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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning 03/20/2024RECEIVED TOWN CLERKS OFTWOn of Mansfield piq tAO 2 8 A Meeting Minutes " March 20, 2024 f Pq ARow, Mansfield, MA 02048 Meeting Held in Person at 500 East Street Public Safety Building Community Room Planning Board Present: Joseph Cerretani, Chair; Sharon Friedman, Clerk; Ralph Penney; Michael Feck; Beth Ashman -Collins; Mark Corsillo; Sreelatha Allam, Associate and James Turnbull, Associate Sarah Raposa, Director of Planning & Development Priscilla McGill, Administrative Secretary Absent: Michael McClanahan Joseph Cerretani, Chair opened the meeting. This was a public meeting for the discussion of the Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Parkway. The Town consultant for this project, VHB, presented the roadway design to the Planning Board and the public. Presenters for the session were: Mansfield: Sarah Raposa, Director of Planning and Development; Chris McDermott, Economic Development Director and Josh Reinke, DPW Director VHB: Jamie Pisano, Chief Highway Engineer Ms. Raposa began the session by stating that the meeting's purpose was to present the conceptual plan for the Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Parkway. She noted the agenda for the meeting would be a presentation of the conceptual plans, a summary of the history, and then questions or comments from the Planning Board and the audience. She then spoke of the plans Planning Board Meeting Minutes 3/20/24 Page 1 of 3 i I i i for this district beginning in 2014 forming a Strategic Development Committee that worked with the Planning Board for plans of district design, permitting, uses, and commuter traffic. Mr. Pisano explained the history of the concept plan for the secondary access at the County Street and N. Main Street intersection. Mr. McDermott explained that beginning in 2020, the Strategic Development Committee's recommendations were codified into the Town's Master Plan. This then led to the TOD visioning process. He reviewed the existing conditions and parcels, which are controlled by four property owners. Critical to the development of the MSROD would be creating a roadway or a parkway to provide access that would guide cars away from the neighborhood near the train station. In 2022 the Town signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the two private property owners (stakeholders) for a shared vision for this district. Mr. McDermott then reviewed the 2022-2023 public outreach aspect of this project which consisted of workshops, cable programs, Planning Board discussions, advertising, and Public Hearings, all leading to the 2023 Annual Town Meeting passage of Phase I of the TOD overlay zoning district. Mr. Reinke highlighted the parallel project that is working with MassDOT for major improvements to Route 106 from Route 140 to North Main Sheet. This would result in traffic improvements, a new intersection proposed at the parkway, and better signaling. Ms. Raposa briefly spoke about the passage of the 2023 Zoning Bylaw for Phase I of the existing overlay district, which consists of mixed -use, multi -family, and non-residential uses with density and height modifications, zoning incentive structure, by -right via Site Plan Approval requiring prequalification and incentives. Phase II will be discussed at the April 10`h Planning Board meeting. Ms. Raposa said that input from the 2023 public sessions was taken into consideration which fed into some of the design decisions presented at this meeting. She noted that since the June 2023 Town Meeting, the focus has been to separate the Parkway from Zoning initiatives and focus on each independently. She referenced 2023-2024 TOD Parkway activities and meetings that have taken place during this time frame and that there is a new Town webpage specific to the TOD Parkway project. Mr. Pisano then spoke about what VHB has been involved with: review of existing conditions, conceptual parkway layout, stakeholder coordination, development agreement, and funding opportunities. He reiterated that the presentation is conceptual and that they are seeking public input. He then presented the Parkway conceptual design slides. Planning Board Meeting Minutes 3/20/24 Page 2 of 3 Ms. Raposa explained that the Planning Board, per Town Charter Section 5-3 acts as the Town's review "clearinghouse" for municipal project plans for all public ways. The Planning Board will make recommendations on projects and will also be involved in making a recommendation to the Select Board on the layout of the Parkway. The next steps will be to continue stakeholder coordination, existing conditions, and Parkway design, then bring to a future Town Meeting. The Planning Board and the public then asked questions and offered comments on the conceptual Parkway design relating to the following: neighborhood buffer zones, parking garage, feasibility study, what happens during construction, street trees, pedestrian and bike paths, sidewalk width, traffic study, and the timeline for the project. Mr. Pisano answered some questions and made note of other comments for consideration in the next concept drawings. Mr. Reinke said that the current timeline extends the project to 2027, and commented that it could be longer. Mr. Cerretani recapped that the current design is conceptual only and that VHB will consider all comments for the next conceptual design. ME �.' q ,`(u-,.�."..cx ? 'S'' Motion to adjourn at 8:50 pm (Corsillo/Turnbull) Seven (7) in favor, Zero (0) opposed, Zero (0) abstained PASSES The date of the Next Planning Board Meeting is March 27, 2024 at 7: 00 p. m. )IrL z0a Sharon Friedman, Clerk Date of Approval Documents Presented at the Meetina 1, Sarah Raposa, Director of Planning and Development meeting memo dated 3/20/24 2. VHB PowerPoint presentation dated 3/20/24 Planning Board Meeting Minutes 3/20/24 Page 3 of 3