Public Comments

From: Barbara Bishop To: Bill Roth Subject: Rogers school Date: Monday, November 14, 2016 2:30:49 PM

Hi Bill

I cannot come to the meeting on the 15th so I wanted to make a few comments instead.

I have seen some old school buildings turned into condos and they are generally beautiful! What would be really nice is condos that were geared toward older, single people who are downsizing and only need a studio or one bedroom apartment (like Moi). I am sure you realize how few apartments are available in Fairhaven. Of course, I would expect an elevator and air conditioning!

It would be great if the town could fund the development and then recoup the money through sales, keeping out a profit-making developer.

Eventually, another building or buildings could be added--I myself am fond of tiny houses! Part of the land could be kept for park.

If this is not economically feasible, then I would favor taking the building down, saving pieces for other uses, saving some park land, and selling the rest. Whatever is built there, however, needs to fit in with the character of the center of town, so I would hope the town could put some restrictions on the land use (no commercial, no McMansions!).

Another thought: turn the land into community garden space.

I certainly hope the small, ugly, add-on buildings will disappear soon!

Anyway, dream on.

Barbara From: Elizabeth Grace Delano-Dykas To: Bill Roth Subject: Rogers School Public Meeting Date: Tuesday, November 15, 2016 8:56:54 PM

Hello,

My name is Elizabeth Delano, and I attended the meeting earlier tonight at the Town Hall regarding the future use of Rogers School. After listening to all of the comments made by my fellow residents, I wanted to add some thoughts. First, I grew up in Fairhaven, and I am a former student of Rogers School. I currently live with my husband and two small children (ages 4 and 2) just blocks away. Years ago, I was devastated to learn that the school was being closed. I had dreamed my future children would attend Rogers just like I did.

In my opinion, the school should absolutely not be torn down or sold to a 3rd party. It is integral to the culture and character of the neighborhood and the town. It is why many of us remain here or move back home to raise our families.

First, I would like to see the school remain a neighborhood school - I believe this is the best possible outcome - to use the school as it was originally intended. While many expressed the need for a Kindergarten and First Grade, many also expressed concerns about profits (I am a tax accountant/accounting professor so I completely understand their concerns). Along with using Rogers for K and 1st, if there is additional room, I would propose the school create a for-profit daycare, and/or pre-k for 3 and 4 year olds and a before and after care program.

Many families, like mine, have two working parents. We are sending our son to St. Joseph's because of the before and after care. Also, the half day preschool with a lottery makes it all but impossible for working families. I believe we want to encourage working professionals to move to the area. This would be a great selling point for the community and help keep housing prices high.

During the evening and/or weekends, the school could be used for adult educational courses. I know there are many professionals who are always looking for accounting/tax courses.

If it isn't feasible for the building to remain a school, then I believe a museum/tourist center with town offices on the second floor would also be ideal. The bottom line is that the building should be retained by the town.

Lastly, I was concerned to hear about the emphasis placed on the cost of old buildings versus new. Of course older buildings are less efficient and cost more to maintain. However, older buildings provide children (and adults) with character. I will never forget my days at Rogers and Fairhaven High. I personally grew up in an 1850 home on Spring Street, and now I live in an 1830 home on Union Street. This town made me love history and art and made me appreciate culture. Tearing down or selling a building as gorgeous and stunning as Rogers School will strip our children of the character and community that we were fortunate enough to be a part of. The costs may be high, but the benefits are so much greater.

Thank you, Elizabeth Delano 508.207.6080 From: In-House Custom To: Bill Roth Subject: Rogers school Date: Tuesday, November 15, 2016 6:52:36 PM

I'd like to formally express interest in purchasing and converting Rogers School to a boutique hotel with attached Nano Brewery. Would be a growler filling location with tasting room. It would hold true to style and history of the property I thinks it's real value would lye in that it would give the community a location to gather in the center of town. There could be outside enjoyment in the summer months and inside activities in the winter months. There are town silent investors that have expressed interest in investing. Thank you, Adam Katz 508-264-6679

Sent from my iPhone From: LeBlanc To: Bill Roth Subject: ROGERS SCHOOL Date: Tuesday, November 15, 2016 4:32:23 PM

To whom it may concern

I am a Roger School neighbor but am not sure I can make the meeting tonight. I went to Rogers school and now live nearby on the corner of south and laurel and am very concerned about the outcome of the building. We, and I mean my family and all nearby neighbors do not want low income housing in this building. This is a family friendly neighborhood with a median house price of $300,000 I can only imagine low income housing will decrease our homes value. Sorry to be so honest. I would love to see the visitor center relocated there since it is closer to library, town hall, and many other historical sites. Please keep the playground as is as it is a great place for all the neighborhood children to go. I do not care if it becomes a museum, visitor center or educational building of some sort but will be very upset if housing goes there!

Sincerely, April Soares From: Bradydoug To: Bill Roth; Mark Rees Cc: Bob Espindola; [email protected]; Daniel Freitas Subject: Public suggestions on Rogers school use Date: Wednesday, November 16, 2016 12:47:22 PM

Dear Mr. Roth: You asked for input on the building and I would like to add mine.

I feel the town should retain the building for municipal use. Over time tear down the 60's addition.

The building had been overall neglected for many years prior to the closing by the school department and little money put into the upkeep needed for such a building unlike town hall. Each year a project is done at the town hall to keep the building up.

We will find out some true ideas of the initial cost, from Kirk & co. but even then, those costs could be spread out into phases and not necessarily all done right away.

Ideas for the building.... EMA can move in there. A much needed cable access location and space, school administration building, ( sell the current building and put into the Rogers),offices for a growing town hall and already cramped quarters and storage, a town museum run by the historical society, a town tourism office, use a designated area as lease space for small businesses that are not big enough to have office space and could rent a day / time slot to hold meeting ( for a fee of course),same for using it to be rented out space, wedding, functions different venues. The town is facing a school over crowding issue. Has anyone weighed in with them? Maybe a pre-school, kindergarten, 1st grade.

Funding: the cable company pays a large amount of money each year to the town to fund cable access, ( of which we currently have over $900,000 plus) some of that can be used to maintain the building each year. We consolidated our schools, do the same with some of our other town buildings. This will save the cost of maintaining them and the payroll of keeping them open. This can be now put into the Rogers yearly funding. A few 100 k can quickly add up to a yearly maint fee.

Initial Project: phased over time. The town hall did not suddenly look like it does today. It takes time and phases to keep the building up. A long term vision. Historic grants, green rehab grants, rehab old school grants, federal grants obviously must be sought to the initial phase. We should retain Kirk & Co the navigate through getting these grants since they are the professionals and know of them all and what to do to get them. It will be a cost to get the building up.... yet to be determined but yearly maintenance can be achieved

We have seen that there is no serious interest in the current way the building is...either way we have to get it up to par and then see if there is any way to retain the building or any real legitimate possible of outside development. One that will not diminish the neighborhood and community.

Thank you

Doug Brady Precinct 4 Resident From: Thomas Alden To: Bill Roth Subject: Rogers Date: Thursday, November 17, 2016 7:51:53 PM

Hey Bill,

Read about the meeting. Why was Northeast Maritime turned down. When I was on the committee it was mentioned that the downtown had quite a spike in business the first year they were open and it continues to this day. Am I amiss? Also, the town had the benefit of increased tax revenue among other things. If those stats are true then it could happen again in a big way. What do you think? It is zoned for educational uses. Also, if you recall, I came to your office with a sketch of the parking arrangement for your consideration and advice. It seemed to be workable. Maybe this could be pursued.

Tom L. Alden From: Bill Roth To: "Thomas Alden" Subject: RE: Rogers Date: Monday, November 21, 2016 2:56:26 PM

Tom The Board of Selectmen at the time did not accept the proposal from the Northeast Maritime Institute (NMI). I was not at those meetings but I have been told that the $1 offer and lack of submitting the required financial information as well as other requested information required in the RFP were some of the reasons. The consultant has a copy of all information submitted to the Town, including the NMI; therefore, it will be a part of their evaluation.

William D. Roth, Jr. AICP, Town of Fairhaven, Planning & Economic Development Director

From: Thomas Alden [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Thursday, November 17, 2016 7:52 PM To: Bill Roth Subject: Rogers

Hey Bill,

Tom L. Alden

From: Rose Cooper To: Bill Roth Subject: Rogers School Date: Monday, November 07, 2016 6:38:45 PM

Dear Fairhaven committee,

What a significant and beautiful gift from Henry Huddleston Rogers the Rogers elementary school was and is. It seems particularly significant since it was the first gift given by Mr. Rogers to the wonderful town of Fairhaven.

My mother was a Rogers School alumni from approximately 1940 to 1946 and has many fond memories of her time in the school and of course of her beloved town of Fairhaven. My family continues to have a love and interest in Fairhaven.

Jumping right in with ideas...has anyone thought about a mixed use for the old school building, such as a South Coast Art Museum or Fairhaven Art Museum which along with the beautiful works from Cape Cod artists, could include programs dedicated to art and music? It could also dedicate one floor or section to the Rogers family and the many gifts given to Fairhaven. It would be a beautiful building for an art museum/school and seems only fitting to dedicate a floor to the Rogers family. Is it possible that the future "Lord Fairhaven", George Broughton and his family, might be interested in such an endeavor?

In any case, please know that Fairhaven is a beloved place even by those who have never lived there and what becomes of the gifts of Mr. Rogers and the town which he so loved will continue to be important into the future.

Most sincerely, Rosemary Burris Cooper From: Rose Cooper To: Bill Roth Subject: Rogers school Date: Thursday, November 17, 2016 10:35:30 AM

Hello Mr. Broth,

Reading today in the Fairhaven Neighborhood news about the recent meeting concerning the Rogers School.

I hope that you received my family's input on this issue. We do not live in Fairhaven but have a strong connection and interest in the town. (See our/my suggestions previously sent to you after commentary, just in case you didn't receive it.)

We sincerely hope that our input will be considered even though we do not live in Fairhaven. My mother spent the most important part of her life there -1937 to 1951- and never stopped talking about the towns history and her life there. My family made another visit to Fairhaven in May of this year, some months after my mother passed away-feeling all the while that in some form, that my mother was with us as we walked Fairhaven's streets again.

Thank you so much for adding our ideas to the mix. And we are encouraged to read that the people of Fairhaven do seem to want to preserve the Rogers building in some way and that it is structurally sound!

Most sincerely, Rosemary Burris Cooper

Dear Fairhaven committee,

Most sincerely, Rosemary Burris Cooper From: Ashlee Kirkwood To: Bill Roth Subject: Rogers School special meeting Date: Monday, November 07, 2016 4:48:44 PM

Good afternoon,

I cannot attend the special town meeting regarding the future of the Rogers School, but I wanted to make sure I sent some comments before-hand.

I have been a Fairhaven Resident my entire life, and attended Rogers School. I think it is an extremely important historical building for not only the town, but the region. I do not want to see the building demolished, or renovated in such a way that it completely diminishes its history or charm.

I would rather see the town 'sell' the property for an extremely low monetary value (e.g. $1), as long as the bidder had very specific plans for renovation that meant the original building would be preserved and updated in a responsible fashion, than have the town sell to the highest bidder possible, but have the buyer demolish the property or renovate in such a way that the look and feel of the original building was completely destroyed.

That building has been allowed to fall into complete disrepair, and whomever purchases the property will need to invest a massive amount of capital to renovate it. In order to keep that building as close to the original look as possible, we need to entice bidders that are not only involved in this town, but care about it and its history. The way to do that will be to place more credence on the character of the bidder and plans for the property, than the monetary value of their bid.

Thank you for your consideration,

Ashlee Kirkwood Fairhaven High class of 2002 Fairhaven resident since 1984 From: Jennifer Tapper Richards To: Bill Roth Subject: Rogers School Date: Thursday, November 17, 2016 3:16:05 PM

Hello,

I am a resident of Fairhaven, grew up here and attended Rogers School as a child. I could not make it to the meeting this week, but am very interested to hear news of what the proposals were and where the process stands.

My opinion is that the building should remain focused on education and/or community use - whether it be private or public. Another Educational or Medical usage of some sort would be perfect because of how the surrounding neighborhoods have evolved over time.

The streets cannot handle too much more traffic and the homes nearby are so close to the property that late night usage (if a hotel or event facility went in there) would be less than ideal.

I would support the gentleman's proposal that wanted to use it for the Maritime Institute. An expanded department of Our Lady's Haven might also be suitable.

It would be nice if the playground could remain.

I also think the property of Atlas Tac would make a great storage facility with parking for the Rogers School property or even overflow from nearby Our Lady's Haven.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely, Jennifer Richards From: Sue Loo To: Bill Roth; Bill Roth Subject: Rogers Date: Friday, November 18, 2016 1:27:56 PM

Hi Bill

I was just wondering if Kirk & Co. have been told that there is a developer interested in Rogers in regards to Michael Tavares interest?

Sue From: Sandy-Mike Sherman To: Bill Roth Subject: Rogers School Re-use: an idea Date: Saturday, November 19, 2016 9:46:38 AM

Hello Bill:

I got the message in "Neighborhood News" that the town is still welcoming broad, what-if ideas from the public, regarding what to do with the Rogers School. So I'm sending in the dream that my wife and I have toyed with.

"What if" Rogers School retains its educational function? What if it becomes a learning-center destination for public-school field trips? The focus would be on the seacoast, marine ecology, regional history and heritage, and preserving our environment as new technologies emerge.

Here's why and how:

Rogers School is adjacent to Buzzards Bay and a seashore habitat--the Girls/Boys Creek estuary and marshes that were reclaimed by the DEP. This area was an ecological disaster--a Superfund site--but it's now a success story, a rich and tranquil habitat for many species of waterfowl, plants, fish, etc. That story of restoring an environment to its pre-industrial state, and Fairhaven's history, makes the Rogers School a bully pulpit from which to talk about the future health of our coastal communities.

Picture a wooden walkway out to the hurricane barrier and an observation/teaching platform. Now picture teachers leading scores of grade-school children out to this platform to discuss, practice, and learn the science of marine ecology, our environment, sustainability, green technology and the impacts of man's presence and activity.

The walkway's entrance would be a short, safe walk from Rogers School--a kind of field trip within the field trip. The School itself would be equipped to build on lessons learned out at the marshes and hurricane barrier. Perhaps each floor is dedicated to different ecosystems, like Buzzards Bay, New Bedford Harbor, and inter-tidal zones like Girls/Boys Creek. Within the main building, imagine aquariums, miniature windmills, solar panels, a space dedicated to climate change, it's causes and ramifications, and similar hands-on learning experiences. Have you ever visited the Children's Museum or the Aquarium in Boston? What fun!

Partnerships:

The town must partner with area organizations to make such a dream happen. Can we partner with the New Bedford Whaling Museum? Could a renewed Rogers School facility, and Fairhaven's role in New Bedford's whaling history, become a compelling extension of NBWM's educational program?

How about Mass. Maritime Academy, the Army Corps of Engineers, NOAA at Woods Hole, or Fairhaven's own Northeast Maritime Institute? Can they contribute to curriculum, create internships for students, or make gifts-in-kind of unwanted equipment? Universities from Boston to Providence may be intrigued. Research centers, professors, and graduate students at Umass Dartmouth would be energized by a project like this. And, from work I've done as a student at BCC, I know engineers and managers at the DEP would be all too happy to help. Marketing:

For the business model--marketing, financial viability, long-term growth--let's study Sturbridge Village and Mystic Seaport. Like them, a Rogers School facility would be a non- profit, living and learning museum that draws operating income from the region's school systems and possibly young families.

The enterprise cannot, in fact or perception, compete with or detract from existing educational operations/facilities. It must be an enhancement or missing piece of the puzzle. In the planning, we'll need to find a natural place for the Rogers Center for Marine Ecology within the array of learning opportunities from which Southern New England educators can choose.

So that's my pitch. Believe me, I could go on. If you'd like to flesh out this pipe dream, by all means let's get together. If the town finds this worthy of a feasibility study, let me be the first to volunteer for that committee.

With all best regards, --Mike Sherman 4 Lafayette St. Fairhaven 774-364-2396 From: Steve Voluckas To: Bill Roth Cc: Bob Espindola Subject: Future of Rogers School Date: Sunday, November 20, 2016 10:18:16 AM

Hi Bill

Thank you for the opportunity to submit thoughts and ideas about future uses of the Rogers School.

Proposed use summary: 1. Public (and Government) Access TV Facility 2. Fairhaven Town Hall Annex 3. Henry Huttleston Rogers Museum

PUBLIC ACCESS TV FACILITY

I first became aware of the school when working with the Fairhaven Cable Advisory Committee in their efforts to reestablish a Public Access TV facility. I didn't think the proposed facility in the EMA Annex on Sconticut Neck Rd. made sense, due to its location and requiring considerable investment to make it usable.

When I first saw the Rogers School, it seemed the perfect location, being in the center of town, its proximity to the Town Hall and the High School, and that could benefit from the facility. I realized that the cost of improving and maintaining the school, would require additional partners. It seemed that the same money the CAC had available to upgrade the EMA building, was adequate to upgrade the ground level 1950s vintage classrooms. This would be perfect for a Public Access facility, containing one, maybe two studios with control room(s), a class/training room, edit suites, storage and control of equipment available for checkout, offices for staff, reception, conference room, and restrooms. The conference room or rooms not needed, could be used by organizations, including non-profits, for meetings or offices.

The small gym would be very usable for meetings, concerts, plays, or other public events, that could be recorded and cablecast.

FAIRHAVEN TOWN HALL ANNEX

The ideal use for the main part of the school was as a Town Hall Annex, where each department could have an office of similar size and equipped as a meeting room. Video and audio from each meeting could be fed to a central control facility (within Public Access), where multiple meetings could be recorded, and cablecast to residents. HENRY HUTTLESTON ROGERS MUSEUM

A more practical proposal for the main part of the school would be as a museum. It would be worthwhile to contact the New Bedford Whaling Museum and propose they consider establishing a museum in Fairhaven. NBWM has the experience and expertise in renovating and maintaining old buildings, using them for public displays, and fundraising. Both Fairhaven and the NBWM are beneficiaries of Henry Hutteston Rogers' generosity and vision, besides sharing common histories.

A Henry Huttleston Rogers Museum could reveal Fairhaven's unique history and about a person born in Fairhaven, of modest means, who became one of the most powerful and influential men in the country, and closely associated with icons of America including Mark Twain, Helen Keller, and Booker T. Washington.

Combined with the Whitfield Manjiro Society and their equally interesting part of American history centered in Fairhaven, it could become a large tourist attraction and draw to the town.

The Rogers School is the corner stone of HHR's Fairhaven, and needs to be preserved and remain part of the town, whatever the cost. It is not just a historical site. It is part of the culture of Fairhaven. It is part of the identity of Fairhaven. It is what makes Fairhaven OUR town.

Again, thank you for the opportunity to submit comments, and I would appreciate an opportunity to discuss some other ideas that might be of interest in economic development.

Sincerely,

Steve Voluckas Phone: 508-737-3224 Mail: PO Box 784, Fairhaven, MA 02719 Res.: 39 Taber St., Fairhaven

From: Mike Tavares To: Bill Roth Cc: Nils Isakin; Susan Loo; Greg MacNeil Subject: Rogers School Date: Monday, November 21, 2016 12:49:52 PM Importance: High

Dear Mr. Roth,

I understand the community had a meeting concerning the Rogers School in connection with Kirk and Co.

I am sending this email to affirm my interest in developing this historic property. As I understand, the community was asked to send its suggestions for the future of the property to you and you would forward those comments to the Consultant.

You are in possession of my plan for the property and I ask that you forward that plan to Kirk and Co. on my behalf.

I would welcome the opportunity to discuss my plan in more detail. I can be reached via this email or by calling 902-742-0042.

Thank you in advance.

Michael A. Tavares 17 Collins Street Yarmouth, Nova Scotia B5A 3C7 Canada MICHAEL A. TAVARES 17 Collins Street Yarmouth, Nova Scotia B5A 3C7 CANADA 902-742-9900

March 28, 2016

VIA ELCTRONIC MAIL

Mr. Robert Espindola, Selectmen TOWN OF FAIRHAVEN 40 Center Street Fairhaven, Massachusetts 02719 UNITED STATES

RE: Proposed Reuse of the Rogers School

Dear Mr. Espindola,

I am in receipt of your letter dated March 18, 2016, pertaining to our proposed reuse for the Historic Rogers School in the Town of Fairhaven. As discussed previously, my interest in this project is to preserve and protect the built heritage of my family’s home town of Fairhaven. I have spent the past 30+ years in the business of repurposing historic properties in Nova Scotia, Massachusetts and Florida. My personal motivation has always been to protect the historic fabric of our built heritage treasures while ensuring their reuse provides and serves the needs of the community in which they stand with a long term sustainable future. The ripple affect of my work has realized long term sustainable economic growth to the communities in which my past projects exist and Fairhaven would be no exception.

I have toured this property twice and reviewed all documents sent from the Town with my Team. We feel we have an extensive knowledge of the area, its economy, its demographics and the needs not served in the community by way of long term condominium home ownership. With the changes in the demographic structure, the Baby Boomers of the 1950’s are now finding themselves faced with housing that no longer suites their personal lifestyles. Many are seeking more modest living situations but still require the independence of home ownership, convenient locations with services and amenities that reflect a standard of living they have earned in life.

Another segment of the local population that presently is under serviced relates to the artisans in the visual arts community. This population typically seeks living situations that afford large open space in which to live and create their art. The inclusion of artist live/work condominium units infuse a vibrant mix of individuals into a community living situation that offers long term sustainable occupancy.

For the purpose of this narrative I will divide the project into three distinct phases. The historic Rogers School building, the 1950’s Classrooms and the 1950’s Auditorium.

The Rogers School Building

This historic building built in the late Victorian era highlights the Palace School atmosphere popular in educational institution design. Large open well lit space provided children with an environment for leaning however in an adaptive reuse pose interesting design issues today. We want to be very clear that our adaptive reuse of this structure will preserve and honor the buildings original design, scale and archetectual features. The exterior will be restored and not altered from any of the streetscapes.

Our plan calls for the creation of 16 residential condominium units on the first and second floors marketed and maintained for the 55+ population. Each unit will be designed as an open concept footprint and will feature 1 and 2 bedroom layouts. The historic interior features will be maintained where possible and highlight a quality living space.

The third floor will be redesigned to accommodate 6-7 residential condominium units specially designed for artist’s live/work use. These loft style units will feature interiors that afford a comfortable living space and provide ample space for the artists to work at home.

The basement of the building will be multi-purposed. There will be areas with deeded storage units for the residential owners, studio space for the artists and workshop space for others in the complex. These amenities are but a few of the advantages afforded to the owners of the units. More discussion is needed in this areas design and repurpose.

The entire building will be handicapped assessable and serviced by an elevator which will travel through the center of building.

The 1950’s Classroom Addition

This structure is comprised of 4 classrooms and a series of offices. We propose creating 3-4 Micro Residential Units in this location. Micro Units have become very popular today as they provide a full living situation for their occupants using only 250-300 square feet of space. Creative measures in design accomplish the ability for people to comfortably live in the space. Our plan would be for these units to be retained by the Homeowners Association as Income Property. They would be leased to individuals requiring short term housing while in the area for business or educational purposes. The length of stay is typically less then 12 months but not shorter than 3 months. They are rented for amounts comparable to local hotel nightly rates but afford the tenant complete independence of a residential accommodation.

The reason for these Micro Units is to create a long term income for the benefit of the Homeowners Association affording a stable financial foundation for the continued maintenance of a complex. This income earning potential lessens that burden on the unit owners and ensures the continued preservation of the buildings and grounds to the highest of standards while providing a limited population with quality short term tenancy.

The 1950’s Auditorium

We see that space as an exciting opportunity for the people of Fairhaven. We propose the Auditorium, the Lobby and two Office spaces to be one condominium owned by the Town of Fairhaven and used as a place for public assembly. The facility would be managed by the Town for the benefit of the community. It could be leased to groups and organizations for performing arts, a meeting hall for public meetings, a venue for art openings, antique sales, fundraisers and the like. Additionally, the town may choose to provide indoor supervised recreational space in the winter for local children, day care providers could arrange to use the space for their purposes. The possibilities are endless and would be completely at the discretion of the town and the community Leisure Services Department.

Parking

This matter will be address as per the Town’s Land Use By-Law and Zoning process. Given the size of the lot to the rear we see no problems meeting the Town’s requirements.

In Summary,

The benefits to the Town for this proposal create a significant Long Term Sustainable Income for the people of Fairhaven. The creation of 22 Residential Units create 22 new tax accounts for the Town. Additionally, the parking would also be deeded real estate and would have separate tax accounts. The common areas, under the Master Deed include; the land and interior amenities space which would create an additional tax account payable by the Homeowners Association.

I hope this outline and summary provide an overview of our vision for the Town of Fairhaven in preserving this wonderful historic property and creating the much needed income for the community as a whole by way of taxation.

Respectfully,

Michael A. Tavares

From: Brett Pelletier To: Bill Roth Subject: FW: Rogers School Reuse - Stylos\Sherwood Date: Wednesday, November 30, 2016 3:27:50 PM

FYI

Brett Pelletier | Kirk&Company Chief Operating Officer

99 Summer Street, Boston, MA 02110 Office: 617.261.7100 | Mobile: 401.835.2679 [email protected]

From: Alex Stylos [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Thursday, November 17, 2016 5:51 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Fw: Rogers School Reuse - Stylos\Sherwood

Brett,

I would like to introduce myself\my organization and my history with regards to our attempts to acquire the Rogers & the Oxford schools.

We were a finalist in the effort to acquire the Oxford school, the town lead by selectman Espindola opted for low income senior housing as you probably already know. After that process the Town, Bill Roth and others asked me if i would interested in the Rogers, I said yes and yet again they all decided to go down another road.

Enclosed is part of that history i mentioned above. Under a separate cover i will be emailing you a specific letter the town sent me regarding Rogers.

I'm writing to you because yesterday there was radio news reports that no entity has interest in Rogers. This is not true. We are a local historic restoration developer of Municipal and Catholic buildings.

In closing Bill Roth gave me your contact info today and also I am a town resident and registered voter in Fairhaven. I have completed road and building projects successfully in Fairhaven.

I hope to hear back from you in our efforts to acquire the Rogers school.

Sincerely,

Alex Stylos Managing Partner 508.951.0815 (c) 508.567.4545 (o) www.sherwoodbuilding.net Town of Fairhaven Massachusetts Office of the Selectmen 40 Center Street Fairhaven, MA 02719 Geoffrey Haworth, Chairman Charles K. Murphy Tel: (508) 979-4023 Robert Espindola Fax: (508) 979-4079 [email protected]

March 17, 2016

The Town of Fairhaven Board of Selectmen have decided to hold a public meeting sometime during the week of April 11th through April 15th to solicit public input regarding the three (3) development concepts that have been discussed for use of the former Rogers School Property, for expansion of a Maritime College, a housing development and a multi-purpose use by for profit and not for profit tenants.

The Town will also be prepared at that time to answer questions about the potential cost to demolition of the building and the potential to create building house lots on the same property (a question that has been asked numerous times by the community).

We are not requesting that you to be available for the meeting or to provide a presentation to us, but rather we wanted to know if you would be opposed to us discussing your development concept with the public. Your willingness to allow us to share your ideas with the public will not commit you in any fashion to proceeding with the project. The goal for this meeting is for the Selectmen to have the public give them guidance on what they feel would be best for the reuse of the property. If you wish to attend we would welcome your participation.

The Town does not want to risk the possibility that your concept is not conveyed properly to the community. To that end, the only thing we are requesting from you is a written outline of your concept including what the benefit to the community you see in your project. If this is limited to a hand full of pages on letter size paper, the Town will make copies for people to take with them. You need only submit an electronic copy.

The Town is not looking for you to submit drawings, site plans or renditions or any details of the project you envision at this time. We are only looking for a simple write-up that you feel best explains, from a conceptual standpoint, what your vision for the property is.

At this time, we have no intention to discuss financial aspects of any of the three proposals during the meeting. We only wish to gain an understanding of what the community feels the best use of the property would be. Please confirm receipt of this message and, we kindly ask that you submit your written concept document to us on or before Monday, March 28th, the evening of our next Board of Selectmen meeting.

Very truly yours,

Geoffrey A. Haworth, II Chairman – Board of Selectmen

From: Alex Stylos Sent: Thursday, November 17, 2016 5:40 PM To: Alex Stylos Subject: Fwd: Rogers School Reuse - Stylos\Sherwood

Alex Stylos Sherwood Building Company 650 Plymouth Ave, Fall River, MA 02721 t: 508.567.4545 f: 508.617.4846

-----Original Message----- From: Alex Stylos To: billr Sent: Wed, Apr 6, 2016 4:27 pm Subject: Re: Rogers School Reuse - Stylos

Bill,

Thanks for the update, i;ll call you this week

-----Original Message----- From: Bill Roth To: 'Alex Stylos' Sent: Wed, Apr 6, 2016 4:09 pm Subject: RE: Rogers School Reuse - Stylos

Alex, All the Selectmen are doing at this point is going out to the public and neighborhood with the three concepts that have been brought up for the school. A Maritime College, housing and your concept. After gauging the public comments the Selectmen will hopefully decide to work with one of the concepts to refine it with the potential buyer so that can then be brought forward an a bonifyied project that Town Meeting could approve.

If I recall from our meeting at town hall you also were taking the Charter School off of your proposed concept and something else.

If you want to give me a call and we can further talk about where we are, but it’s early on in any decision process.

William D. Roth, Jr. AICP, Town of Fairhaven, Planning & Economic Development Director

From: Alex Stylos [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, April 04, 2016 7:43 PM To: Bill Roth Subject: Re: Rogers School Reuse - Stylos

Hey Bill..OK to use my proposal however currently the food pantry use will not be part of our latest proposal..the only other question we need to have answered is... for how long our proposal will be considered? Before we commit we need to know what the timeline for acquisition will be met by the Town. Thanks Alex Stylos Sherwood Building Co.Inc.

Sent from AOL Mobile Mail

-----Original Message----- From: Bill Roth To: Alex Stylos ([email protected]) Sent: Wed, Mar 30, 2016 03:04 PM Subject: Rogers School Reuse - Stylos

Alex, Good to talk to you this afternoon. As was outlined in the letter mailed to you a weeks or so ago and per discussion, the Town is looking at holding public outreach meetings on the reuse of the Rogers School. We want to get public feedback on the concepts that potential developers have submitted to the Town. As discussed you are interested in presenting a concept similar to what you proposed at the Oxford School. If you could please email me your concepts for the reuse so that we can include it in our public outreach meeting.

Once again good to talk to you and I’m sure I’ll see you at the YMCA.

William D. Roth, Jr. AICP Planning & Economic Development Director Town of Fairhaven, | 40 Center Street, Fairhaven, MA 02719 (Office) (508) 979-4082 Ext. 122 | (Fax) (508) 979-4087

From: Shields, Rob (Remote, Loss Prevention) To: Bill Roth Cc: Mark Rees; Anne O"Brien Subject: Proposal for Non-Profit multi use of Rogers School Date: Thursday, December 01, 2016 7:54:53 PM Attachments: December 12016FHVNROGERSPROPOSAL.docx

Mr. Roth-attached please find an outline for proposed consideration of usage of space @ The Rogers School by The Shepherds Pantry, Inc. an Emergency Food Pantry that is a registered non-profit in the Commonwealth.

Best regards,

Rob Shields Director The Shepherds Pantry, Inc.

508-208-0523 mobile [email protected]

December 1, 2016

To: Mr. Bill Roth-Town Planner Fairhaven, MA

Fr: Rob Shields-Director The Shepherds Pantry, Inc.

I would like the Town of Fairhaven to consider the possibility of locating the operation of The Shepherds Pantry, Inc. within the infrastructure of The Rogers School. In this coming January 2017 The Shepherds Pantry, Inc. will have been in operation for seventeen years! For a period of nearly 6 years the Pantry operated out of the basement of the Unitarian Church on Green St in Town Center. We always conducted ourselves as a “good neighbor” while we fulfilled the mission of serving the “hunger insecure” of the greater community. Currently the Pantry operates out of the church basement of The Long Plain United Methodist Church-Acushnet, MA.

I believe that housing the Pantry at Rogers School could provide an “invaluable teaching resource” for the students and residents of this prideful town. There are a number of processes that occur to ready food items to be distributed to Pantry clients. Fundraising is essential, food drives are helpful, storing, cleaning and checking date codes for expiration are critical. I can envision students and perhaps our seniors participating in these rigors on a “rotating basis” and it could instill volunteerism and a sense of personal accomplishment to help run the Pantry?

We do have the financial ability to pay a nominal rent amount on a monthly basis. I would be happy to share those details at a future time if it would be deemed useful to do so.

We pass out our groceries & canned goods on Saturday mornings between the hours of 9AM-11AM to our clients. I am proud to tell you that there has never been an occasion where The Pantry did not open on a Saturday for distribution to our clients in the nearly 17 years of operation and that is 52 weeks a year!! The Pantry is staffed by an all volunteer group of amazing and kind hearted individuals which I am humbled to represent and keep our mission thriving. Most currently our largest fundraising activity-The Fairhaven Turkey Trot a 5K fun run/walk had 780 registered persons for the 8AM Thanksgiving race start time…..this truly brings and unites a community and “sensitizes” all persons to the reality of food insecurity here within the greater community.

My purpose again, Mr. Roth is to formally advise the Town of Fairhaven that we at The Shepherds Pantry, Inc. believe in our hearts that we can make a positive difference in the lives of whomever seeks food either as an individual or for that of their family. Seniors and children are at very high risk for not having enough to eat. The decision to pay heating costs or rent often dictate how much is left from a social security payout or a work paycheck to buy nutritional food items for dietary consumption.

Thank you and any other member of our Town government that has taken the time to read this brief letter of introduction on the workings of The Shepherds Pantry and is willing to perhaps take up the important work of providing food to those in need. I appreciate your due consideration.

Best and warmest regards,

Rob Shields-Director/The Shepherds Pantry, Inc.

From: Karen Vilandry To: Mark Rees; Anne O"Brien; Bill Roth; Dan Freitas; Robert J. Espindola; Charles K. Murphy Cc: [email protected]; Nils Isaksen; Bradydoug; Cathy Delano; Gail Isaksen Subject: Rogers School building Date: Wednesday, December 28, 2016 8:57:23 PM

To: Town of Fairhaven Board of Selectmen Fairhaven Town Administrator Fairhaven Town Planner

I would like to express my deepest concerns and ideas for the future use of the Rogers School building. As a town resident and taxpayer, I hope you consider my thoughts seriously.

As you know, the Rogers School was the first building donated to the Town of Fairhaven by Henry Huttleston Rogers, our town's benefactor. The Rogers School is part of the story of Henry Huttleston Rogers and his history with our town. Being centrally located along with his other buildings, it fits our historic village perfectly.

The Rogers School building needs to be retained by the Town of Fairhaven and essentially our taxpayers.

The building would be a good fit for the Fairhaven School Administration office, Fairhaven's cable access department, additional town offices as needed and the Fairhaven Tourism Office making it centrally located. These offices can provide you with how many square feet they need for their operations to be successful. The consulting group architect can make appropriate recommendations as to how you can arrange the building for these departments in such a way that is best suited for all.

You can sell the former Council on Aging building on Sconticut Neck Road and the current building on Washington Street used for the Fairhaven Public Schools Administration Office. This money could be used for the Rogers School building renovation project.

Grants can be researched by your Town Planner for further renovations for historic property. You can also network with New Bedford departments who can provide you with more information and even the MA Historic Commission for more help. Other state and federal offices can be investigated further.

Please keep in mind, that the consultant group you hired has already said that the Rogers School building is structurally sound. That's a great thing.

This is an exciting opportunity for our town and a chance to maintain a significant historic building for our residents now and in the future. Please make a wise decision in keeping this building.

Thank you.

Sincerely, Karen A. Vilandry 34 Huttleston Avenue Fairhaven, MA 02719

From: Cathy To: Bill Roth; Mark Rees; Robert J. Espindola; Daniel Freitas; Charles K. Murphy; [email protected] Subject: Rogers School comments for Kirk & Co. and posting Date: Monday, January 02, 2017 3:39:55 AM Attachments: Rogers School Letter 1 2 2017.docx

Bill,

Would you kindly post my attached comments re the Rogers School before the January meeting with Kirk & Co.?

Also, could you send me the link to read the comments received to date.

Happy New Year,

Cathy Delano To: Fairhaven Town Administrator, Mark Rees; Fairhaven BOS; Fairhaven Town Planner; Kirk & Co.

From: Cathy Delano

Subject: ROGERS SCHOOL

January 2, 2017

Dear All,

I write to comment on the fate of the Rogers School under consideration by the town and Kirk & Co.

Having read the thoughtful posted emails/letters on this subject, I agree with the majority opinion that we must find a way to insure the viability of the Rogers School building.

As has been said before, as many as five generations of Fairhaven residents has passed through the school making it not only a magnanimous first gift of Henry H. Rogers but truly a part of Fairhaven’s DNA.

It will take vision, political will, and a multi-year capital plan to insure the building’s future. The building must be perceived as an untapped asset to the town and not seen as a burden. It could be seen as “the gift that keeps on giving” providing a return on the town’s investment (to maintain) and one that can be capitalized upon (generating additional revenue streams while offsetting new building expenses).

Surely with the growth projections and various town departments in need of additional space, the Rogers School building could be utilized to accommodate planned growth rather than the added expense of creating new buildings. We have been told that the building is in very good condition. The exterior is solid and the interior could certainly be reconfigured and modernized to meet any identified need. Some space could be configured as leased offices with the intent of reverting to town offices as town growth requires.

Toward that end it would be imperative that Kirk & Co. be informed about the two other studies that need to be dovetailed with the Rogers School study namely, 1) the updated Master Plan and, 2) the assessment of all town owned buildings for consolidation. This would allow the Rogers School study to be a holistic rather than piecemeal understanding of the possibilities of maximizing space and efficiencies among all town departments.

One obvious need is a meeting space with proper acoustics and updated audio visual facilities. Would not the accrued funds from Comcast provide a cable access space that could be used by the town and its residents and/or rented out when not in use?

Education was central to HHR’s gift but it was a means to the end of keeping Fairhaven in the forefront of knowledge. Over 100 years ago he had the vision, will and where-with-all to equip Fairhaven for the future. Funny thing about the future – it keeps coming whether we have the foresight to meet it or not. The challenge before us is whether we can continue HHR’s vision and prepare our town for a future the HHR could never have imagined – a 21st Century version that requires new approaches for the digital age. But, regardless of the century, the fundamentals are the same. The big question is: can we capitalize on HHR’s gift and follow his example of vision, leadership, and political will to insure a better future for all Fairhaven’s residents?

Faced with a myriad of “why nots” I think HHR would say, “Where there is a will there is a way.” Let us live up to his example, demonstrate the will, and find a way!