Letter: Clarifying Grafton Common improvements and bandstand work

The following was included as correspondence to the Select Board at the July 6 meeting.

We are writing to provide clarifying information relative to a June 1, 2021 Select Board discussion on the Grafton Common Improvements Project, which included our proposed plans for repairing and making the bandstand accessible. 

As a result of a miscommunication, the Commission was unable to offer responses to the questions posed at that meeting. We are thus providing the following information to both answer and offer context to those questions/concerns. 

• The warrant article approved at the May 2019 Town Meeting stipulated the funding for this project was to be used “for the purpose of restoring the historic Grafton Common.” This wording was deliberately chosen to provide the ability to address the potential for unknown conditions/situations that could develop during the restoration effort. 
• Repairs to the bandstand have been within the scope of work since the project’s inception and were specifically referenced during our May 2019 town meeting presentation. The only change since that scope was determined, is the level of deterioration to the lower section of the structure, which is far worse today than when those plans were originally conceptualized three years ago. The fact is, the magnitude of work now needed to restore the structure will trigger the requirement for accessibility under the Architectural Access Board’s regulations outlined within 521 CMR. 
• The subject of bandstand accessibility was included in the presentation provided at the May 2019 Town Meeting. Our support for addressing accessibility was clearly articulated as was the reason for its not being included in the project plan at that time. The accessibility modifications to the bandstand were not included because the town’s ADA Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan was still in process and the bandstand was known to be within the scope of the review being done for that plan. The Commission did make it a point to emphasize our desire to work together with the Select Board to address the accessibility needs of the structure once the plan’s priorities and timeline were defined. 
• Estimates obtained for the project were developed through a landscape design consultant hired by the Historic District Commission (HDC) to assist in developing this project. A conservative approach was purposefully used in arriving at the budget to help ensure the project would not be delayed by having underestimated the funding required to move it forward. 
• Contractor interest in the project was robust when it was posted and, ultimately, the project RFP received four qualified bids. Two of those bids were for amounts that were relatively close together on the lower end ($297,000 and $360,000). The other two were similarly close in amount but on the higher end ($596,000 and $674,000). 
• The lowest qualified bidder was the general contractor who solicited the most RFI’s during the bidding process. As Mr. Deschenes pointed out, this is a very good indication that they did the homework needed to provide a competitive bid. They also came with excellent references and, as a bonus, the owner is a Grafton High School alumnus with a connection to this town. 
• The lower than anticipated cost to complete this project combined with the fact that the ADA Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan has now been completed and specifically calls out the need for bandstand accessibility, has led us 2 to the conclusion that now is the right time to address this matter. We are offering to champion this effort working in coordination with the Disability Commission and Community Preservation Committee to make this happen. Starting over from scratch would, in our opinion, needlessly delay addressing an identified and highly visible accessibility issue, and the cost would almost certainly go up. 
• While not specifically included in the original project plan, we believe the accessibility of the bandstand falls well within the spirit of both the warrant article and the plans presented at the May 2019 Town Meeting. 

The Commission strongly supports providing accessibility to the bandstand as part of the Common Improvements Project and looks forward to the opportunity to work together with the Select Board to make this happen. 

The Commission will be holding a public hearing on this matter on June 23, 2021 at 7:00 pm in Conference Room F of the Municipal Center to present proposed plans and seek out public input. We hope that members of the Select Board can attend to offer input on how best to proceed with the needed work to the bandstand. We also look forward to meeting with you next month to discuss the proposed revisions to the original project plans. 

Thank you for your time and consideration. 

Sincerely, 

Bill Nicholson, John Morgan, Paul Scarlett, John Stephens and Brad Schlapak