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Agenda and Minutes 2012-03-21 City of Northampton Community Preservation Committee 210 Main Street, City Hall Northampton, MA 01060 Community Preservation Committee DATE: Wednesday, March 21, 2012 TIME: 7:00pm PLACE: City Council Chambers, 212 Main Street (BEHIND City Hall) Contact: Katharine Baker, Chair, Community Preservation Committee bakerkg@comcast.net Sarah LaValley, Community Preservation Planner slavalley@northamptonma.gov (413) 587-1263 Agenda  7:00 - Public Comment  7:05 - Chair’s Report  7:05 - Minutes  March 7, 2012  7:10 - Meetings with Round 1 2011 Applicants for CPA Funds  7: 10 – Hampshire County Courthouse Renovation – Hampshire Council of Governments  7:30 - Conservation Fund - Northampton Conservation Commission  7:40 – Broad Brook Gap Acquisition – Northampton Conservation Commission  8:00 – CT River Greenway – Northampton Office of Planning & Development  8:20 – Beaver Brook Bridge Restoration – Northampton Office of Planning & Development  8:40 – Main Street Streetscape Parks – Northampton Office of Planning & Development  9:00 – Continued Discussion of Request to Amend Academy of Music Contract  9:20 – Other business not foreseen when agenda was prepared  9:25 – Adjourn For additional information please refer to the Community Preservation Committee website: http://www.northamptonma.gov/cpc/ Next Meeting: April 4, 2012 Community Preservation Committee Minutes March 21, 2012 Time: 7:30 pm Place: City Council Chambers, 212 Main Street Members Present: Katharine Baker, Joe DeFazio, Downey Meyer, Bill Breitbart, David Drake, Brian Adams, Dave Rothstein Staff Present: Sarah LaValley Katharine called the meeting to order at 7:04 PM. Public Comment There was no public comment. Chair’s Report Katharine informed the CPC that the Attorney General’s office has produced a series of Open Meeting Law trainings that are available online. Dave suggested that the CPC could watch the videos together if there is some downtime after the current funding round. Minutes – March 7, 2012 Downey moved to approve the minutes with corrections proposed by Dave, seconded by Brian. The motion carried unanimously. Meetings with Round 1 2011 Applicants for CPA Funds Katharine stated that the next meeting will include a financial review. Sarah added that an updated available fund balance and projection will be available at that time. Katharine reminded the Committee to think about potential grant conditions during the application meetings. Hampshire County Courthouse Renovation – Hampshire Council of Governments Rescheduled to April 4. Conservation Fund - Northampton Conservation Commission Wayne Feiden, Director of Planning and Development presented the application. Wayne noted that the CPC typically asks about priorities for OPD-related projects, however, each application has a different client, so that would be difficult to answer. Wayne stated that the priorities for conservation fund acquisitions are taken from the Open Space, Recreation and Multi-Use Trail Plan, and provided highlights of recent purchases. The goal established in the Plan is to protect 25% of the City as pristine open space. About 17% is now the total, and .5 to .75 percent is added each year. The Fund is used for soft costs, small acquisitions under $20,000. The goal is to average a 2:1 cash match for CPA dollars. Without the Fund, soft cost dollars would be very difficult to obtain. Wayne stated that the fund currently has a $70,000 balance, but the entire amount has already been committed to projects in the pipeline, including $30,000 to Kestrel Trust to hold the mandated CR’s on past projects. Wayne stated that the match for the Fund comes from grants, fundraising, stafftime, legal fees, and waived back taxes. Dave asked if environmental due diligence findings have ever forced the City to walk away from a purchase. Wayne replied that this has never occurred with CPA funds, but it has happened in the past. Broad Brook Gap Acquisition – Northampton Conservation Commission Wayne stated that the Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area/Broad Brook Greenway now totals 880 acres. This project, an addition to that area, would be the City’s one large open space purchase this year. Northampton Community Preservation Committee Minutes 1 March 21, 2012 Wayne provided an overview of the parcel’s resources, including the ‘Middle Path,’ a very old trail that now begins at the Marian Street entrance, wetlands, and forested uplands. The concept plan provided in the application shows the maximum development that would be legally possible under current zoning. Wayne provided a financing overview, noting that if a state LAND grant and the CPA award are both received, the entire parcel will be able to be protected. If the LAND grant is not received, there is potential to carve off some land along the frontage for development, or a potential green cemetery. The budget also includes the cost of Kestrel Trust holding the required CR. Wayne stated that the project could be a good bonding candidate. The Committee discussed public access, and possible problems if the frontage is developed. Wayne added that the Conservation Commission’s goal is to develop partnerships where partners assume day to day management, and also have a lot of management decisions. Broad Brook Coalition could decide to create some access across Broad Brook. Wayne stated that if the application is fully funded, access can be guaranteed, but if the CPA award is reduced and the LAND grant is not received, that will be much more difficult. CT River Greenway – Northampton Office of Planning & Development Wayne noted that this application has come to the CPC as an unfunded request before, but the scope of the project has changed. This request will fund the complete design of the trail portion near the proposed boathouse, and a feasibility study for the connection to Hatfield. Wayne stated that transportation projects require local funding for design and permitting, and federal funds are added during construction stages. The Committee discussed the planned boathouse project. Wayne added that the trail will work even if the boathouse is not built. The Committee discussed the Transportation Improvement Program funding process, and the timeline for Damon Road improvements. Brian recalled that the path seemed like a ‘road to nowhere’ when it was last proposed, and asked how that has changed. Wayne replied that the current plan will focus more on providing access to underserved populations, and will provide transportation options for the River Run condos. David added that the path will also provide access to the historic Northampton-New Haven Canal site. Beaver Brook Bridge Restoration – Northampton Office of Planning & Development Wayne explained the history of the bridge, noting that it has not been maintained since the 1960’s. As soon as the City took title, trees growing on the bridge and compromising its structure were removed. This project would be feasible, but nonsensical, to partially fund, since the cost estimate is for repairs that must be done. The bridge will eventually fall down if not repaired, but the CT River Greenway may seem more compelling since it will result in a new trail. Main Street Streetscape Parks – Northampton Office of Planning & Development Wayne stated that the Main Street intersection cluster is now ranked #7 and #8 in the state for number of pedestrian and bicycle accidents, respectively, and talked about how the street geometry makes the area dangerous. The Committee discussed the Nelson/Nygaard plans that resulted from the 2011 charrette, and this project’s role in the larger Main Street traffic plans. Wayne stated that the budget is not very finalized, since community discussions will affect what the project will look like. Continued Discussion of Request to Amend Academy of Music Contract Sarah informed the Committee that the additional application requested by the CPC at the last meeting was not provided. Other Business Not Foreseen When Agenda Was Published Sarah presented a draft contract for the $25,000 design funds just awarded during expedited review. The Committee reviewed the contract, and approved with changes to: Northampton Community Preservation Committee Minutes 2 March 21, 2012 Clarify that the prior award is reduced by $25,000 Reduce the term to six months, and Remove an unnecessary signage requirement Katharine stated that she will not be able to attend the April 4 meeting. Downey will assume the role of chair for the meeting. Downey suggested that the April 18 ‘complete recommendations’ meeting begin with discussion of the projects as ranked by CPC members. Sarah will distribute these sheets before the next meeting. Dave confirmed that the Committee will be able to have a discussion regarding CPC members thoughts on funding and the criteria for those choices. David suggested that public support could be an appropriate condition for some of the projects that are still in early stages. Adjourn On a motion and second, with unanimous vote, the meeting was adjourned at 9:10PM Northampton Community Preservation Committee Minutes 3 March 21, 2012