WILBER SCHOOL REDEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
    MINUTES- MAY 23, 2005

Attendance:

Committee Members- Marcia Liebman, Craig Edwards, Joel Tran, Marilyn Kahn, Melissa Mills, Jim Goldsmith, David DePree, Michael Baskin, Jim Glaser

Guests-Sara Winthrop, Bill Heitin, Bob Stepansky, Alice Cheyer, Paul Lauenstein, Gordon Hughes, Shirley Schofield, Daniel Spira, Robert Young, Ari Young.

The meeting was called to order at 7:00 P.M. by Jim Goldsmith.

Brief review of questions for Planners

            How do they envision their work product fitting into our RFP?

            How will they help us define issues of importance to include in the RFP?

            How will they answer questions we can not answer ourselves?

7:30 Interview: Joel Bargmann, BH+A

            Presentation materials are available on Wilber Redevelopment Committee’s website at www.townofsharon.net and at clerk’s office, Town Hall.

            Technical expertise noted on historic preservation, renovation and community development block grants.

            BH+A will review zoning and provide scenarios for reuse to evaluate best use of property. Suggests an appraiser appraise the site.

Question-Jim Goldsmith: Presentation was focused on housing. We envision mix use retail with public library on a separated site. What is your experience with Retail?

            Joel B.-Retail not necessarily compatible with residential in a suburban setting. Rentals hard to make work. Renovation would be approximately $250+ per square foot for Wilber. New construction is less than that.

Question-Joel Tran: What would you envision if the site was vacant?

            Joel B.-Subdivide, library interesting

Question-Alice Cheyer: Town is not interested in Market Rate housing, only interested in 40B.

Question-Paul Lauenstein: Does your firm have experience in Green Building?

            Joel B.-BH+A is Leed Certified and has experience.

8:15 Interview: Tom Hoof and All Wells, SEA

            Presentation materials are available on Wilber Redevelopment Committee’s website at www.townofsharon.net and at clerk’s office, Town Hall.

            Tom Hoof expertise is Architectural Planning and Urban Design.

            Al Wells is a Civil Engineer

Worked with Reuse Committee 2001-2002

Has in house diverse expertise, 60% public sector work.

SEA will facilitate the committee to include a wider audience to participate in the planning process. Emphasized working with the town to come to a consensus for reuse. Crucial to understand the plans for downtown revitalization. Understanding the marketplace, feasibility-must be looked at with open eyes. What are the driving factors and how are the problems solved? Parking will be a large problem with revitalizing the downtown area.

Question-Jim Goldsmith: Will your knowledge of the prior use study be detrimental?

            Tom H-No, we will have a running start.

            Jim-Would you work with us to analyze parking, traffic, and economics of reuse vs. knockdown?

            Tom H.-Absolutely. Working with conceptual cost estimators that understand the marketplace. Our fee may not cover in depth analysis.

9:00 Interview: Larry Koff & Associates, Larry Bluestone

            Presentation materials are available on Wilber Redevelopment Committee’s website at www.townofsharon.net and at clerk’s office, Town Hall.

            Specializes in downtown community revitalization and spoke about Wellesley and how they created a new town green. Noted the challenge for us would be to develop consensus for the site and resolving key issues. Proposes four (4) meetings to discuss; issues and opportunities for the site, identify goals, refine evaluation and review final set of recommendations. If there is disagreement within the town, support from developers will be limited or we will receive no response. They will narrow down options to developers by taking off options which would not pass through town meeting. Noted market is strong for residential build-outs.

            Partial demo might allow demand for commercial. Mix-use residential/commercial a maybe, retail use in Post Office Square has been minimally responded. Will devise a development program that fits in with Post Office Square.

Bill Heitin noted a vote at town meeting is needed for land lease.

Marcia Liebman will be our Board of Health meeting delegate.

       Respectfully submitted,
        Melissa Mills