Loading...
CPC questions to applicants feb08 Elm Street District Historic Preservation Project ?? Is there a regulation/requirement to print 500 copies of the new regulations? Can you post the regulations on-line and send postcards? ?? What is a Certified Local Government Applicant? It seems this designation would be very helpful in applying, because the CPC could then apply matching funds. Without this ability, funding may have to wait until the next fiscal year. ?? Leveraging-What about providing a match from District property owners? ?? Would MHC potentially fund this project? Could you leverage funds in this way? ?? If CPA funds are only used for Part I, how does this impact the project’s educational and regulatory benefits? ?? What was the reasoning in not including the Cudnohofsky proposal, which suggested the firm would work hand-in-hand with PVPC for an additional $7,880? ?? Time Sensitivity: How imminent are Smith College’s expansion plans into District? ?? How, precisely, will the protection of historic buildings be strengthened? What about new construction (e.g. could Smith College’s Student Center be built under the new regulations)? ?? Explain how this project will relate to the Education Use Overlay District. What further action on the historic district (on ordinances, etc.) will be required for it to have an impact? ?? Could placing limits on the height of buildings constructed by Smith could result in less vertical and more horizontal expansion, thereby negatively impacting more neighborhoods? ?? What is/will be exempt from Commission review? ?? Do or will the affected sites have preservation restrictions applied to them? ?? Could the work requested here apply to other historic structures in the city? First Churches Historic Restoration Project ?? Does the church plan on using the entire amount requested on reconstruction of the slate roof? ?? Of the three options, which option is the church going to fund? ?? What percentage of the request would go toward the Capital Campaign Fund costs ($150,000 of $2,000,000)? ?? Does some of the work provide more public benefit than other work? ?? Does some of the work fall under maintenance? ?? Although this does not relate to the purpose for which CPC funding is sought, nevertheless it seems that a final rather than preliminary estimate for the organ work should be included, and that the estimate for the stained glass work should include the expense for staging. ?? What did the previous extensive exterior work accomplish? How will this work be more successful than the previous work? ?? Is the granting of a permanent historic preservation restriction contingent on full CPA funding ($250K) or will it occur irrespective of CPA contribution? ?? Is the proposed timeline truly realistic, especially in light of the amount of money that has been raised to date? How much money has First Churches decided it must have in hand before starting the project? ?? Will First Churches be instituting a Capital Improvements Plan to ensure that problems of this serious nature aren’t allowed to occur in the future? ?? Is there a backup renovation plan if you cannot raise $2 million? ?? What does “Environmentally Covenanted Church” mean and how does this designation affect the CPC’s criterion on this point? Forbes Library Historic Restoration Project ?? What efforts in addition to this application has the library made to secure funds for this project? The Committee would like to see information regarding grant applications, requests to the CIP, a capital campaign, and whatever other efforts the library has made to date. ?? Does the library have a Capital Improvements Plan so that it can budget for capital needs going forward? And, are there other projects that Forbes will need CPA funding for when this project has been completed? ?? Does all of the work listed qualify for CPA historic restoration funds (burying electrical and gas lines)? ?? Can this project be completed in phases over a longer time period (3-5 years)? ?? Have you contacted the Northampton Energy Officer to discuss the replacement of the windows? How much in energy costs will the replacement of windows/doors save the City? Could those funds be better used to save energy by replacing severely deteriorated windows on another City building? ?? Time sensitivity—Is this time sensitive in terms of City budget calendar (Capital Improvements Committee?) ?? Has the restoration quote been reviewed by knowledgeable third party for “reasonableness”? Competitive bid on project? ?? There is extensive documentation on the value of the library to the community, its historic value, and its overall renovation needs. Please provide more information on what renovation is a higher priority in terms of the addressing structural integrity, health and safety concerns and the building’s long-term viability. Habitat for Humanity Garfield Avenue Project ?? Is it feasible to incorporate green infrastructure (pervious pavement, Low Impact Development structures, etc.) into the development? ?? Besides community housing, what benefits will the development provide for the surrounding community (community gardens, energy star or LEED design, tot play structures, etc.)? ?? When will you have site control? ?? Please clarify what the additional $57,000 is being used for? What is the amount of the total commitment that Habitat is looking for now? ?? One of the four lots is a market rate lot. Will CPA funds be used to develop the infrastructure for the market rate development? ?? Do you have complete/approved construction plans? ?? Please provide information on how much the City of Northampton has invested in the purchase of land, remediation projects, building removal, engineering, surveys, and the installation of sewer infrastructure for the Habitat site. ?? Do you plan on submitting a request for additional CPA funding for the development of the homes? How will Habitat raise the $507,000 for the development of the homes? ?? Clarify how the buyer selection process works. Clarify how this process supports fair housing goals. Horace Lamb Historic Restoration Project ?? What are the current Condominium Association’s policies/restrictions on the property? Did the Condominium Association officially vote to impose a permanent Historic Preservation Restriction on the property? ?? The proposal states the Wire Mill East restoration is for additional storage bins. How much of the rest of the project is based on protecting the structural integrity of the building vs. creating areas for storage? Please provide the CPC with a prioritized list of work ?? Is the proposed deed restriction conditional on “x” amount of CPA funding? ?? How would this expenditure of CPA funds advance a public purpose? ?? How extensively has the mill building already been renovated during the creation of the condominiums? Were those renovations consistent with the requirements of historic preservation? ?? How would the condominium association leverage CPA funds? ?? Please provide information on how $150,000 will address all of the building’s significant rehabilitation needs. Are there other funds needed to maintain the building’s soundness? What assurance is there that this project will take care of the problem, when previous efforts have not? ?? The impact on the homeowners of funding this renovation is about $10,000 per unit owner. While this is significant, has research been done into whether these improvements can be financed? Are other sources of funding being pursued? Housing First Community Housing Project ?? Please provide a Development Budget and Sources and Uses of Funds proposal. We need these to determine, among other things, how you propose to convert two units into six separate units without substantial rehabilitation. ?? Please provide a five-year operating budget that compares income to rents, and to show how these projections match the availability of Section 8 subsidies. ?? Please confirm that FHCHI has pledged $100,000, already in hand, to the project. ?? Will the funds be returned to the CPA account if the project is not successful? ?? What are the reasons that some funding cannot be secured from the HUD 3- County Continuum of Care Plan, which calls for the development of exactly this kind of housing? ?? Will the addition of this site create a shortage of volunteers/funding from existing programs? ?? Will the CPC receive annual reports of staff hours, etc. for the position that would be funded for the house? ?? Where is the property located that FHCHI has signed a purchase and sale agreement? Will CPC get a site visit? ?? Is P & S agreement contingent on full CPA funding? ?? What is the basis for seeking housing for six people, rather than more or fewer? ?? If funding goes forward at this time, is the applicant confident that the house can be up and running before cold weather sets in next fall? ?? Because this is rental housing, why not provide a 99-year affordability restriction? ?? Because this project is intended to benefit homeless households, why not use the extremely low income standard (30% of median) instead of the very low income standard (50% of median)? ?? Is there a requirement that residents have a prior residence in Northampton, or is this a preference? How will residents be selected among those prioritized? How does resident selection plan conform with fair housing concerns? Housing Partnership Community Housing Strategic Plan ?? Please provide specific program goals, other than the general goal of helping guide future decisions. Given all the work the Housing Partnership has done over the years, in concert with the City’s Planning Department, should the efforts be targeted to march goals that have been established: for example, reducing homelessness, or preserving existing low rent housing options, or creating affordable homeownership, or preventing foreclosure, etc.? ?? There are two estimates of $22,000 or less for doing the work. What is the reason for requesting $35,000? Sheldon Field Open Space and Recreation Project ?? What tangible benefit will the additional 1.7 acres provide for the City’s recreation facilities? What will this provide for in terms of expansion of facilities? ?? Is there a sense of how much it will cost to create additional recreational space in 10 years? Any ideas on how this will be funded? ?? With regard to the 10 years of open space benefit provided, is there a risk that the property could be used for development or some other use? ?? How does this acquisition affect the need for additional soccer fields? Turkey Hill Open Space Project ?? What is assessed market value of property (Is the City getting a good deal?) ?? Was a Conservation Restriction explored for entire parcel in lieu of outright purchase? ?? Was a TDR explored with the current owner (given his plans for development off North St?) ?? Time sensitive—Has fundraising of project balance begun? How likely is the City to reach its goal in such a short time period, especially if CPA award is smaller than $350,000? ?? Are all of the purchase and sale agreements firm? ?? Please clarify how this project fits into broader land preservation efforts. ?? If not preserved, what are the other potential uses are there for this land- is it at risk of development? ?? Can additional money be raised to lower the amount of CPA funds needed? Valley CDC First Time Homebuyer Community Housing Project ?? Please provide information about protecting long-term affordability. Will there be an affordability restriction on the homes and/or will there be a CPA loan repayment program? ?? What is the reason for the precipitous drop in the recapture rate within the first year? ?? Will the CPC receive reports for the $26,161 of eight months of staff time spent on administering the loans? In terms of enhancing non-profit capacity, is the main benefit the funding that would pay staff costs (45% of program director’s time)? ?? Please demonstrate the likeliness of Valley CDC successfully leveraging state & private funding for this project. ?? Please provide a list of preferences/requirements Valley CDC will provide to homebuyers applying to the subsidy program sponsored by CPA funds (in-town location, non-new construction, energy star house, etc)? ?? The benefit of the program is most significant for the 5 households who will receive the mortgage subsidies, but other families will benefit from the counseling provided under this program. Can Valley CDC estimate how many other households will benefit? ?? Is the proposed requirement that recipients demonstrate that they either live or work in Northampton prior to receiving this subsidy consistent with State requirements around resident selection for homebuyer units? Can the requirement be revised to provide a recipient selection process that better addresses fair housing concerns? Alternatively, can you demonstrate that the outreach and implementation of the homebuyer program addresses fair housing concerns, through the track record of who the program has served and through aggressive fair marketing practices? ?? What would the impact of deferral of this request to another round have? ?? What is the benefit of a family affording a home at $249,400 vs. one at $199,860? Does the $50,000 down payment allow a family to buy a home to begin with, or does it simply allow them to buy a larger home than they could without the subsidy?