Ames Shovel Works Redevelopment
Selectmen's Presentation for April 25, 2011
Ames Shovel Works Appraisal - March 2011
The proposal to use CPA funds to preserve and restore the Ames Shovel Works Complex and other, related warrant articles were heard and approved at Special Town Meeting on April 5th. To see Special Town Meeting Warrant Results, click here.
For more information, please contact Planning Director, Brad Washburn at 508-230-0643.
Information will be posted on this website as it becomes available. Please contact the Department of Planning & Community Development for information related to the Special Town Meeting. Warrant articles will include:
- New Information! CPA Funding for Preservation of the Ames Shovel Works Complex
- Creation of a Sewer Enterprise Fund
- Funding for Wastewater Treatment Facility
- New Information! Proposed UCH-TIF District and Plan
Preservation of the Ames Shovel Works Complex
On February 11, the Community Preservation Committee voted to recommend funding Beacon Communities Development's proposal to support historic preservation and affordable housing development at the Ames Shovel Works site, which is also known as the Shovel Shops. The proposal calls for a combination of loans and grants to support the restoration and redevelopment of the Ames Shovel Works site as a new residential community.
Read the full proposal, here. See the presentation to the CPC (1/28/2010), or read the Department of Planning & Community Development's answers to frequently asked questions (amended 3-15-2010).
- 2010-05-19 Application for Amended Comprehensive Permit submitted to Easton Board of Appeals by Beacon Communities
- 2010-04-26 Amended and Approved Letter of Intent - Ames Shovel Works (Draft Terms of Development Agreement)
- Rendering of proposed redevelopment
- Conceptual Site Plan
- Demolition plan, compared with previous proposal
Letters of Support
The Community Preservation Committee received a number of letters of support, from the following sources:
- Easton Board of Selectmen
- Nation Trust for Historic Preservation
- PreservationMass
- Easton Fair & Affordable Housing Partnership
The Easton Historical Commission, Planning & Zoning Board, and Board of Selectmen have also voted to support this project.
The Board of Selectmen from the Town of Sharon submitted this letter of recommendation of Beacon Communities.
Additional Information
Town Accountant Wendy Nightingale performed an analysis of the Town's ability to use CPA funds to purchase the priority acquisition parcels if this project moves and is funded. Read the analysis here.
The Town engaged financial consultant George Cole to review the financial aspects of the proposal.
Applicant Beacon Communities Development was recently profiled in Bay State Apartments Magazine. Read the article on Beacon's recent success in historic renovations here.
Read the Finance Committee's memo (1-25-2010) and a response (2-2-2010) from DPCD staff.
Have comments or questions? Submit them here.
Creation of Enterprise Fund
The North Easton Village was established as the highest-needs area in Easton for sewer in the 2005 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan. There is no cost to establishing a Sewer Enterprise Fund. It sets the stage to manage future sewer activities. A Sewer Enterprise Fund:
- Allows the Town to account for, and manage, specific sewer based activities separate from the general fund.
- Allows operating costs, fees, and capital projects to be charged to the sewer users, rather than the whole Town.
- Mirrors the successful method of operation for the current Easton Water system. Builds a “self sufficient” utility that balances sewer expenses with sewer revenue sources.
Funding for Wastewater Treatment Facility
The current owners of the Shovel Shops have received preliminary approvals for a Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF) and groundwater discharge system for 36,000 gallons per day (gpd) of treatment capacity and groundwater discharge on Shovel Shop site. Because the proposed Beacon development only requires approximately 22,000 gpd, there is an excess capacity of at least 14,000 gpd to serve the North Easton Village.
The North Easton Village was identified as having the highest needs for sewer in Easton, due to the small lot sizes, high groundwater, and high rate of septic failurs.
- Septic Repairs and Variances Required in the North Easton Village
- Potential Sewer Phases for Future Capacity
Town Meeting will be asked to appropriate $1.5M to fund design and construction of the WWTF. This figure is based on the estimate to design and build the WWTF described in the current owners' draft permit. The debt on the WWTF will eventually be paid back by sewer users through sewer bills (like debt on water facilities is paid back through water bills).
The Town is researching options to build a “bigger and better” WWTF to serve more parcels in North Easton Village. The sewer district has not yet been defined, as more engineering work is needed to determine how many and which homes and businesses can be served with the capacity available in the existing permit, and to determine if a new permit can be obtained with greater capacity.
Proposed UCH-TIF District and Plan
The Urban Center Housing Tax Increment Finance (UCH-TIF) program is a state program to promote affordable housing in commercial districts. The Town Meeting Article will be to adopt the Zone, which outlines the boundaries of the UCH-TIF District, and the UCH-TIF Plan (see amended plan text), which demonstrates to DHCD that the District qualifies under the statute and describes the project intended for the UCH-TIF Agreement. Although the district contains many properties, the Town Meeting vote will only authorize the Board of Selectmen to enter into a UCH-TIF agreement to freeze taxes at their current levels, plus an inflationary factor, at the Shovel Shop site.
Any future UCH-TIF agreement must be re-authorized by a Town Meeting vote. Other properties included in the district will not be affected by this warrant article.
A UCH-TIF Zone must be larger than one property, must include at least one property intended to be redeveloped as affordable housing and subject to the Agreement, and must have a higher daytime than nighttime population. Only properties subject to a UCH-TIF Agreement are subject to the tax-freeze, even if they are in the district. Although the term zone is used, the UCH-TIF zone is not a zone pursuant to MGL c.40A, the Zoning Act. Instead, it is a district like a Business Improvement District.
The UCH-TIF Zone has been amended in response to recommendations from the Finance Committee.
- See the amended plan text (3-31-2010)
- Amended land use map (4-1-2010)
- Amended zoning (4-1-2010)
The Terms of Agreement is between the Board of Selectmen and the developer, and will be drafted after Town Meeting. The terms of the agreement are outlined in a general way in the Draft Development Agreement.
- Information about the UCH-TIF Program
- Download the proposed UCH-TIF plan and application
- See the proposed TIF District Map
Annual Town Meeting
Annual Town Meeting will convene on Monday, May 17, 2010. Annual Town Meeting will be held at 7:00 pm in the Oliver Ames High School Auditorium.
Warrants need to be filed with the Town Clerk's Office two weeks prior to the date of a Town Meeting.