HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002-01-09
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COMMUNITY PRESERVATION COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES 01/09/02
A meeting of the Community Preservation Committee took place on January 9,2002, at
2:00PM at the Land Bank Meeting Room, Broad Street, Nantucket. Members present
were: Chair Barry Rector; Vice-chair Patricia Butler; Secretary Norman Chalecki; Frank
Spriggs; Neville Richen; Polly Miller; Ken Beaugrand and Rich Brannigan.
I. The meeting was called to order at 2:05PM, and a quorum was established.
II. The agenda was approved.
III. The minutes of 12/18/01 were approved, Norman and Neville abstained.
There was a discussion about ethical considerations and disclosure forms were
made available.
IV.
CPC Applications
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The committee discussed procedures for reviewing applications, deciding to
take the Historic Preservation applications first, followed by Affordable
Housing. If no representatives were present, the application would be
considered after those with presenters, noting that all applications would be
considered equally.
Christine Silverstein asked for clarification regarding the Nantucket Housing
Authority's place on the agenda. The CPC decided that that would continue
the meeting until all Preservation and Housing applications were reviewed.
Representatives from Sherburne Commons and the Nantucket Atheneum
asked for consideration despite submissions after the deadline. After some
discussion, the CPC decided to take both applications up under New Busine:;s.
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· Nantucket Historical Association (NHA): Executive Director Frank Milligan
and Curator Niles Parker presented the NHA's application for $60,000 for
partial restoration of the Quaker Meeting House. As owners of 24 historic
properties on Nantucket, the NHA's budget was stretched to maintain each
property. Boston Building Consultants, structural engineers, found dry rot in
the sills and corner posts of the 1838 building, the only surviving example of a
Nantucket Quaker Meeting House. CPC funding would be a lifeline, since no
other funding was available. Pat asked about the appropriateness of using
wolmanized timbers, and Frank asked whether the island's Society of Friends
was contributing to the restoration. Frank Milligan said that in-kind materials
would be used, and that four members of the Friends had contributed $200.
Norman asked whether any leftover funds would be returned to the CPC. The
CPC decided to take up the question in future discussions about disbursement
procedures. Rich asked about the project timing, which was answered by
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Frank Milligan, as ready to go now, noting that the project would be on view
to the public during Preservation Week in May. Frank Spriggs noted that
Town Meeting must approve all CPC recommendations before the checks
were distributed on July 1, 2002. The CPC thanked the applicants for their
presentation.
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· Two Centre Street Restoration Project, Inc. President Bill Ferrall and
Treasurer Emily Avery presented an application requesting $120,000 for
restoration of twelve of the 173-year old church windows. Bill Ferrall told the
CPC that the Two Centre Street Restoration Board was a non-profit formed
inl995 that had raised $666,000 in funds from private donors and with
matching state grants from the Massachusetts Historical Commission. The
restoration project was proceeding in phases. First, the building envelope _
roof structure, foundation, columns and portico were repaired and sealed _
now, the windows and trim. Bill explained that the restoration was a grass
roots project, with 98% of all funds raised were devoted to the building
project. In addition, the congregation consisted of 40-50 people in the winter,
and that the building was used year round as a downtown community center
for theater performances, arts groups and public meetings, in addition to its
primary church function. Emily Avery said that the building had a perpetual
preservation restriction held by the Massachusetts Historical Commission,
meaning that it must be preserved in accordance with the highest standards.
Bill Ferrall said that the future interior restoration as a Downtown Community
and Arts Center was expected to cost between $2-4 million. The current
restoration work is on view to the public, as a teaching tool, using the
Secretary of the Interior's Standards.
Responding to Rich Brannigan's question about the recipient of funding,
Emily said that the corporation was formed in 1995 because the congregation
was not capable of applying for grants. She noted that the corporation was .
audited by Ff:1nk Berger each year. To Frank's question about who the
owner(s) were, and whether the building could be sold, Emily replied that the
United Methodist Church owned the building, but that the preservation
restriction protected the architecture. Bill Ferrall said that each window was
estimated to cost approximately $3,700 to restore by Millstone Construction
Company. The total window restoration cost is $207,000. The CPC thanked
the applicants for their presentation.
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· Nantucket Sustainable Development Corporation (NSDC): Christine
Silverstein, Executive Director presented the NSDC's application to
fund a Housing Needs Assessment. Christine began by saying that
instead of$35,000; the NSDC was requesting $15,000, because
FleetBoston Financial Foundation had recently awarded $20,000
towards the proposed Assessment. This project would expand the data
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collected by the 1998 Jonathon Rose Affordable Housing Study. The
current study will provide a quantitative look at the bricks and mortar
needed, to present to private funding sources. Martha's Vineyard has
just completed a similar study, which outlines the exact number of
ownership and rental units needed, which were 237 units at a cost of
$14 million. Responding to questions about the time and money
already spent, in developing the Comprehensive Plan, for example,
Christine said that the proposed project provides the meat and potatoes
for the rationale established in the Comp Plan. Further, she said that
the CPC would be the biggest administrative user of the study. Polly
asked where the housing would be sited, to which Christine said that
the Comp Plan was a blueprint for public and private partnerships, and
that the consultant will look at every initiative, every single
stakeholder will be brought together and identified. Responding to
Norman's comment that there are 13 housing studies on the shelves,
Christine said that NSDC will make a tremendous public relations
effort to collect information from renters, rentees, and the homeless.
The CPC thanked the applicants for the presentation.
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A discussion about conflict of interest and ethics issues resulted in the following motion,
so moved: That representatives from any given organization are capable and should
speak on behalf of applications but should recuse from voting on the applications.
· Nantucket Preservation Trust (NPT): Executive Director Patricia
Butler presented the NPT's applications, with Norman Chaleki as
recording secretary, as noted:
Four projects:
1. Support Arch. & Preservation
2. Arch. Heritage Series
3. How to Build
4. Lecture & Walking Tours
$9,500.00
$25,600.00
$5,000.00
$10,000.00
The next meeting was scheduled for January 16,2002, from2-5:00PM in the Land Bank
Room. There was discussion about CPC procedures, timetable and Town Meeting.
V. New Business: Four applications were asked for consideration for submission
after a discussion about confusion concerning the CPC's public deadline
notice for submitting applications.
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· Sherburne Commons: President Joan Craig and Nancy Whitcomb,
representing an application for assisted living residential housing
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· Nantucket Atheneum: Christine Turrentine, representing an application
for partial restoration of the Atheneum
· Nantucket Resident Housing Partnership (NRHP): Bill Snowden,
representing an application for Town Employee and Resident Housing on
Town Land
· Nantucket Youth Hockey, Inc: Bill Snowden, representing an application
for Start-up of the Nantucket Youth Hockey and Learn to Skate Program
After additional discussion regarding the CPC's public hearing, timetable, procedures,
and noting that since this was the first year for the CPC, Frank moved that the committee
accept the four submissions by 4:00PM, Friday, January 11, 2002, and that the applicants
be present at the CPC meeting scheduled for 2:00PM, January 16,2002. Ken amended
Frank's motion to accept any application submitted by 4:00PM Friday, so moved.
The meeting was adjourned at 5:30PM.
Respectfully submitted,
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Patricia Butler
Recording Secretary
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