Step 2 Application TOWN OF LENOX COMMUNITY PRESERVATION COMMITTEE APPLICATION FOR CPA FUNDING: Step 2 Date Received (for office use only) All applicants invited to submit Step 2 must include a copy of their Step 1 application. This application contains thirteen (13) questions which must be answered by ALL applicants. Category specific projects must also answer the specific category sections provided. If your project can be categorized into multiple CPA categories, you must provide responses to ALL pertinent category specific questions. You may attach additional sheets as necessary to answer the numbered questions. Please clearly organize and mark your additional sheets for the Committee’s review with your project name, contact information, and headings indicating which questions and category of project you are referencing in your narrative sheets. Please include page numbers. Address: Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary (Mass Audubon) 472 West Mountain Rd. Lenox, MA 01240 Map 21 Lot 1 Deed Book/Page: 557 / 454 1) Existing use or deed restrictions, permanent easements, historic designations, special permits, etc. if any: Mass Audubon acquired much of our land at Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, including the land that the barn occupies, from the Pleasant Valley Bird & Wild Flower Sanctuary, Inc. As such, it is effectively encumbered with a Charitable Trust. The property has been transferred from one conservation charity to another, with the expressed expectation that Mass Audubon would care for it in perpetuity as conservation land, consistent with our charitable purpose. The Pleasant Valley barn is listed on the Massachusetts Historical Commission historic inventory. 2) Project Budget (list all sources and uses, including grants, fundraising, etc.) Project Category Community Historic Housing Open Space Recreation Preservation Y1 Y2 Y3 Y4 Source Name Y5 Amount $75,000 $225,000 % of Total Used for Committed? Total Project Budget: $1,122,000 CPC Request: $300,000 1 Step 2 Application Attach additional budget sheets or project budget as necessary. Include project management, oversight, engineering, and administrative costs that may be incurred. Please refer to Mass Audubon’s overall project budget in Appendix A. 3) Timing of Funds: Describe when CPA funds and other funding sources are to be received. Mass Audubon has already begun raising funds for this project on a limited basis. Our intent is to fully develop a capital campaign aimed at raising approximately $1,122,000 to be applied to the design, construction, and long-term maintenance of the improved barn, of which we are asking the Lenox CPC to contribute $300,000. Although it is difficult to predict exactly when all our fundraising will be complete, we would expect to raise the necessary funds so that construction of the project can begin in the spring of 2020. We would request CPA funds be disbursed at key intervals throughout the construction period and once construction has been completed. 4) Proposed Use or Deed Restrictions after Project Completion (in accordance w/ CPA rules): Much of Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, including the land the barn occupies, is subject to, and encumbered by a charitable trust. Charitable trusts are enforced by the Commonwealth’s Office of the Attorney General. Mass Audubon fully intends to maintain and abide by the charitable trust established through the acquisition of the property from the Pleasant Valley Bird & Wild Flower Sanctuary, Inc., in perpetuity. 5) Describe the project team: The project team consists of the following: Mass Audubon Staff Becky Cushing, Sanctuary Director for Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary Stu Weinreb, Mass Audubon’s Director of Capital Assets & Planning Stephen Hutchinson, Regional Director Stephanie Bergman, Development Manager Consultant Team J Harwood Architect- Jim Harwood RA, LEED AP Hesnor Engineering Associates- Michael Trzcinski, PE, CPD, LEED AP Foresight Land Services, Inc.- Steven A. Mack, P.E. Barry Engineering and Constructors Inc. (BECI) - William Barry PE Craig Okerstrom-Lang, Landscape Architect See Appendix B for Resumes of Key Personnel. 6) Additional Information: Attach, as necessary, additional material including photographs, maps, letters of support, feasibility studies, ownership letters or site control verification, engineer or architect drawings. For Historic Preservation projects, if the project is not state register listed, the applicant must provide a letter from the Historical Commission which details the significant of the project to Lenox’s history, culture, architecture or archeology. 2 Step 2 Application See Appendix C for the following Additional Information: i. Photographs of barn, 1930s to the present ii. Massachusetts Historical Commission Inventory Form B iii. Lenox Historical Commission Letter iv. Letters of Support a. Lenox Public Schools (Morris Elementary Principal, Peter Bachli) b. Lenox Garden Club (President, Hilary Deely) c. Tanglewood Music Center (Director, Ellen Highstein) d. Berkshire Natural Resources Council (High Road Project Manager, Mackenzie Greer) e. Lenox Land Trust (President, Ken Kelly) f. Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health (Program Director, Stephen Daoust) g. Town residents: Andrea Goodman, Patty Spector, Dennis Arseneau, Michael Kaplan v. Architect Drawings – Jim Harwood a. Exterior of Proposed Barn Rehabilitation and Accessibility Upgrades b. Aerial view of Proposed Barn Rehabilitation and Accessibility Upgrades vi. Site Plan – Okerstrom-Lang vii. CPA Application – Step 1 3 Step 2 Application Funding Considerations (All applicants must fill out this section) 7) In what way is CPA funding a catalyst for leveraging other funding sources? Mass Audubon will launch a targeted fundraising campaign to raise the $1,122,000 needed to complete the Pleasant Valley barn capital project. Our preliminary feasibility research has surfaced three donors with the capacity to give $100,000-$300,000 each. Mass Audubon has committed $35,000 for the initial design work. An enthusiastic donor has already verbally pledged $10,000. During the past four years, we have seen a significant increase in philanthropic support of our Berkshire Wildlife Sanctuaries. Through a combination of income from family foundations, individual donors, and grants, annual support has grown 35% during the past three years with many 5-figure gifts and grants secured for special projects. We recently have hired a part-time Development Manager based at Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary to support the increased fundraising efforts in the Berkshires. In addition, the volunteer Sanctuary Advisory Committee is very enthusiastic about this project and willing to support the fundraising efforts. Mass Audubon’s board has reviewed and supports our application for Lenox CPA funding. Preliminary fundraising and feasibility will parallel the timeline of the CPA application process. We plan to continue our fundraising feasibility and pledge discussions with key donors and foundations through May 2019. We would launch the large public portion of the capital campaign in May 2019 if awarded Lenox CPA funding. The award from the Town of Lenox would position us to be launching our capital campaign from a position of strength and community support and would inspire others to give generously toward a project that will provide tangible and intangible return on investment to the community. 8) What is the breadth of impact on the lives of the citizens of the Town? Mass Audubon strives to create a welcoming presence for a wide range of visitors, including making our sanctuaries and nature centers more accessible for all to enjoy. At Pleasant Valley, a top priority is to continue making improvements to its operations to ensure that it is welcoming, inclusive, and accessible for all. We envision that this project would benefit every person in the Town of Lenox by 1) increasing access to and support of outdoor recreational opportunities, and 2) rehabilitating one of Lenox’s great historical assets by bringing it up to code compliance and making it more functional for all to use and enjoy. In 2012 and 2017 Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary made major upgrades and repairs to its universally accessible All Persons Trail, which provides trail and boardwalk access to the wetlands and to Pike’s Pond. Tens of thousands of visitors of all ages have enjoyed this trail as well as the other 7 miles of well- marked hiking trails at Pleasant Valley. The extensive trail system is supported by Pleasant Valley’s visitor amenities, including an accessible picnic area and nature play area. All access is free to Lenox residents. In addition to recreational access for hiking, Pleasant Valley offers many free and low-cost public programs, including bird walks, beaver walks, family nature rambles, firefly programs, Family Fun Day, live raptor shows, and nighttime wildlife walks. We provide year-long science programming to several grades at Morris Elementary school through our Berkshire Environmental Literacy program, including field trips and hands-on nature study at Pleasant Valley. Students use the barn space during inclement weather, or to eat their lunches during a field trip. During the summer, the Knee-high Naturalist program, a half-day camp program for 3- to 5-year olds, takes place in the barn. For many 4 Step 2 Application Lenox youngsters, this summer program provides important preparation for school in the fall. Currently, the barn restrooms inadequately serve the public, program and school participants. The Barn Rehabilitation