Community Preservation Committee Meeting

Meeting date: 
Thursday, February 12, 2015

                                                                                                                                                                                     Approved 3.12.15

HARWICH Community Preservation Committee Meeting Minutes 

February 12, 2015, at the Harwich Town Hall, Griffin Meeting Room

 

Present: Chairman Bob MacCready, Vice Chair Kathy Green, Dave Purdy, Peter de Bakker, Daniel Tworek, Robert Bradley

Absent:  Cindi Maule, Walter Diggs, and Jan Bowers

 

CPC Regular Meeting was called to order at 7:05 PM by Chair Bob MacCready.  

 

A motion was made by Kathy Green, and seconded to approve the minutes of the January 8, 2015 CPC meeting.  Vote: 6 Yes.  Motion carried unanimously.

 

New Business: 

 

    Carol Dickerson, Director of the Chase Library provided a final report on the 2011 Article #30, $9,000 to purchase and install storm windows at the Chase Library.  The project is completed.  The Trustees thanked the committee for their support and assistance.  They now have the project documents from the Town Accountant and Town Engineer.  They also expressed their appreciation of the Town Engineer for his assistance in getting the painter to finish the job.  They contacted a window installer and negotiated the price for installation.  They are very happy with the project’s completion, providing historically correct and energy efficient storm windows.  This week’s Cape Cod Chronicle showcases the library, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

 

    Greg Winston, Chairman of the Harwich Historic District and Historical Commission requested the CPC reconsider funding for the Albro House, reducing this year’s non-supported application to just $30,000 for exterior painting, which would include restoring any woodwork necessary to keep the building watertight.   

  • The Albro House, a town owned building and located in the Harwich Historic District, is wonderful example Queen Anne style architecture, but many feel its present condition is an eyesore.  It needs to be painted.  The historical correct colors have been determined.  The storm windows have been painted.  The patchwork of color samples will need to be painted over.
  • Mr. Winston wants the CPC to know they want to bring back some enthusiasm in Harwich Center.  The HDHC has identified commonalities of Salem and the Harwich Historic District; both have a mixture of commercial and residential properties, and they want to use Salem’s by-laws as a model.  Though the post office and drug store have relocated, the area has a future and HDHC wants to encourage business and pedestrian traffic.  The Albro House is a key structure in the district.
  • The building can generate some revenue.  Last year a revolving fund was established for the Albro House, collecting rental income.  In addition to Sheila House, Youth and Family Counselor, since last June the building has a second tenant.  There is a potential of two other units to be rented. The town administration is in charge of renting out the four units.  Other groups, like the Sea Scouts, hold meetings there as well.
  • They are working on a business plan.  The Board of Selectmen has asked for a more complete assessment of the building, like the septic, the foundation, etc.  The interior has historic features and details. 

 

Town resident Mr. Urbano spoke on the issue.  He thought the building was a town asset and agreed it is in rough shape.  He thought the town owned building should be addressed and the exterior painting would not be an annual request.

 

A motion was made by Robert Bradley, and seconded to reconsider the vote on the Albro House application.  Vote: 3 Yes; 3 No.  Motion failed.

 

    This week the town administration emailed Chair MacCready a mock-up of a proposed change in the warrant articles format.  Discussion:

Pro for this change:

  • The new format would reduce the number of articles for the warrant, and potentially shorten the town meeting.

Cons against this change:

  • This revised format would combine all the CPC projects in one article as opposed to the current format where each project stands alone and the projects are voted on separately.  In the new format, if the residents voted against one project, all the CPC supported projects could be defeated. 

                                                                                                                                                                           Approved 3.12.15

  • There may not be enough time for this change.  The submission deadline for the warrant is tomorrow, Friday, February 13, 2015.  The CPC articles have already been submitted.  The Board of Selectmen would have to approve the change.
  • The new proposed article revision doesn’t have the wording providing for the returning the project’s unspent funds requirement.

No motion was made to change the format for the CPC articles for this year. 

 

    Article AA for the standard CPC 10% funding reserves allocations was read aloud.  A motion was made by Kathy Green, and seconded to accept Article AA as written.  Vote: 6 Yes.  Motion carried unanimously.

 

Old Business:

Updates:

 

    The Brooks Free Library is moving ahead on the building assessment project.  They have contracted with the consultant firm, McGinley Kalsow & Associates, Inc. 

 

    Open Space & Real Estate reported a negotiating team has been created to represent the town in the Hall property purchase, consisting of the Town Administrator, the Vice Chair of the REOS Committee, and the Director of the Harwich Conservation Trust.

 

    At the last CPC meeting in January, the committee discussed if the town received a state land grant on the Hall property purchase, how the monies would be refunded to the CPC accounts.  This committee takes the common sense approach refunding the accounts the funds were appropriated from, in this case, both the undesignated and the Open Space reserves.  The Alliance policy is that the funds should go to the less restricted fund, in this case, the OS reserves.  Chair MacCready did ask the town counselor to review this.  He has not heard back as yet.  The Alliance has asked us to identify the DOR Area Field Representative.  David Ryan was asked to identify who this is; we are waiting for his reply.

 

    Rescinding Funds - There are two lists of articles that need to return funds to the CPC reserves.  Status: Town Accountant David Ryan told Chair MacCready he will take care of this.  He will be retiring soon.     

 

    Follow up on encouraging applicants to get involved earlier in the process:

Eric Beebe, Recreation Director was contacted.  A public field trip may be planned for April to show what has been done and what is planned.  Mr. Beebe was invited to the REOS Committee meeting.

 

    The CP Plan Update:

  1. Need to speak with Eastham to see what they have done
  2. Need funding
  3. A RFP is needed to be written

 

Other:

A motion was made by Dave Purdy, and seconded to pay the committee clerk the submitted January 2 ½ hours. Vote: 6 Yes. Motion carried unanimously.

 

Next meeting agenda items were discussed:

  1. Executive Session will be needed to approve the Dec. 11, 2014 Executive Session minutes.
  2. Vice Chair Kathy Green will invite representatives from the Brooks Academy, the Cemetery Commission, and the South Harwich Meeting House to provide a progress update.
  3. Chair MacCready has received a bill from the Alliance – the Community Preservation Coalition, regarding their annual fee to belong.   Vote next month.

 

Meeting adjourned at 8:20 PM.

 

Next Meeting: March 12th, 2015.