Town of Sharon Sacred Heart Reuse Committee

Meeting Minutes of 11/30/10

Approved on 12/14/10

Sharon Community Center

Committee Attendees

John Davis. Chair	Jim Michael
Valeda Britton - Absent
Ed Keenan

Other Attendees

Anne Bingham 78 A Cedar Street	Judy DiCastro 14 Cottage Street
Jeffrey Russell Old Colony YMCA	Deborah Donovan Higashi School
Michael Markowitz 10 Ina Road Needham	Todd Usen 11 Cattail Lane
Barbara Mayyella 265 E. Foxboro Street	Mike Plomer 20 Roberta Road
Karen Friedman 1 Lee Road	Paul Pomerantz 9 Heather Way
Holly Grace B’nai Brith Housing	Bryan Efron New England Village
Dan Rosen Cornerstone, Inc.	Joe Murphy Higashi School
Eli Hauser 58 Ames Street
James and Shari Thomas North Easton

Chair Report

Chair Davis opened the meeting at 7:30 PM.

Chair Davis reported that he received a letter from Linda Rammler which was sent to the Board of Selectmen. He stated this was an unsolicited email which he does not mean a lot to him. They raise issues that may be appropriate for discussion like integrated housing. Mr. Davis commented that If someone wants to offer their opinion that’s fine but not via an unsolicited email.   Mr. Michael says he gives no credence to this letter either.

Meeting Minutes

Mr. Michael moved to approve the Sacred Heart Reuse Committee Minutes of 8/8/08, 9/3/08 and 9/27/08.  Mr. Keenan seconded the motion and the Committee voted 3-0-0 in favor of approval.

Chair Davis said he received a memorandum from Town Counsel regarding the approval of older meeting minutes and that any current member can vote to approve them.

Chair Davis proposed to wait until the next meeting to approve the minutes of 10/27/10 and 11/10/10.

Cornerstone

Chair Davis says he wants to pick up with the discussion where we left off last meeting. He said he had a discussion with Town Counsel as to whether parcel F and N allows for residential use. They are looking into whether the proposal from Cornerstone or the letter from B’nai Brith can be installed consistent with restrictions on the parcel. Mr. Davis will ask Town Counsel to attend the next meeting to discuss.

Mr. Dan Rosen began the Cornerstone discussion by stating that as an upshot from the last meeting, questions arose regarding a stand alone versus community housing scenario and he brought with him a representative from both the Higashi School and the Executive Director of the New England Village – Dr. Bryan Efron to discuss their experience with community based models.

Dr. Efron stated the New England Village, Inc. is located in Pembroke and was incorporated in 1966 and the first home was built in 1971. It is a campus based organization on 80 acres. They have 17 houses with 79 beds. They serve individuals with intellectual disabilities from age 18 and over. It is long term care situation. They have a state of the art wellness center, an indoor pool, multi purpose room, track and arts and crafts room. They promote the health of the individuals with intellectual disabilities. Their funding is a mix; there are some private pay patients, there are contracts with the State of Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services and Mass Commission for the Blind. Over the years, they have gained substantial endowments from families which have allowed them to be competitive for staff compensation. They provide a high quality enriching lifestyle for the people who live there.

Mr. Michael asked in terms of staging, as Sacred Heart is a smaller property, has there been any problems with construction and how has it affected the patients.

Dr, Efron replied that they are now undergoing a major renovation and have also previously done renovations and they have always focused on safety. Construction has not been an issue. OSHA visits the campus when construction is ongoing.

Mr. Michael asked how is the buffering between the Village Community and the outlaying community (abutters).  Dr. Efron stated that they have a spacious site. They have maintained a treed perimeter, they are not close to homes that are not apart of the campus. There have been no negative issues with the neighbors. Time to time there are campus events that the community attends and the residents also go into the community for activities like movies and restaurants.

Chair Davis said that Cornerstone has described a facility where residents are a part of the Town of Sharon. Dr. Efron said the residents take full advantage of what Pembroke offers like music events, art festivals. They enjoy dinners and movies and attend football games.

Chair Davis said Cornerstone is recommending the sharing of a public pool, and asked if NE Village does the same.  Dr. Efron replied that based on their scheduling they offer their pool to other special needs groups in the community. There are other pools in town for the general population to use. They promote customized programs for their residents.

Chair Davis asked if there is an educational component for the residents and Dr. Efron replied that there is no formal school but learning is a lifelong process. People participate in a variety of day programs like work orientated. There is a variety of different options to provide new learning opportunities.

Chair Davis asked if Dr. Efron was aware of the Dover Amendment and if their facility had taken advantage of it. The Dover Amendment allows for zoning and land use restrictions that apply across the board. If the programs are educational then limited zoning restrictions apply.

Chair Davis asked Dr. Efron to discuss funding; contracts with the Commonwealth, cutbacks etc.  Dr. Efron said there were cutbacks. 65% of the people are under state contracts and almost everyone in the day programs are under state contracts. They have built a substantial endowment so they are not subject to the vagaries of state financing. The cuts have not compromised their ability to provide staffing and level of service. He said that even though costs go up like health insurance, most human service organizations have not received cost of living increases since 1987. In the last couple of years there have been small contract reductions. Prior to 2008, the endowment use was small so they came into the recession in a good position. NE Village is a good place thanks to families. Dr. Efron said there is 200 staff and the staffing is based on individuals needs.

Chair Davis asked about occupancy for the village and Dr. Efron said there are 79 beds for 79 residents and there are now 3 openings which is a by product of financing by the state. Each home looks for good compatibility to make it work long term.

Mr. Michael asked what services are centralized and Dr. Efron replied that they have some nurses on staff but they use doctors near Boston. Each home does their own meal prep and shopping and works within their own parameters. They enjoy patronizing local restaurants. He realizes bulk purchasing might be cheaper but he wants people to feel their own responsibility. Things are run by individual households. The wellness center is the hub of social activity. There is a regular slate of scheduled activities for residents and others with disabilities in the neighboring areas. They are creative in getting people involved in good exercise routines.

Mr. Keenan asked what the current age range is at the Village and Dr. Efron replied that the residents ranged in age from 22 – 90 years of age.

Dan Rosen said the New England Village is a strong model in terms of community, keeping qualified staff, and building a strong financial model.

Joe Murphy and Deb Donavan spoke on behalf of the Higashi School. Ms. Donavan, Principal said they assist students ages 18 – 22. There is no model for autism for adults over age 22. Everything is parent driven. Education is an entitlement in Massachusetts At age 22, it is a non-entitlement but they still need services. Ms. Donovan said the greatest challenge is for young adults to find a place to be a part of a community where they can contribute to society and perform tasks. There are a lot of programs for the elderly but not for autistic adults. She said she is excited that there could be a recreation center and the students could participate.

Chair Davis asked if this is an experimental idea and if this is a use that will thrive and survive the life of the lease. The question he said is “would a facility like this be a viable tenant for the Town?”

Ms. Donavan replied that there is a tsunami of children being diagnosed with autism. There are a lot of commonalties with autism and other disabilities. The facility could be used for broad needs of disabilities. There is no shortage of people with autistic needs.

Mr. Murphy said autistic students fit into the Department of Developmental Services. There is no specific place or programs for them. He suggested this would be a positive environment for them.

Chair Davis said he is looking for the best fit for the property. New England Village has a nice chunk of property so they can offer a lot. This property is only 5 acres and he is not sure it can be the same for Cornerstone. Mr. Davis questioned if we are talking about apples and oranges.

Dan Rosen stated they looked at New England Village and some things are the same and some are different. Cornerstone is not building a stand alone art center or community center. The model is more integrated into the community. The pool and recreational facility they envision is to be a Sharon facility for all residents. In contrast to Higashi, it’s a stand alone community. Cornerstone is to be apart of the community with access to the community.

Dan Rosen provided the Committee members with the Cornerstone Expense Report Draft dated 11/30/2010 and reviewed each slide as pertains to estimated demolition costs, residential community construction, residential community expenses and revenue, pool construction, expenses and revenue. Mr. Rosen iterated that the numbers provided are within 20% of being accurate. He was hoping to give the Committee some sense of the scale of the project. He said that if you incorporate a fitness activity with the pool then more revenue can be generated. Mr. Rosen said the report provided is high level and for the next meeting he will prepare a more detailed report. Mr. Rosen said that he estimates 15 million dollars in capital costs.

Chair Davis said he would like a walkthrough for each slide from the experts that provided the data i.e. demolition and the contractor.

Mr. Rosen said that this is a chicken and egg type situation that he feels needs to occur in tandem. He says he is looking for the Town to express interest and then he will fund raise. There are big pieces not yet discussed which include water, parking constraints and financing. He said it is a process.

Anne Bingham of 78A Cedar Street said there are several impediments to the process. The first she suggested is the legal impediment based on the use restriction of parcel F and N. She expressed that the right vote was not taken at Town Meeting in May, 2010 to contemplate this type of project. The warrant says indoor/outdoor use and a pool.

Chair Davis commented that they are tied together with respect to the RFP which did not solicit a residential facility but solicited recreational use. If there is a change in heart/focus maybe the RFP needs to be redone and the zoning needs to go back to Town Meeting.

Ms. Bingham of 78 A Cedar Street said she is concerned with the wetlands and building being built near the pond. She said there are waste water issues that need careful planning. A more detailed study is needed. She feels that open space is important. With reference to parking she said there is so much traffic and public safety is an issue.

Greg Meister of the Conservation Commission said it is critical to determine if the land can be used for residential use.

Chair Davis said he hoped to have the answer by next meeting.

Mike Polimer the volunteer grounds keeper for the ball fields stated that parking is a serious issue and there are 122 spaces currently with two handicapped spots. He feels it is the most used piece of property in Town. He said all spots are full during league games. He mentioned the Cornerstone proposal would add 45 additional spots and feels there is basically not enough parking. He suggested that as Civil Defense Director, a project of this kind in a natural disaster would overwhelm Town services.

Chair Davis said he will ask Town Counsel if emergency services can be considered.

Adjournment

Mr. Michael moved to adjourn at 9:30 PM and Mr. Keenan seconded the motion. The Committee voted 3-0-0 in favor.

Attachments

1. November 10, 2010 email from Linda Rammler to Board of Selectmen

2. Cornerstone Expense Report Draft dated 11/30/2010

3. New England Village brochure