Town of Sharon

Community Preservation Committee

 Minutes of 8/19/09

Amended and Approved on August 25th, 2009

 

Committee Attendees

Corey Snow - Chair  

Jane Desberg 

Meredith de Carbonnel

Susan Rich  

Allen Garf

 

 

Guests

Dave Martin – Historic Commission

Mary Tobin – Sharon Housing Partnership

Susan Saunders – Sharon Housing Partnership

 

 

Meeting Initiation

Chair Snow called the meeting to order at 7:40 PM. He provided the CPC with an updated CPA FY10 cash and revenue overview and explained the changes. The Chair’s Report was reviewed as well.

 

Library Project - #19

Ms. Desberg will contact the Coalition to determine if the inside work to the vestibule, requested within the library proposal, falls under Community Preservation.

 

Historic Inventory Project #20

Dave Martin of the Historic Commission provided the Committee with a project submission packet for the Sharon Historic Properties Survey. He stated that the purpose of the survey is to identify and inventory historically significant properties within the Town of Sharon.  He explained that the first phase of the survey occurred two years ago and was the first major survey conducted since 1976. The information collected put the Town’s houses into historical perspective. He said it is important that the Town retain its historic culture by preserving the architecture and provide citizens with easy access to documentation. The survey appears on the Historic Commissions Town website; it is available at the library, Town Hall as well as at the state archive and is an excellent way to study Sharon. 130 properties were represented. The criteria used included the areas the Town requested as well as the selection made by the surveyors in conjunction with the Massachusetts Historic Commission. Mr. Martin said they will be applying for a state grant in the future but now need the requested funds from the CPC to continue the effort to assemble a community wide inventory of historic, archaeological and landscape resources. $25,000 is being requested for the project.

 

Mr. Garf moved to approve phase 2 of the Historic Commission inventory project #20, for $25,000. Ms. de Carbonnel seconded the motion. The Committee voted 4-0-1 in favor. (Ms. Rich abstained).

 

The second vote will occur at the next CPC meeting. If the project is approved at the next CPC Meeting, the project will appear on the warrant for Fall Town Meeting and the proponent will be required to do a small presentation.

 

 

 

Housing Partnership Project #21

Susan Saunders, Mary Tobin and Jane Desberg representing the Sharon Housing Partnership provided the Committee with an explanation of their project submission. Ms. Saunders explained that at last fall’s Town Meeting a proposal was made to abandon land held by the county for a non existent road and to rezone a parcel of land for mixed or commercial use on Johnson Drive. The Sharon Housing Partnership wants to determine the viability of putting affordable housing on the approximate 100 square feet of land on Johnson Drive. The funds they are requesting are to do the studies necessary to determine the viability. They estimate the cost to be $47,500. The land is currently in the ground water protection district.

 

Ms. Saunders' said the SHP’s goal is to help the community meet its 10% quota goal for affordable housing. The partnership’s goal is home ownership not home rental. The Committee reviewed the provided maps and discussed the parcels and buffers. Ms. Desberg stated that the project will only be viable if the land is abandoned. The monies requested are estimated and previous studies and surveys will be utilized. When asked what is to be built on the land, Ms. Saunders said the study will help to determine that as well but she was hoping for 3 or four homes. Mr. Garf asked if they had a strategy and Ms. Saunders said that with each step performed if it is determined to be not feasible, they will not continue with the project.  The project she said would only begin after the land is cleared for use.

 

Ms. Rich moved to accept the Sharon Housing Partnership project into inventory as project #21. The Committee voted 5-0-0 in favor.

 

Mr. Garf moved to approve the Sharon Housing Partnership Project #21 for $47,500, contingent on Town Meeting taking action to unencumber the parcel from the county or removal of any other encumbrances that would limit the development of the parcel for housing purposes. Ms. Rich seconded the motion and the Committee voted 5-0-0 in favor.

 

Meeting Minutes

Ms. Desberg moved to accept the minutes of 7/22/09 as corrected. Mr. Garf seconded the motion and the Committee voted 5-0-0 in favor.

 

Other Business

1. Mr. Snow will contact the Selectmen regarding the open CPC member slots.

2. Ms. Desberg will contact the Community Preservation Coalition to see if they have a CP application template that can be used to update the CPC’s current format. Ms. Desberg and Ms. Rich agreed to work on remodeling the form together.

3.  Ms. Desberg will contact the Coalition regarding what to do if a member is not assigned from the Planning Board.

 

Next Meeting Dates

8/25 and 9/24 – start time was changed to 7:30 PM at the request of Ms. Rich.

 

Meeting Adjournment

Mr. Garf moved to adjourn the meeting at 9:15 pm and Ms. Rich seconded the motion. The Committee voted 5-0-0 in favor.