Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Mci Redevelopment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
MCI advisory board outlines engagement and planning steps; Select Board authorizes Peabody School appraisal
Summary
The MCI advisory board reported progress forming three subcommittees (community engagement; visioning/land planning; legal/governance) and asked for resources to hire outreach consultants. The Select Board authorized use of the land fund to procure an appraisal of the three Peabody School parcels to inform possible reuse.
Dan Gainsborough and Patrick McCurdy, co-chairs of the MCI advisory board, told the Select Board the advisory board has organized into three subcommittees (community engagement; visioning and land planning; legal and governance), appointed chairs and begun developing timelines, consultant matrices and scopes of work. They described three priority tasks: finalize project goals, hire a community engagement consultant, and improve information management among stakeholders.
Advisory-board members said community engagement will be an early focus. Deputy Town Manager Megan Zamuto's preliminary budget outline set aside $100,000 for outreach (spread across the project timeline), and co-chairs said they are preparing for several near-term events such as a League of Women Voters forum to solicit input. Board members and staff discussed whether state funds must be spent in the current fiscal year and clarified the need to align engagement spending with the project's timeline.
On a separate agenda item, Deputy Town Manager Megan Zamuto requested authorization to use the town's land fund to procure an appraisal of the three Peabody School parcels to better understand highest-and-best-use options within existing zoning and site constraints (e.g., septic capacity and playing fields). Board members discussed appraisal scope and the importance of giving the appraiser clear direction (range of scenarios under existing zoning and potential town-directed uses). A motion to authorize the land-fund use to procure the appraisal passed by roll call with all members voting aye.
Megan also updated the board on Harrington House, a historic farmhouse in West Concord. Staff plans an existing-conditions environmental analysis (lead paint and other hazards) and will return with a menu of options (sale, long-term lease, or land-swap approaches tied to conservation constraints) for board consideration.
Next steps: advisory board will continue engagement planning, staff will issue an RFP for the Peabody appraisal with scoped scenarios, and the advisory board will provide more frequent updates to the Select Board as requested.
