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Planning Board Minutes F~ E C [ I liED
Present: H. Thomas French, Chair; B:~l~~~~~~ollins, Clerk; Doug Annino~ Mic~a~ti\S OFF ICE
McClanahan, Tony Jodice, Donald Cleary liiU8 ,;JG - 8 A q: 33
Olivier Kozlowski and Shawn MacDonald, Alternates
Shaun P. Burke, Director of Planning and Development
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1.1. MeetingtaUed to otder.at7:30p.....
'.2. Correspondence
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Mr. Jodice asked about the Water Department's bid for trucks and asked if they should
have come before CIP. Mr. Burke said because that department's capital projects are
funded out of enterprise accounts, they do not have to come before CIP.
Ms. Collins asked about the 560 West Street site plan requests for variances for low
impact development, and asked if those items should have to be variances. Mr. Burke
said the regulations could be amended to allow things, like no parking lot curbing, in
some areas of town. Mr. Annino said there would have to be some trade-offs, like
waiving curbing if it is part of a vegetated swale in a low-impact development. Mr.
Burke said the 560 West Street plan shows shallow swales and planted areas in the places
where they propose to eliminate curbing.
13. Form A (ANR) Plans
Mr. DiMascio showed the board a plan for land on the comer of King and County Streets
on the Foxboro town line and a letter regarding access to this site through Mary Avenue
and Admiral Street, both paper streets.
Mr. DiMascio said this is in the R3 zone and he would like to construct a private
driveway and three lots with duplexes.
Mr. French asked if the abutters to Admiral Street have any rights to the way. Mr.
DiMascio said he thinks they have frontage on King Street. Mr. French said that should
be investigated. Mr. Annino said it appears this plan shows some land being taken from
an abutter if Admiral Street were to be abandoned. Mr. Kozlowski asked if the legal
description for Mary A venue describes any easements for the abutters.
Mr. DiMascio said the County Street side of the site ifvery wet, but has some dry upland
at the comer.
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Mr. Annino asked if the lots would be done with a Form A. Mr. DiMascio said they
would propose to build a private way. Mr. Burke said that could be done if the way were
built to public way standards.
Mr. DiMascio said the parcels they are proposing to develop abut a parcel owned by the
town with six units in three duplexes. He said the inclusionary by-law would require one
affordable unit and he has spoken with the Mansfield Housing Authority, which has a
waiting list for two-bedroom units.
Mr. Maloon said there is sewer on King Street.
Mr. DiMascio said the Autumn Park subdivision also requires one affordable unit, and
said he was thinking about incorporating the Town of Mansfield land abutting the King
Street site into their plan, building a fourth duplex on it and giving the two units to the
Housing Authority to own and manage. He said they would meet the financial
guidelines set forth by DHCD.
Mr. DiMascio showed the board a cluster layout with four duplex units. The 50-foot
buffer from the edge of the wetlands would be conveyed to the Conservation
Commission. The cluster would pull the buildings further from the edge of the wetlands.
Mr. McClanahan asked about the roadway standard. Mr. DiMascio said they would bring
it as close to public way standard as possible within the 40-foot layout. Mr. Burke said
this would have to come in as a special permit with a 40-foot layout rather than 50 feet.
Mr. French asked if the three-lot plan could be built by right if Admiral Street can be
abandoned. Mr. Burke said that is what would have to be demonstrated on a full set of
plans. He said it appears from the sketch plan that the lots would need 7,500 square foot
of area per unit and 80 feet of frontage.
Mr. Annino said he would be uncomfortable with the T -type intersection for the proposed
number of units. He said if this were done right, it could be a nice development. Mr.
French asked if the T-type intersection has been done in subdivisions. Mr. Burke said
Day A venue has that type of intersection.
Mr. DiMascio said he has spoken with the Fire Department, who said they wouldn't be
uncomfortable with the T -type as long as the side radius is 40 feet.
Ms. Collins said with a 40-foot layout and sidewalk on one side, there may be room for a
grass strip separating the sidewalk from the street.
The clerk read the public hearing notice.
Mr. Annino told the board he is an abutter to this project and left the table.
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Ralph Maloon, RIM Engineering, explained the plan has changed from a six lot to a five
lot cluster subdivision. A small triangle of land will be conveyed to the Mitchells next
door on Williams Street. Robinson Pond is on the west side of the site with a fringe of
wetland along the pond, and another to the east off the site, which Mr. Maloon said they
will stay at least 100 feet away from.
Mr. Maloon presented the conventional plan showing that five lots could be built.
The proposed plan has about 300 feet of road with a 50-foot wide common area around
the east side of the property, 150 feet wide behind lots 2 and 3 and 100 feet to the rear of
lot 4.
Mr. Maloon showed the proposed building envelopes for each lot. Mr. French asked how
close the new houses would be to Gordon Court. Mr. Maloon said the closest in that area
would be 170 feet, with 120 feet near the pond. The closest the houses would be to the
wetland would be 65-110 feet.
Mr. Maloon said pre-development, the east side of the site drains toward the wetland, a
large piece in the center of the site flows toward Williams Street to the pond, and the
remainder flows to the pond. Post-development, the drainage will go through an
easement to a swale running through the common area and the back of the lots to a small,
20' x 60' retention area. There will be four basins connected to an oiVwater separator
connected to a drain line to the pond. There will also be two small swales on the site and
a four-foot high berm with a V -notch outlet. Instead of a concrete wall outlet, they are
proposing to use turf stone to shape the culvert. Turf stone has about 40% void and will
be filled with loam so it looks like a grassed area. He said this system was used on
Patriot's Way, and after a little aging, it looks natural.
Mr. French asked if the graded areas on Sheet 3 are for the houses or the septic systems;
Mr. Maloon said those are for the houses. Mr. French asked if there is room for septic
systems on all the lots. Mr. Maloon said there is, and they have done all the soil testing.
Mr. Burke asked to clarify the post-development drainage. Mr. Maloon said none of the
Williams Street water comes onto this land now, and none of the water from this site goes
onto Williams Street. He said the four basins will go through an oil-water separator into
the pond. Mr. Burke asked if the Gordon Court swale and swale near the pond will pick
up sheet flow; Mr. Maloon said they will. Mr. Burke asked what happens to the water
that goes toward the wetland to the east off the site; Mr. Maloon said it would continue bt
they will not be sending more water that way. Mr. Burke said less water would also be a
problem because it would starve the wetland. Mr. Maloon said it came out almost equal.
Department Head Comments
The clerk read memos from Police, Fire, Conservation, Engineering, Electric and Water.
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Mr. Maloon said the road has been shortened and the water line has been looped within
the subdivision. He said the Fire and Water Departments indicate the utility connection
to Gordon Court should be kept, as originally proposed. Mr. French asked if that
connection could be done; Mr. DiMascio said there is a strip of land between this site and
Gordon Court that he doesn't own, so there is a question about whether that connection
can be done. Mr. Burke said the Gordon Court plan showed a future possible connection
for a through road, which is not part of this proposal.
Mr. Maloon said Mr. Alves does not recommend granting the waiver for road grading.
Mr. Burke noted the gutter line elevations will be the same; the difference will be off the
paved surface.
Mr. French noted Williams Street is a scenic roadway. Mr. Maloon said there are no
stone walls and he doesn't think he will be removing any trees within the public way; Mr.
Burke said if that is the case, a scenic road public hearing will not be needed.
Mr. Burke said there is a 50-foot wide, lO-foot deep parcel between this site and Gordon
Court that is still owned by the Gordon Court developer. He said in the interest of water
quality and public safety, the two developers could come to an agreement about access.
Mr. Burke said the difference between looping the water main around the cul-de-sac and
back up the new roadway and putting it through Gordon Court is about 50 feet of water
main. He said he would agree with the Water Department's request to work out the
easement through Gordon Court. Mr. DiMascio said he would look into it.
Public Comment
The clerk read a letter from Susan Donigan Smith, abutter on Williams Street.
Clement Kiley, 10 Gordon Court, asked if the buffer zone will be left intact. Mr. French
said it would. Mr. Kiley asked if the owner of the land between this site and Gordon
Court is paying taxes on the land. Mr. DiMascio said he didn't know. Mr. French said if
a special permit is issued, it will have a condition that the open space will be left in its
natural state and not be further developed.
Michelle Busharis, 175 Tremont Street, asked about open space along the pond for public
use. She asked what the purpose of the open space is if noone can use it. Mr. DiMascio
said the common open space abuts the pond for about 100 feet. Mr. Maloon said the
benefit is less roadway for the town to maintain and more buffer for the abutters. Ms.
Busharis said the cul-de-sac is very large; Mr. Maloon said the requirements have
changed, and the larger cul-de-sac allows them to save more large trees. Mr. DiMascio
said they plan to keep the cul-de-sac as natural as possible; he said while this would be a
town way, the town will not maintain the island.
Mr. Maloon presented a plan of the cul-de-sac island, including the trees that will be
saved, and additional plantings. There is a dashed line showing the limit of construction;
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he said there is very little contour change. Mr. DiMascio said the additional plantings are
drought resistant and not deer friendly.
Mark Busharis, 175 Tremont Street, said the roadway runoff will go down the road to the
catch basins through an easement; he asked who owns the easement; Mr. DiMascio said
they have worked out an easement with the Mitchells.
Mr. Busharis asked how the lots will shed; Mr. Maloon said the land at the top of the site
that currently sheds toward Donigan will be intercepted and put into catch basins. Mr.
Busharis said the land slopes toward the wetland to the east. He asked where the limit of
construction would be. Mr. DiMascio said the top of the site will have the 50-foot buffer
and a 20-foot building envelope setback. Mr. Busharis asked who enforces the common
open space; Mr. French explained the building inspector enforces the conditions of the
special permit.
Mr. Maloon said the street drainage all goes into the catch basins and will not go off site.
Mr. Busharis asked if the swale along the pond is the only one; Mr. Maloon said the one
along the pond is the largest; he said when the houses are built, they may need a few
small, shallow swales. He said the swale along the pond is about four feet wide and
between six inches and two feet along the side of the hill. He said it may be four feet
deep at its deepest. Mrs. Busharis said that swale crosses the open space; Mr. Maloon
said the swale will be between existing trees and not be noticeable after a few months.
Mr. Kiley asked how long water will stay in the swale. Mr. Maloon said the 100-year
storm will go into the ground in 2-3 hours after the end of the storm. Mr. Kiley said there
are a lot of small children in the neighborhood. Mr. Maloon said the V -notch in the
swale is level with the bottom, so what doesn't go into the ground will go into the pond.
Paula Creeden, 143 Tremont Street, asked what will be visible across the pond from the
bridge. Mr. Maloon said the houses would be visible in the winter, but probably not in
the summer. Ms. Creeden asked if the trees would be cut in the swale area; Mr. Maloon
said they would not be. Mr. DiMascio said he will try to save as many trees as possible
throughout the site. Mr. Jodice said once the lots are conveyed, the residents will be able
to cut trees within the limits of the building envelope and the Conservation Commission's
50-foot no-touch zone. Mr. Busharis asked if someone could put a dock on the pond.
Mr. Burke said that would probably require Army Corps approval.
Board Comment
Mr. Cleary said Mr. Alves' memo noted Williams Street has been paved within the last
five years, so the road could not be opened before September 2009. Mr. Burke noted the
rights granted under a special permit have to be exercised within two years of the grant of
the permit, so there could be an issue with opening Williams Street. He said work within
in the site could be done without disturbing Williams Street. Mr. DiMascio said in the
worst case, they would still have a year to take substantial use of the permit after
September 2009.
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Mr. McClanahan asked if the developer would contact Ms. Donigan about her concerns
and the Gordon Court developer about the water main extension. Mr. DiMascio said he
would. He said the easement he is doing on Autumn Park has been an issue because of
the clearing of a swath of land that would be necessary to install the water line. Mr.
Kiley said that would change the buffer zone and the open space. Mr. Burke said it is a
benefit to the system for water quality, as well as a water main break issue. He said with
a number of utilities in a 22-foot wide roadway, there can be maintenance issues. Mr.
DiMascio said if the connection was made to Gordon Court, there would have to be more
trees removed, but the area would be reestablished after construction.
Mr. Burke said the original plan for this site showed two gravel roads parallel to the
easement; this plan doesn't show those. Mr. DiMascio said Engineering agreed those
were not necessary for the town to access for maintenance. Mr. Burke said if this gets
built and something happens to the swale, it would be because of a tree, limb or a
homeowner putting grass clippings in the swale, and the town would maintain it by hand.
Mr. Busharis said Williams Street is a busy, narrow street. Mrs. Busharis said at this
point, Williams goes up and bends, so people will have a hard time seeing. Mr. Maloon
said there is a 20-foot sideline radius with a 34-foot gutterline radius. He said they have
426 feet sight distance one way and 320 feet sight distance in the other. Mr. French said
the board will ask Officer Lawson to look at that again.
Motion: To continue the public hearing to September 10, 2008 at 8:30 p.m.
(McClanahan-Cleary) All in favor. PASSES
Mr. Burke asked when the board would like to meet with the Board of Selectmen to
present the Master Plan. The board discussed September 10 or 24. Mr. Annino
suggested the board schedule a significant amount of time with the Board of Selectmen.
Mr. Annino said one of the issues that came out of the Master Plan was sustainability,
and said the town should be the leader on that issue. He suggested working with Mr.
Burke on a letter to the Board of Selectmen on this issue.
Mr. Annino asked about setting up a schedule to work on the Master Plan issues. Ms.
Collins suggested having that implementation schedule for the meeting with the Board of
Selectmen. Mr. French said the board should discuss amending zoning for site plan; he
said that was the message the board got at Annual Town Meeting.
Motion: To adjourn at 9:45 p.m. (McClanahan-Annino) All in favor. PASSES
Next meeting: Wednesday, August 6, 2008 at 7:30 p.m.
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Signature of Clerk Date of Approval
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