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HomeMy WebLinkAboutmin of planning brd 02062008 Pla~~:~~;;~~ ~~~utes Wi: ~tS~:lf~sEgFF ICE Present: H. Thomas French, Chair; John DeMassi, Clerk; DOl}ijtmw<?:,To~ ~d~, Beth Ashman-Collins, Stan Feck; Donald Cleary, Alternate "In. 0 Shaun P. Burke, Director of Planning and Development 1>.,; t:~:' c~ I ~ I n 1. Meeting called to order at 7:30 p.m. MASSl\,CHUSETTS Mr. French welcomed Mr. Cleary to the board. I 2. Correspondence 1. January 23,2008 minutes Motion: To approve as submitted (Annino-Jodice) Four in favor. Two abstained. PASSES 2. ZBA decisions - 395 Oakland Street (granted); 31 Millfarm Drive (granted) 3. January building permit summary 4. January 22, 2008 letter from Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin re: Springbrook Cemetery National Register of Historic Places status 5. Meeting notices - Easton, Norton, Sharon 6. Mass Association of Regional Planning Agencies publication "A Best Practices Model for Streamlined Local Permitting" 7. The Beacon I 3. Form A (ANR) Plans School Street Lots 54, 279, 287, 295 - Hecht Development The application seeks to eliminate interior lot lines to consolidate the four lots into one. Motion: To endorse the Form A plan (McClanahan-Annino) All in favor. PASSES I 4. Around the Table Mr. French said he met with the Board of Selectmen and discussed what the Planning Board is doing, including the Master Plan. Mr. Annino said he was disappointed there were only two selectmen at that meeting. Mr. DeMassi asked about the bridge work on Route 106; Mr. Burke said there is more work to be done, including paving, but the structural work is complete. [Mr. Feck arrived at this time.] Mr. Annino asked if Mr. Burke has been in touch with the Master Plan consultants. Mr. Burke said he has been, and Mr. Pereira has been discussing needs with each department. Mr. French asked about the 75 Chauncy Street public hearing; Mr. Burke said the applicant has requested a continuance until March 19. He said the applicant would need a commercial parking lot license from the Board of Selectmen, as well as the special permit from the Planning Board for the use. He said another option would be to file with the Zoning Board of Appeals to expand a pre-existing, non-conforming use. He said the Board of Selectmen's moratorium on new parking lots is in place until Fall 2008. Planning Board 1 2/19/2008 4. Special Permit Public Hearing - 315-339 School Street - Pinnacle Partners The clerk read the public hearing notice. Attorney Edward Valanzola, representing Pinnacle Partners, explained there is already a special permit on this site. Since the approval, additional land has been acquired and an additional building is proposed, for a total of three. There is a right-in only curb cut being proposed at the Route 140 end of the site. Tim Williams, Allen and Major Associates, explained the changes to the plans. He said they have received and addressed comments from the Engineering Department. Mr. Williams said the site is about four acres with two existing curb cuts; one will be abandoned. There will be a sewer main with a 30-foot wide easement through the site. The main site drive is aligned with the Borders entrance of Mansfield Crossing. Traffic will be both one-way and two- way throughout the site. The right-in driveway will also be used for larger trucks entering the site. Mr. Williams explained there will be a guardrail along the rear of the site. The dumpster has been relocated. Crosswalks will be stamped concrete. He said the parking meets all requirements, with 24-foot travel aisles. There are 147 parking spaces, with six handicapped spaces centrally located at each building. Mr. Williams explained the drainage system will use both infiltration and detention and will be tied into the existing drainage on site and to the town's system on School Street. Mr. Williams explained the utilities will include the sewer main easement, with the buildings tied into the existing sewer main. The water line will be routed through the center of the site and distributed to each building. The Fire Department has requested the water line be looped. Pinnacle is working with the gas company, which has indicated it will run the main through the shoulder of the road to the property line, and Pinnacle will bring it into the site. Pinnacle is working with the Electric Dept to relocate the existing light poles and to replace transformers. They are working on getting electric loads for the site, and may be able to use two instead of three transformers. Mr. Williams said they meet landscaping and setback requirements with the new plan. Mr. Jodice asked how the delivery trucks will navigate the site. Mr. Williams said they would enter the right-only driveway, go around the back of the buildings, and leave by the main entrance. He said the truck turning templates all work. Mr. Jodice said he was concerned about the vegetation at the main entrance blocking the first few parking spaces. Mr. Williams said that buffer could be shifted. Mr. Jodice asked when the sewer main would be installed. Mr. Burke said he believes it is imminent. Planning Board 2 2/19/2008 Mr. Jodice asked if there will be a traffic light at the main entrance. Mr. Major said there will not. Mr. DeMassi said there was so much traffic during the holidays at the Borders entrance to Mansfield Crossing that the entrance had to be shut down. Mr. Major said there are certain traffic thresholds that must be met for the installation of a traffic light, which this project does not meet. Mr. Jodice asked who would pay for the police details when they are necessary. Mr. Burke said the Police Chief would work that out. Mr. Feck asked if the large building would be a single store. Mr. Hoppe said he anticipates that being divided up into several stores. Mr. Feck asked about the dumpsters. Mr. Williams said they would be emptied daily, or however often necessary. Mr. Hoppe showed the board architectural elevations for the buildings. He said they used the same design and material elements as approved in the original special permit. Mr. McClanahan asked how many stores would be in the largest building. Mr. Hoppe said it depends on the tenants; there could be four or five. Mr. DeMassi asked if there are any restaurants at the site. Mr. Hoppe said there has been interest from a restaurant in the 4,800 square foot building. Mr. French asked if there is enough parking for a restaurant; Mr. Hoppe said there is. Mr. Hoppe said the architecture would evolve as the tenants are identified. Mr. Annino said that is not going to satisfy the board, which is going to want to see architectural detail before the site is rented. He said he thought the board would want to see this site use similar architecture to the other retail developments in the area. Mr. Hoppe said they used design elements from the Mansfield Crossing architecture. Mr. Annino disagreed and said the facades have to be more detailed. Department Head Comments The clerk read a memo from Engineering. Mr. Williams said they are working on a response to the department head comments, and will include responses to the board's comments. The clerk read memos from Police, Electric, Fire, Water, Conservation. Board Comment Ms. Collins said another development on this side of School Street provided a more detailed landscaping plan and bike racks. She said this plan should take pedestrians into consideration by adding crosswalks and bringing the sidewalk into the site. Mr. DeMassi asked if there should be a walkway between the two driveways. Mr. Hoppe explained the area across School Street is a detention area, so there probably won't be people coming across from that point. Ms. Collins said she would like to see bike racks at this site. She said the long building is going to be a design challenge, and she would like to see a better landscaping plan. She said the circulation on this plan works better than the original plan. Mr. Feck asked if there is two-way traffic coming out of the Border's entrance at Mansfield Crossing. Mr. Burke said there is. Mr. Feck said he would be concerned about cars leaving both driveways at the same time. Mr. Major said they have laid it out so that cars leaving both sites will not cross paths. He said the main entrance has been Planning Board 3 2/19/2008 widened from the original plan. Mr. Annino asked if the entrance is the same as the Hecht development; Mr. Burke said it is very similar. Mr. Feck said the roofline on the largest building is very long and should be broken up, as should the siding. Mr. Burke said the board approved an architectural theme on Mansfield Crossing, and the developer came back for the details on each building. Mr. Hoppe said they would go back and look at the architecture. Mr. Annino asked if the Hecht development is right next to this; Mr. Burke said there is a 50-foot strip between them. Mr. Annino said it is too bad the two couldn't be connected. Mr. Hoppe said that 50-foot strip is owned by WS Development, which owns Mansfield Crossing, and is related to their drainage. He said he has approached WS Development, which does not want to sell. Mr. Annino asked if the board could approach WS. Mr. Burke said he could contact them. He said there are wetland issues in that area. Mr. Annino asked how the retaining walls would be built and whether there is enough land on the Pinnacle property to do that work. Mr. Annino asked the size of the dumpster enclosure and how many dumpsters would be inside. Mr. Williams said he will add the dimensions to the plan, and it will be large enough for 3 or 4 dumpsters. Mr. Annino asked if there are interior roof drains. Mr. Williams said they have header pipe around the building. Mr. Hoppe said the mechanical equipment will be inside the mansard roofs and will not be exposed. Mr. Annino asked about site lighting. He said he would like to see a cut of the poles and a detail of the light pole base, which shouldn't be more than six inches above grade. Mr. Annino asked about signage. Mr. Hoppe said there will be a sign at the entrance. Mr. Annino asked for a detail of that. Mr. Annino asked for details of the dumpster enclosure and guard rail. He suggested benches along with the bike racks. Mr. Annino said there are exit doors opening onto the loading zone behind the buildings; he asked for a detail of how that will be handled. He suggested bollards or a sidewalk. Mr. Annino asked for details of walkway widths. Mr. Annino said any restaurant will need a grease trap. Mr. DeMassi asked if this would be a new special permit; Mr. Burke said it would, but the original special permit would be an addendum. Mr. DeMassi asked if the developer would be opposed to eliminating the original special permit; Mr. Valanzola said they would not be. Planning Board 4 2/19/2008 Mr. DeMassi said he wasn't in favor of the original plan on this site because of the circular path of traffic, which pedestrians would have to cross to go around the building in the middle. He said he is happy with what has been done to the left side of the plan, but is still concerned about the traffic flow and parking around the middle building. Mr. DeMassi asked to see a detail about the dumpster screening. He asked what is on the other side of the row of trees at the back; Mr. Williams said it is the railroad tracks. He said there is a fence behind them, which is on the railroad property. Mr. DeMassi asked about the existing light poles; Mr. Hoppe said they will be removed. Mr. DeMassi asked if there will be additional requests for other signs other than the entrance sign. Mr. Hoppe said there will not be, other than the building signage. Ms. Collins said she doesn't like the proposed name "Mansfield Commons." Mr. DeMassi asked to see the sidewalk widths and sidewalks at the back entrances. Motion: To continue the public hearing to March 19,2008 at 8:30 p.m. (Annino-McClanahan) All in favor. PASSES 5. Special Permit Public Hearing -75 Chauncy Street Parking Facility - Joseph Ditchman The clerk read a request from the applicant's engineer to continue the public hearing. Motion: To continue the public hearing to March 19,2008 at 8:00 p.m. (DeMassi-Annino) All in favor. PASSES 6. Public Hearing continued - Stanley Village Residential Cluster - 5 Lots off Bird Road - Folkman & Zola Builders Ralph Maloon, RIM Engineering, explained the changes to the plans. Building envelopes have been added, the road has been shifted and the cul-de-sac island redesigned. Mr. Maloon said there is a steep right-to-Ieft bank at the entrance to the road and he is proposing a retaining wall. The pavement width has been changed to 22 feet, with a sidewalk on one side. Mr. Maloon said they have done all the soil testing. The water main is being connected through an easement to Mary Dee Lane. He said they will need an easement from the Mary Dee Lane homeowner's association and possibly the owner of that lot. Mr. Maloon showed the board a landscaping plan, including wetland species. They are proposing a typical stone wall and landscaping at the entrance. Planning Board 5 2/19/2008 Mr. Maloon said he is showing stone along the edge of the roadway on the side with no houses. Ms. Collins suggested planting wild grasses or flowers instead of stone. Mr. Zola said that would be fine with him. Department Head Comments The clerk read a memo from the Engineering Department, Electric, Water, Police Board Comment Mr. Jodice asked if the water loop could be done without an easement. Mr. Zola said they will need an easement to loop the water main, but they aren't sure if they need an easement from the Mary Dee Lane homeowner's association, from the landowner the easement will pass through, or from both. Mr. Maloon said they plan to loop the water main as long as there are no issues with the abutters. Mr. Zola said he will repair any damage done to Mary Dee Lane during construction. Mr. Jodice asked about the island; Mr. Maloon said it has a 48-foot radius. Mr. McClanahan suggested shrinking that and adding more pavement at the back. Ms. Collins said she appreciates the developer addressing the board's comments, especially the safety issue at Bird Road. She suggested reconsidering the "village" name. Mr. Annino said the landscaping plan for the circle should include plant sizes; trees should be 2 Y2 inch caliper. Mr. Maloon said Engineering wants trees on the left side of the road, 50 feet apart. Mr. Annino said he doesn't think there is room for those trees. He suggested wild seed mix. Mr. Annino asked for a detail of the entrance wall. Mr. Annino asked for a detail about the planting along the abutting property. Mr. Annino asked about street lights; Mr. Maloon said this will be a public way, so they will have to be the town's standard lights. The utilities will be underground. Mr. Annino asked about the drainage swale; Mr. Maloon said it would be a shallow swale, three feet wide and two feet deep. He said the site currently sheds in the direction of Mary Dee Lane; post-development, there will be no water shedding that way. Mr. McClanahan asked who would maintain the swale. Mr. Burke said it would have to be on a lot and the deed would have to include a no-touch restriction. Mr. Burke asked about the two 30-foot easements Mr. Alves mentioned. Mr. Maloon said they are from the site to the remaining land and from the remaining land to the power lines. Mr. Zola said he has been approached by the Light Department about possibly using his remaining land for a new substation. Mr. Burke said Mr. Alves suggested a chain-link fence around the top of the drainage basin. He said he doesn't like the idea of a fence at the top of the basin, but he is Planning Board 6 2/19/2008 concerned about the slope. Mr. French suggested flattening the slope out to 4-1 and avoiding the fence. Mr. Maloon said instead of impervious at the bottom, a layer of heavy compost at the bottom would stay wet longer. Public Comment Chris Passaglia, 8 Mary Dee Lane, asked about the stakes that have been posted. Mr. Maloon said those are survey stakes. Adam Zaret, 12 Mary Dee Lane, asked about the distances between the new and existing houses. Mr. Maloon explained the closest would be about 85 feet, more if the septic systems are at the back. Brian Karas, 6 Mary Dee Lane, asked about the easement issue. Mr. Zola said they would sit down with all the homeowners to discuss that. Mr. Karas asked about the swale. Mr. Zola said it would run along the back of their property to stop the water from flowing toward Mary Dee Lane. He said the swale will be on the lots and will not encroach the 25-foot buffer. Karen Karas asked where the easement will go. Mr. Maloon explained it would cross a couple of feet of the Karas property to Mary Dee Lane. Roger Paquette, 61 Bird Road, asked if there will be streetlights on the new road. Mr. Maloon showed their locations on the plan. The first street light will be about 150 feet down the new road. Mr. Zaret asked where the proposed power station is. Mr. Burke said he doesn't believe the town knows at this point. Motion: To continue the public hearing to March 19, 2008 at 9:00 p.m. (McClanahan-DeMassi) All in favor. PASSES I 6. Public Comment /7. Around the Table I 8. Adjournment Motion: To adjourn at 10:30 p.m. (Jodice-Feck) All in favor. PASSES Next meeting: Wednesday, March 5, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. , (I(re~neSday, February 27,2008 at 7:30 p.m. (Master Plan) ,~~(v :1/ Sh006 I · Clerk Date of Approval Planning Board 7 2/19/2008