Meeting Minutes

May 12, 2016, 7:30pm

Members in Attendance: Joe Corkery, Sallee Lipshutz, Chris Pitts, Maureen Reilly-Meagher, Kathy Winters, Rena Getz, Pia Bertelli

City Officials: John Rice (City Council), Brian Yates (City Council), Chris Steele (Charter Committee)

Other attendees:

1. Meeting called to order at 7:31 PM

2. KATHLEEN HOBSON REQUESTED TO RECORD.
    

3. APPROVAL OF MAR 10 AND APR 14, 2016 MEETING MINUTES: JC presented the minutes from Mar 10 meeting minutes and KW presented the April 14 meeting minutes. KW moves to approve Mar 10 minutes as recorded. MRM seconds. Unanimously approved (RG abstains). KW moves to accept April 14 minutes as recorded. MRM requests to update minutes to reflect the fact that a statement was made during the meeting that they were assuming 1 car per student in the design process. SL moves to accept to minutes as amended. Unanimously approved (RG, PB, JC abstains.)

4. APPROVAL OF MAY 12, 2016 TREASURER’S REPORT: RG presents the treasurer’s report. CP moves to approve. KW seconds. Unanimously approved.

5. BURNING ISSUES:

   1. PB reports that a community member told her that after school programs are not being provided enough space. Program has 60 children, but were given space for 11 children. Have to spread kids out over the school. Having to use an unutilized room. Concerned that this is also going to be an issue at Zervas. SL notes that she raised this issue during Zervas construction meeting. Reports that Angier and Cabot are funded by MSBA funds and allow for only a certain amount of space. Zervas is not funded that way. Don’t know if Zervas school will be allowed to have more space because of the issue of equity will come up. This will be an issue for School Committee.  JR reports that design process for Zervas has already gone through City Council and been approved.  While they try to factor in after school space, it gets a lower priority than classrooms, SPED space, etc. At Angier, they should be able to use the entire first floor as that is a community space. JR will follow up with Peter who runs after school program at Angier to meet with Principal Lamberti.

   2. MRM wanted to know if any follow up has happened on meeting with Shane Mark on timing of lights on Beacon St. JR reports that a lot of work has happened on lights, especially around the beeping noise; however, he drove through the other day and Beacon St was stopped even though no other cars present.

   3. MRM noted that there is a need for a no right on red sign at intersection in front of Church. JR will follow up on that.

   4. MRM wanted to know if there has been any follow up on the median extension on Rt 9 from Shane Mark. SL reports that she has not had any response as of yet. JR thinks need to email Shane again on this for a status update. JR reports that Councilors have not been updated on Add-a-Lane in about a year. SL reports that no signage has been provided that says no trucks on Quinobequin.  BY says that Bill Paille had said that it should be done, but three weeks later, he was no longer working for the City. Visible signs need at the start at Rt 16 to ensure truck drivers have an option to avoid Quinobequin before seeing the sign.

   5. SL reports that Representative Balser stated that money existed to bring ADA compliance to T stations. Need to write letters for that.

6. MAY AND JUNE MEETING SCHEDULE: SL reports that WAC will be having a special meeting to address concerns about the Zervas project related to streets other than Beethoven.  This is a follow-on meeting as the prior meeting focused almost exclusively on Beethoven St.  SL reports that regular monthly meeting will be held on June 16th instead of June 9th.
    

7. WAC FUNDRAISING FOR ISLAND ACROSS FROM ANGIER AT VILLAGE DAY: SL reports that she and MRM have been meeting with two members of WIS and the city regularly. Learned early on that they need a schematic design. Were able to get a person to donate that work. SL presented the preliminary schematic design.  JR notes that it is important that design must be low maintenance because Parks & Recs.  JC suggest that this is well suited to a Kickstarter-type campaign with pledges. SL moves that WAC request pledges for fundraising on Waban Village Day for this. PB seconds. Unanimously approved.
    

8. APPOINTMENT OF COMMITTEE TO CONSIDER ESTABLISHING WABAN HISTORIC DISTRICT: SL reports that Waban Visioning group has a lot of interest in this. CP reports that there will be a talk on May 15 discussing historic districts with representatives from each of the historic districts in Newton. Reports that Historic District offers a higher level of protection. Thinks this is something tangible that this could be started. There is already some impetus for this in the community. CP planning to poll people electronically. SL says to make sure that it is done securely to capture the information accurately. SL is this a state or city district. BY this would be a city district approved by the city council. MRM asks CP if he was going to get survey out committee before putting information from visioning council out. CP states that while it was desired to get out, it has been very difficult to get a survey done, especially in a fashion that doesn’t appear to have an agenda. MRM requests that the living document be presented to WAC before it is put online. SL states that committee will be formed and chaired by RG.
    

9. LETTER TO PLANNING DEPT RE: STAPLES-CRAFT HOUSE AT 1615 BEACON ST:  KW reports that developer filed application with Mass Housing Partnership (MHP) on April 19th which initiated 30 day review period where they will take comments from local boards and planning department. Subsidizing agency has to make a number of findings to issue an eligibility letter. Most issues are about funding, financial feasibility, etc. Most relevant to community is that is that it is conceptual appropriate to the community. To make that finding, they conduct a site visit. That was conducted this morning. Two reps from MHP, plus an outside consultant, law department, 3 city councilors (JR, BY, and Dick Blazar), 3 WAC councilors (KW, SL, RG), and 1 direct abutter. KW thought site visit went very well and that they look at design closely. KW reports that all public comments are due tomorrow. KW presented the letter for discussion. After extensive discussion, RG moves to accept the letter as amended. CP seconds. JR and BY note that they are willing to sign onto this letter.  Motion carries (KW, JC, CP, SL, RG vote yes. PB, MRM vote no).
    

10. DISCUSSION OF PUBLIC PROCESS OF STREET DESIGN APPROVAL FOR ZERVAS: SL reports that a lot of people attended meeting and that consensus was the plan being offered was not what the committee being wanted. JR brought this feedback back to the city. There is currently a pause on the street design. City is working to determine the decider on the plan. SL reports that she spoke with David Olson about the process. He went back to board order and that the language stated that it would have to go to traffic council and public facilities committee of city council.
     

11. UPDATES:

    1. St. Philip Neri Update: KW reports that Steve Buchbinder presented revised plans to ZBA with understanding that they are trying to come to agreement with the neighborhood. Hope to have more detailed plans coming in June.

    2. Charter Commission: CS presents the details of the straw votes taken by Charter Commission at this point. SL asks CS to clarify the goals of the Charter Commission.
        

12. NEW BUSINESS:

    1. MRM would like for us to engage with NewTV community channel to have round table discussions with some roundtable discussions with local area councils.

13. ADJOURN:

Next meeting will take place on May 26, 2016 at 7:45 PM.

Adjourn.  10:15 pm.

Respectfully submitted,

Joe Corkery