Canton, Massachusetts · Saved source text
Min-20160617160950
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Town of Canton, Massachusetts husetts COMMUNITY PIRESERVATION COMhETTEE Minutes of January X19, 2016 The meeting was called to order at 7:00 pm at Pequitside Tavern. Committee Members in attendance: Lisa Lopez, George Comeau, Deb Sundin, John McSweeney, Bob Panico, Larry Bogue, Michael Mitcheroney Absent: Kathy Alfano, Michael Loughran Minutes Motion to approve minutes of November 30, 2015 by John McSweeney, seconded by George Comeau, approved 7-0-0. Consideration of Recreation Commission Application for Outdoor Facilities Needs Assessment and Master Plan L. Lopez reminded the parties in attendance that action on this application had been postponed from the Committee's December 7, 2015 meeting in order to allow the Recreation Commission to consider expanding the scope of the plan to include indoor (with funding from other sources for indoor components which cannot be funded through CPA). Recreation Director Janet Maguire noted that the Recreation Commission voted against expending their funds to cover the portion of the plan addressing indoor facilities. G. Comeau inquired as to whether the Recreation Commission would pursue an evaluation of indoor facilities in the future. He added that the CCPC's intent in asking the applicant to pursue alternative fiuiding to look at indoor facilities was to achieve possible cost savings by coupling both the indoor and outdoor facilities. Recreation Commission Chair, Stacy Gorman, replied that a Needs Assessment for indoor facilities may in fact be premature at this time as the Town is currently reviewing options with respect to their largest building (the skating rink) and because it is not clear whether other facilities, controlled by the schools, should be included in such an assessment. Recreation Director, Janet Maguire concurred with the Recreation Commission Chair, noting that the cost of a structural assessment of indoor facilities could exceed $50,000. L. Bogue added that a plan for outdoor facilities is the Recreation Commission's most urgent need at this time. L. Lopez asked whether the applicant had looked beyond their own budget for additional funding. J. Maguire replied that community groups (e.g. sports leagues) have been very generous in the past; however, they generally approach those groups for support of construction projects. The Commission considers the proposed plan more of a Town function. B. Panico confirmed that sports leagues have been supportive of capital projects in the past. The CCPC raised questions regarding who would be included in the "stakeholder" list and how long the plan might take to complete S. Gorman assured the CCPC that the stakeholder list would be Page 1 of 2 CCPC Minutes of January 19, 2016
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comprehensive and would include groups such as the new trails/bike path committee. J. Maguire added that data gathering would precede the development of the plan. The completion of the Needs Assessment and Master Plan for Outdoor Recreational Facilities is expected to take six to nine months. J. McSweeney stated that he was supportive of the application as presented. G. Comeau asked whether the applicant had considered whether the requested funding would be adequate to cover all related costs. J. Maguire replied that the funding request was based on an estimate from a firm with extensive experience in this field and that she had included a buffer to cover legal fees and other potential expenses outside of the actual cost of hiring a consultant. CCPC members noted that most projects included a contingency (of approximately 10%) to account for unanticipated expensed and/or increases over estimates (once project goes to bid). G. Comeau suggested that the CCPC consider recommending a slightly higher dollar amount than that proposed to ensure that the eventual project cost would be covered by the appropriation. Motion to recommend a total of $50,000 for the Needs Assessment and Master Plan for Outdoor Recreational Facilities as proposed by the Canton Recreation Commission by J. McSweeney, seconded by G. Comeau, approved 7-0-0. Community Preservation Plan Update - Status report John McSweeney reported that the Housing section of the Community Preservation Plan Update had been reviewed and updated by the Canton Housing Authority. G. Comeau stated that the Historic Commission had updated their section also; adding goals of pursuing projects with connections to other groups/categories such as Pequitside Farm, continuing to support the Paul Revere Heritage Site, and pursuing additional historic districts (Gridley School, areas with concentrations of historic homes, etc.). He informed the CCPC that the Historical Society plans to have a display featuring CPA -funded projects at the Canton Public Library prior to this year's Town Meeting. Other Business L. Lopez informed the Committee that she was scheduled to appear before the Finance Committee on January 25, 2016 to provide an overview of CPA with a focus on Community Housing projects. Canton Housing Authority representatives (John McSweeney, Mark Roy, etc.) will be present to discuss their 5 -year capital plan and the permitted uses for CPA funding for preserving existing affordable housing units. Motion to adjourn the meeting at 7:35 pm by Bob Panico, seconded by John McSweeney, approved 7-0-0. Respectfully submitted by Kristen Phelps Page 2 of 2 CCPC Minutes of January 19, 2016