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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2004-09-24 ail Community Preservation Committee 14 Easy Street Nantucket, MA 02554 COMMUNITY PRESERVATION COMMITTEE MINUTES - Wednesday- September 29, 2004 A meeting of the Community Preservation Committee, CPC, was held on Wednesday, September 29, 2004, at 2:30 PM at the land Bank Office at 22 Broad Street. Present were: Barry Rector, Chair, Ken Beaugrand, Vice Chair, Rich Brannigan, Virginia Andrews, Polly Miller, Neville Richen, Doug Bennett, and Stephanie Henke, Administrative Secretary. Neville Richen and Linda Williams arrived at 3: 15, and Mark Voigt was absent. Barry Rector established a quorum and called the meeting to order at 2:38 PM. J 1 ) I Upon a motion made by Ken and 2nd by Ginger it was unanimously VOTED to approve the agenda. APPLICANT PRESENTATIONS Park and Recreation Commission James Manchester and Maureen Beck attended the meeting to present their 5 appiications. 1 J Skateboard Park. ($150,000) Jim mentioned that the skateboard park is their first priority. They received a $170,000 CPC grant last year and are requesting $150,000 this year. They believe they can complete the park with this grant. They have an RFP out already for designers. They will need to have a platform for the equipment to be placed on. They can then keep adding pieces to the park as they get more money. Ken asked if they were granted only partial funding for all their projects, would they rather have a little for each project, or a lot for one. Jim answered that completing the Skateboard Park would be their first priority and they would want all the money to go towards that. Rich asked what the status of the land was. Jim answered that the school committee gave the Park and Recreation Commission permission to Use the land for recreatlonal Use. It will only be open when school is dosed. Rich asked whether the requested $150,000 would complete the project and whether the total cost (now at $320,000) was in line with similar projects nationwide. Jim answered yes to both of these questions. Ginger asked whether with the funds they received last year for the design, were they able to get the design done? Jim answered that those funds will cover the design costs. Youth field. ($75,000) Jim explained that the land Bank has agreed to allow the Park and Recreation Commission to use12.8 acres of open space for youth fields. This still has to be approved by the state. Funding from the CPC would be pending state approval. If the state did not approve the land use, P&R's CPC application would be withdrawn. Barry asked whether the land Bank would deed the land to P&R and Jim said that no, restrictions on the land already exist that allow it to be used for recreation activities. He explained that having these additional fields would allow the younger kids to be separated from the larger kids and adults when playing their sports. Barry asked if the land would still be under the auspices of the land Bank and Jim said that it isn't entirely clear yet how it would work, but that probably it would be like other property that they use, which is to say that they would have a management agreement with the land Bank. Jetties Beach Playground. ($65,000) Jim explained that the playground equipment at this site is in dire need of replacement. Ginger asked whether replacing existing playground equipment would be considered maintenance, \'vhich is not allowed under the CP Act. Jim said that really they would be taking out old equipment and putting in new, and Barry clarified that according to Chris Saccardi, of the CP Coalition, this would be considered a capital expenditure, and not maintenance. Children's Beach. ($35,000) For this project, the P&R would like to discard the current well-used and in poor repair equipment and put in a new swing set. epe Minutes, September 29, 2004-Page 1 Tom Nevers. ($15,000) The current slide and swing set at the Tom Nevers playground is illegal at this point and needs to be replaced. Rich asked whether the job will go out to bid and Jim explained that since they are currently happy with O'Brien and Sons, they are not required to put the jobs out to bid. Barry asked whether there were any other fundraising efforts under way and Jim explained that as a municipal office, they were not able to fund-raise directly, although they had been given a donation by one individual. The other grants they have looked at have not fit for one reason or another. Barry asked whether it would be ok to do some site visits and Jim had no objections. Nantucket Conservation Foundation ($250.000) Jim lentowski and Gage Dobbins attended the meeting to present their application. The Nantucket Conservation Foundation is looking to purchase the 110 acre UMass Field Station, since the University needs to sell it. They have agreed to sell it to the Foundation for $20,000,000, with the promise to ailow the University to continue using it as a research site. Jim explained that there are two basic lots. One is approximately 65 acres, which the University would be able to use in perpetuity; the other is approximately 45 acres, which the public would be welcome to access. The dosing for the property is in one month, but the land can be paid for over a 5 year period. The $250,000 they are asking the CPC for would be considered a challenge grant. The Conservation Foundation would then leverage the CPC grant to encourage local residents to match that amount, thereby in essence "'doubling" their contribution. Barry submitted an ethics document to the effect that his significant other's son works for the Nantucket Conservation Foundation, but that he, Barry, has no financial interest in the project or the foundation, and can sit in on the meeting and remain impartial. Ginger stated that she, too, though having grown up on the property, has no financial interest in the project or foundation and can remain impartial. Linda asked why they only asked for $250,000 when the price for the land is $20 million. Jim answered that they didn't want to be piggy. Linda asked whether it has been appraised and whether they felt like they were getting fair market value. Jim answered that although those documents are confidential, the $20 million price was absolutely reasonable. Linda asked whether there would be a formal lease with UMass and who would maintain the land, and Jim answered that it is a VERY formal (ease and that UMass would maintain the land and the few buildings. Ken asked whether this was an all or nothing proposal or would the Conservation Foundation take anything. Jim answered that any amount would help. Rich asked what if they were unable to raise the whole amount and whether they envision coming to the CPC again next year for this same project. Jim answered that he did not believe the board would have voted to approve the acquisition if they did not think they could pay for it, and that they do not plan to come to the CPC next funding cycle as they hope to have it completely paid for by then. Ken asked if they were unable to match the grant, would they then give it back to CPC, to which Jim answered yes. Barry asked what the $20 million covered and Jim explained that UMass would own the structures and that the Foundation would own the land. Jim answered Barry that a site visit would be fine. OLD BUSINESS Late Applicant Letter. The committee discussed the content of the letter to the two applicants who submitted their applications late. It was agreed that the sentence in Paragraph 3 that started with "'Furthermore" would be deleted, and instead the letter would quote the lines from the actual RFP that states the due date and time. Stephanie will email the agreed upon changes to the Committee members. Barry stated that he had already spoken to the two applicants. Doug mentioned that he had spoken with Grace Bardelis of the Nantucket Lightship Basket Museum and she was just worried that getting her application in late this year would preclude her from applying next year. Doug assured her that this would not affect next year's funding round. Nantucket Land Council ($500.000) Linda Holland, Cormac Collier, and lynn Zimmerman attended the meeting to present their project. Ginger abstained from this presentation due to a conflict of interest. Linda Holland began by thanking the committee for the FY 2004 CPC Grant that helped them purchase the Bartlett Farm Deed Restriction. Their new application is to purchase the deed restriction on the 270 acre Linda loring property between the Eel Point and Madaket Roads, which will cost $14 million. This is the largest privately owned piece on Nantucket and is ecologically important to protect. Cormac Collier indicated the plots to be restricted and gave a brief description of what the land contained ecologically. epe Minutes, September 29, 2004-Page 2 Linda Williams asked why Linda Loring settled on the Nantucket Land Council to sell to. Linda Holland guessed that she liked what happened with the Bartlett Faml deed restriction and she saw how positive that was. Linda Williams asked whether there were any restrictions in place already and Lynn Zimmerman said that there is currently a 501 c 3 Linda Loring Nature Foundation established for 6 of the acres. Linda Loring owns the rest of the land and would transfer her land to her foundation. Her vision is to fund the foundation. Linda Williams asked how they would raise the other funds and Linda Holland said they have been out there trying to raise the money. They have until January 2006 and can extend it to January 2007 if they have to. Linda Williams asked what would happen to the $500,000 if they were unable to raise the rest and Linda Holland answered that they would give the money back to the Cpc. Ken asked if they would take any amount the CPC could give them or did they need it all. Linda Holland answered that $14 million was a lot of money and that the more the CPC could afford to give them the better. She mentioned that with these kinds of deals, the Council is unable to pick the schedule, and that they have to buy when a seller is willing to sell. Polly asked what part of the land would be accessible to the public. Linda Holland answered that it would be open. The Linda Loring Foundation would control the access and the hours. Neville asked who would control the land. Linda said that the Council would hold the restriction and enforce it, inspect the land, etc. The owner is ensured that the deed restriction is kept. Barry asked whether the land could ever be subdivided and Linda said no, that it is restricted in perpetuity. He then asked whether the public would have access to the entire 270 acres and who would oversee that. Linda answered that the Linda Loring Nature Foundation would oversee that and that they can limit the hours of access, etc. There is nothing explicitly stated that says they can't deny access, but the public benefit will be dear and evident. The whole purpose of the Foundation is to provide educational opportunities. Barry asked whether it would ever be possible for the Foundation to close Eel Point Road. Lynn replied that she was unsure of the answer to this but will find out and report back to the committee. OTHER BUSINESS There being no other business of the committee, and upon a motion made by Ken and 2nd by Linda, it was unanimously voted to adjourn the meeting at 4:50 PM. Respectfully submitted by, Stephanie Henke Administrative Secretary epe Minutes, September 29, 2004-Page 3