Lenox Community Preservation Committee
January 12, 2015
Minutes
In Attendance: Al Harper (At Large), Catherine May (LHA), Ed Lane (BOS), Tom Delasco (PB), Eugene Chague (At Large), Tony Patella (Community Center), Olga Weiss (LHS), Joe Strauch (Conservation Commission), Gwen Miller (Town Planner), Christopher Ketchen (Town Manager), Clarence Fanto (Berkshire Eagle), Deborah Burke (Lenox Affordable Housing Committee/Trust), David Naisman (community member).
The Community Preservation Committee met on January 12, 2015 to begin reviewing the thirteen (13) applications received for Fiscal Year 2016. Chairman Frederick Keator was unable to attend the meeting. Catherine May and Al Harper served in the Chair role.
The meeting began a little after 6 PM, and the committee began by broadly discussing the total amount of funding requested and funds available. Mr. Keator had provided a balance sheet with FY15 project balances and unreserved funds by category for the committee to review.
Because Mr. Keator was unable to make the meeting, he asked that Mr. Harper discuss some of the applications with the group and table the remaining for the next meeting on January 26.
The Committee discussed the following applications or application types:
- Funding for the Affordable Housing Trust’s Matching Grant Program
Deborah Burke, Chair of the Affordable Housing Committee/Trust was present at the meeting, so provided an overview of the Affordable Housing Trust’s Matching Grant Program. She indicated that the program has put several households into homes, and that they hope to add to the trust to meet demand for the improving housing market and mortgage rates. She indicated that in the past the trust has received amounts of $100,000 and $50,000 in CPA funds.
- Town of Lenox Applications
The committee opted to discuss applications submitted by the Town of Lenox since Town Manager Christopher Ketchen was in attendance.
Concern was voiced by the committee that the requested funds seemed mostly for deferred maintenance. A member also requested that the town submit additional materials and a more in depth proposal in the future.
Concern was voiced by a committee member that there was only an informal, budgetary quote included in the proposal. A member asked that historic pictures of the library be provided to verify that the proposed design is historically accurate. Town Manager Christopher Ketchen indicated that the project would go before the Historic District Commission prior to receiving a building permit.
Town Planner Gwen Miller explained the project and also clarified some confusion about the actual figure requested. She clarified the request before the CPC is for match to apply for a Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation grant program, and that the plan is to also leverage funds from the state’s Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program. She also explained that match came from Greenagers, who would conduct the handicap accessibility work on the trails. She noted that even without the state funding, the request before the CPC could still fund the handicap accessible picnic area and some trail repair, or invasive species management work.
The committee discussed the Lenox Beach House/Beach Front Renovations and ADA Compliancy application. Tony Patella indicated that the committee had used FY15 funds to investigate accessibility and plan for it. Town Planner Gwen Miller noted that creating handicap access for town recreational facilities is a goal in the 2013 Open Space and Recreation Plan. Mr. Harper noted that the costs seemed high; Mr. Delasco indicated that they were not that high in the business. It was indicated that the landscaping cost would be necessary for contour and slope. Mr. Delasco asked how an individual would get from the beach house to the water. Mr. Patella noted that they need to identify that.
The committee briefly discussed the requests for master plans presented by non-profits. Mr. Strauch commented that it seems as though Ventfort Hall has turned things around and is heading in the right direction by requesting funds for planning. There were some questions regarding the application from the Mount. Town Planner Gwen Miller stated that she had been on a tour with Executive Director Susan Wissler and that the plan was to work with the property’s abutters and with the community to develop mutually beneficial or desirable development plan for the historic Wharton properties. Ms. Miller noted that the historic properties extend to Edith Wharton park, and that it would be a good opportunity for the town to help maintain public access to the Mount’s trails and use of Edith
Wharton Park on Laurel Lake. The committee agreed to discuss the application in greater detail at a future meeting, and when Ms. Wissler could be present to answer questions.
The committee discussed the ongoing work at the cemetery. Mr. Harper and Ms. Weiss indicated that the tree work is ongoing, and there are between seventy (70) and eighty (80) headstones needing repair in FY16. Ms. Weiss explained that a 501(C)(3) is being set up through the Lenox library to raise money to help with cemetery maintenance and repair. The steps at the cemetery, and pathway, were also discussed.
The following applications were tabled for the January 26 CPC meeting:
- BNRC Undermountain Farm Conservation Project
- Walker House
- Ventfort Hall Master Plan
- The Mount Public Access and Sustainability Master Plan
- Old Court House Cupola
- Groton Place/Winthrop Estate Preservation Project
- St. Martin’s Hall Restoration Phase 1
Other issues relevant to the CPC program and this year’s round of applications were also discussed. A summary is provided below.
Town of Lenox Commitment to Maintenance
The committee discussed the challenge of providing CPA money to projects only to see the projects require continued maintenance. Town Manager Christopher Ketchen and BoS member Ed Lane indicated there is ongoing discussion to commit funds from the general fund to help fund maintenance on town owned assets such as the community center, the town beach and the Church on the Hill cemetery.
CPC Funds and Private Property
Al Harper provided a memorandum on the use of CPC funds to restore private homes or properties. He indicated that it was for discussion at the next meeting, and that an attorney for another town had written it. The committee noted that this was an important topic to discuss because of the private entities seeking funds, including the Old Court House Cupola and the Walker House.
CPC Funds and Maintenance
The committee discussed the funding of projects that looked like deferred maintenance. Some committee members noted that there was more allowed with recent amendments to the CPA legislation (M.G.L. 44b). It was noted by Town Planner Gwen Miller that these changes included the type of recreation projects allowed, such as adding to or enhancing existing recreational elements versus purely acquiring or creating recreational elements. The Town Planner also provided some guidance to the committee with definitions from M.G.L. 44b, and noted that the 2008 Lenox Community Preservation Plan states that CPA funds may not “pay for routine maintenance, defined as the upkeep of any real or personal property”.
The definitions provided from M.G.L. 44 b included those of maintenance and capital improvements:
Maintenance, incidental repairs which neither materially add to the value of the property nor appreciably prolong the property’s life, but keep the property in a condition of fitness, efficiency or readiness.
Capital Improvement, reconstruction or alteration of real property that: (1) materially adds to the value of the real property, or appreciably prolongs the useful life of the real property; (2) becomes part of the real property or is permanently affixed to the real property so that removal would cause material damage to the property or article itself; and (3) is intended to become a permanent installation or is intended to remain there for an indefinite period of time.
Funding for Emergency Historic Preservation
Olga Weiss asked that the committee discuss funding for emergency historic preservation at the next meeting. She highlighted the high number of historic properties in Lenox, and how much these contribute to the town’s character. She noted that something like the Walker House is not just a historic asset but has a high profile on Walker Street and in the village center neighborhood. She noted it is difficult to address emergency repairs with CPC funding, and perhaps there needs to be another way to go about it. Town Planner Gwen Miller noted that the city of Cambridge provides CPC funds to their historical commission each year, and that it is up to the historical commission or district to allocate the funds to historic properties. This means that each historic preservation project
is not an individual warrant at town meeting. The committee agreed to discuss the subject at the next meeting.
The meeting adjourned at 8:05 PM.
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