explained that at the time the CPC made its recommendation, funds would have come from the
Open Space category and the undesignated fund category. The auditor returned the unused funds to the Open Space category. Last year the CPC included allocation recommendations. Mr. Browne stated that the account is in a good cash position.
The Committee discussed the projects that have not been completed. OW said the historic inventory forms are almost complete and the remaining $800 will be spent by the end of the fiscal year. The Berkshire Scenic Railway project is not moving forward and those funds will be returned to the Historic Preservation fund. Ventfort Hall may or may not move forward. The Roche Reading Park project is still in development. The Village Improvement Committee and Board of Selectmen are working on a final plan. The Committee discussed standards for allowing extensions. In the past, the Committee has looked at issues like weather and contractor availability.
The Committee thanked Mr. Browne for his input. Mr. Browne left at 8:30 PM.
The Committee discussed the Fiscal Year 2014 project allocations. The CPC has recommended funding for three projects as follows: The Mount – Stable Restoration ($30,000), The Lenox Fire Company – Fire Truck Restoration ($18,500), and The Historical Commission – Church on the Hill Cemetery ($75,000). The Committee discussed the fact that the Berkshire Scenic Railway project will not be moving forward. Given the information gleaned from Mr. Browne, the funds must be returned to the historic preservation “bucket”. FK noted that the three the FY’14 project are categorized as historic preservation. He recommended funding all the FY’14 projects from the historic preservation fund.
AH made a motion to approve the following fund balances:
The Mount – Edith Wharton Restoration $30,000 ($30,000 Historic Resources Reserve)
The Lenox Fire Company – Fire Truck Restoration $18,500 ($18,500 Historic Resources Reserve)
Historical Commission – Church on the Hill $75,000 ($75,000 Historic Resources Reserve)
Cemetery Restoration
AP seconded the motion and the Committee voted 9-0 to approve.
FK announced that on Thursday – April 11th @ 6:30 PM, there will be an interactive meeting call “You Make a Difference – Lenox Gov. 101”. Each committee and board has been asked to have a representative attend this meeting. OW volunteered to attend the meeting and complete the Gov. 101 form. KMV will also be participating in this event.
Under “Open Session” the Committee discussed the fact that there are many historic buildings that need restoration and there are limited CPA funds. OW introduced the concept of a “demolition delay bylaw” and a “minimum maintenance bylaw”. Discussion ensued. MA suggested that this should be included as an agenda item at a future meeting.
Motion by AH and seconded by AP to adjourn the meeting at 9:00 PM.
Respectfully Submitted
Mary Albertson, Town Planner
Approved: 4/22/13
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