Minutes

Wellfleet Building and Needs Assessment Committee

Minutes of March 21, 2018

Wellfleet Fire Station Training Room

Present: Harry Sarkis Terkanian, Sean Donoghue, and Jay Horowitz

Also present: Gary Sorkin and Sharon Agar, Wellfleet Housing Partnership

The meeting was called to order after the conclusion of the Police Department Building Committee meeting at 4:34 PM.

1. Mr. Sorkin presented a document to the Committee and made a verbal presentation.Mr. Terkanian provided the Committee with the current draft of the two annual town meeting articles, which relate to the former Council on Aging parcel.Mr. Sorkin reviewed the available municipally owned parcels suitable for housing.Of particular importance was the 28 acre parcel, which includes the transfer station and capped landfill.This parcel was initially a candidate for affordable housing.However current regulations impose a 250 foot “no build” zone around the transfer station and there are indications that the zone may be increased to 500 feet.He presented a visual of the site with the existing and potential “no build” zones marked, indicating that constructing housing on the parcel would be difficult, expensive and uncertain.His conclusion was that there is no municipally owned parcel greater than 5 acres (other than the 9.26 parcel across the street from the elementary school) usable for housing.There are some wood lots in the vicinity of Fred Bell way, but there is a privately owned parcel would have to be acquired to assemble the woodlots into a single parcel.He also expressed concern that constructing all affordable housing in one location might be viewed as an attempt to confine affordable housing to a single location in Town.He indicted the relatively small number of direct abutters; the presence of town water; and the existing foundation all make the former Council on Aging site attractive for housing.Mr. Terkanian asked whether the same factors, which make the site attractive for housing, would also make it attractive for municipal office space.All committee members commented that Wellfleet does have a significant shortage of affordable housing.The Committee reviewed the previous vote on the used of this property, taken at the January 25, 2017 to “Recommend that he building be demolished and the foundation capped pending a plan to replace the structure once appropriate use of the space is determined.”Mr. Sorkin and Ms. Agar expressed the opinion that a study was required.Mr. Terkanian asked whether the purpose of the study was to assess the feasibility of the site for housing or municipal office space or whether it should address the policy question of which use the property should be used to address and whether both uses might be accommodated on the site.Mr. Terkanian suggested three possible courses of action: (1) defer making a recommendation until the materials submitted at the meeting could be reviewed; (2) leaving the January 25, 2017 recommendation in place: or (3) making a different recommendation.Committee members expressed a desire to study the submitted documents.On motion of Mr. Horowitz, seconded by Mr. Donoghue it was voted (3 – 0) to consider the matter at a further meeting.Mr. Terkanian stated that he would post a meeting agenda with this item for April 4, 2018.

2. Minutes.  On motion of Mr. Donoghue, seconded by Mr. Horowitz it was voted (3-0) to approve the minutes of February 7, 208.

3. On motion of Mr. Horowitz, seconded by Mr. Donoghue it was voted (3-0) to adjourn.Meeting adjourned at 5:35 PM

Respectfully submitted,

Harry Sarkis Terkanian, Chair

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Documents:

Memorandum and supporting documents from Mr. Sorkin

Current draft of annual town meeting articles 25 and 26.