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HomeMy WebLinkAboutmin of planning brd 09/19/01 r Planning Board Minutes September 19, 2001 H. Thomas French, Chairman; Bernie Dolan, Clerk; Roger Achille, Thomas McShane, Kenneth Tonnan f>t:~,~~~at,.,Z~5p~.... fi~. .(S~~ 1. September 5, 2001 Minutes Motion: To approve as submitted (Dolan- Tonnan) Three in favor. French abstained. PASSES 2. ZBA decision - 190 Charles Street - Finding for second floor addition. Granted (positive Recommendation) 3. Meeting Notices: North Attleboro ZBA; Attleboro Planning Board; Easton ZBA 4. Planning magazine 5. Meeting notice -17th Annual Build Boston convention and trade show r 1(j.Ji~~(_)i~ 31 Carriage House Lane, Mac Homes, Inc. The sidewalk was installed within the right- of-way in front of this house. Rather than the homeowner granting the town an easement for the sidewalk, the Form A will straighten out this issue. The plan conforms to frontage and area requirements. Motion: To sign the FormA (Dolan-Tonnan) All in favor. PASSES Robert Rogers, Tibbetts Engineering, explained this is an existing business at the end of Oxford Rd, and is currently a combination office and warehouse uses. The applicant would like to reconfigure the building to add approximately 1,500 square feet of office space, which will be taken from the current warehouse space. Because an office use requires more parking spaces than a warehouse use, additional parking is necessary, with a total of33 new spaces being proposed. For this building size, 63 spaces are required, they have 68 total. There are two existing catch basins with an 8" pipe to a third. Under existing conditions, the pipe cannot handle the two-year storm, resulting in ponding. When analyzing the 100-year storm with the additional parking, they found there would be water in the parking lot for short period oftime during heavy rains. They will not be increasing the size of the existing pipe because that would increase the rate of runoff to Oxford Road. The site has sufficient lighting and existing trees; more will be added to the IS-foot buffer area. Mark Estes, MDE Consuhing, explained they will be extending a second floor overhang area for some of the office area and will be increasing their work force. r Ron Hayden, NE Controls, explained they need 68 parking spaces for visiting clients, even though it is more than required by zoning. r Dr. Tonnan asked whether the increase in parking spaces is being triggered by zoning requirements or an increased number of employees. Mr. Estes explained it is primarily due to added employees, although they are not adding 33. He said some employees currently have to park on Oxford Road, so this will handle them and the new employees. The clerk read department head comments from Water, Fire, Police, Planning, and Engineering. Mr. Burke's questions have been answered and he is satisfied. Mr. Field's comments have also been addressed; however, he noted the parking area is subject to flooding during storm events. Mr. McShane said while the applicant would be reducing open space, the site would still be well within the 35% required. He asked if the applicant had any concerns about the proximity of the new parking spaces to the access driveway. Mr. Rogers explained the spaces closest to the driveway would be for employees, who would not be pulling in and out during the day. Motion: To send a positive recommendation to Building Inspector providing all the department head comments have been satisfactorily addressed. (Torrnan-Dolan) All in favor. PASSES (' The clerk read the public hearing notice. Ralph Maloon, RIM Engineering, explained a plan showing the existing Marshall Avenue and the proposed extension to the intersection of Aspen Street with Smiley Avenue. The roadway to the point of the bubble, along with five previously approved lots, was approved under Woodland Park I and is paved to base coat. There will be an increase of four lots by adding the Connor land to the remaining portion of Woodland Park I, with existing homes on two of the lots. The utilities will be continued from Woodland Park I, and the sewer main will be extended. The water main will be extended to connect at Aspen Street. The clerk read department head comments from Fire, Electric, Engineering, and Water, along with a response from Mr. Maloon. In response to Mr. Field's comments, Mr. Maloon explained the existing sewer easement will not be extended; he will file for a DEP permit to extend the force main; he will get back to mr. Field on the Back Bay Brook issues; will show the bounds and the new easement on the plan; and because the new easement is over two lots, will provide bounds around the easement. The applicant has requested a waiver for sidewalk to be installed on one side of the street rather than both, along with the use of bitumin us concrete for the sidewalks; and a waiver for the drainage area to be 75 feet from the property line rather than 100 feet. r (' Mr. Maloon explained that what will shed to the basins will be a little less than what was previously approved, so they will not be putting any additional drainage into the existing drainage basins. Board Comment Mr. McShane asked if the applicant had a Conservation Commission determination; Mr. Maloon said they did not, but would be filing with that board soon. Mr. McShane asked whether the proposed loaming and seeding described in the impact study would be sufficient to protect the Back Bay Brook from erosion. Mr. Maloon explained they would use stone rip rap around the drainage outlet and a stone emergency overflow channel. Along the riverbanks would be loamed and seeded, adding the grade going toward the brook is relatively flat until right next to the brook, then it drops. Mr. McShane asked about additional traffic; Mr. Maloon said they expected an addition 40 vehicle trips per day from the four new homes, or an increase of about 10%. Mr. McShane asked if the applicant had considered opening up to Fruit Street rather than Aspen; Mr. Maloon said they would need Aspen open for traffic purposes, and because the Connors would like to have an additional lot. He said it was logical to loop Aspen and Marshall, adding the cul-de-sac is aJready at the 650-foot limit. The new lots will be sewered. Some of the lots in Woodland Park I were too low to make it to the sewer with pumps; the new lots will be on grinder pumps to a force main. r Mr. French asked for more explanation on the sewer. Mr. Maloon explained the existing Connor house is on gravity, the existing lots on Smiley Avenue are on gravity, and the houses on Marshall Avenue from Denwood down are all on grinder pumps, except the corner lots. The grinder pumps discharge to a manhole at Denwood/Marshall, with one force main line running up the center line of the road. Mr. French asked about the invert on the outlet pipe to the proposed detention basin. Mr. Maloon said the profile shown on Sheet 5 shows a flared end section and outlet at 133.0, and an inlet at the brook at 132.73; the elevation is 132.24 in the brook. Mr. Field has requested additional brook elevations shown on plan, as well as the stage of the brook at different storm events. Mr. French noted the EIR appears to have been written for the whole subdivision and suggested it be written to show these additional lots as separate, to show the impact of the new lots. Mr. French asked for updates of the 1992 Annual Report numbers referred to in the EIR. He was concerned that this plan appears to be a modification to the existing subdivision by deleting the cul-de-sac and changing the lines of approved lots, then adding new lots by extending the road. r Public Comment Kenneth Paiva, 48 Marshall Avenue, was concerned about the safety ofthe many children in neighborhood. He said he and his neighbors understood when they bought their homes that it would be a limited access neighborhood and the streets would not be opened up; the Aspen Street extension will invite high-speed, non-resident traffic. He added he did not believe the 10% increase accounts for non-resident traffic. He asked if smal1 grinder pumps would be used, or if they would be street pumps. Mr. Maloon explained they would be small individual pumps in pump chambers and would have more r I than sufficient power. Mr. Paiva asked if it was acceptable for the drainage to overflow into the Back Bay Brook; Mr. French said that had been one of Mr. Field's concerns, which Mr. Maloon will have to address. Mr. Paiva submitted a petition signed by Woodland Park I residents in opposition to the subdivision. Tom Connor, 58 Aspen Street, said he understands the traffic and safety concerns, but said his family lived there many years before Woodland Park I was built, and that completely changed the neighborhood. He added the new homes would increase the tax base. Mr. Paiva asked if the development could be done without eliminating the cul-de-sac; Mr. Feck said they had looked into it, but decided this was the only way. Mr. Achille asked if there was anything prohibiting Aspen being opened to Branch Street; Mr. Maloon said he did not think it would be possible, as it would involve crossing the brook and finding a way to loop the roads for access. (' Kimberly Paiva, 48 Marshall Avenue, asked who would maintain the detention area in the drainage easement between Lots 4OO-47a. Mr. Maloon said the developer will maintain it until the street is accepted, then the town will maintain it. Mrs. Paiva asked if the existing drainage area on Lot 12A is owned by the homeowners; Mr. Maloon said they did, but the town has a maintenance easement if it get blocked, but does not mow or clean drainage areas regularly. Mrs. Paiva asked if the sewer force mains would be maintained by the town once the street is approved. Mr .Feck explained the town will maintain the lines, but the pumps and chambers are on private property and the responsibility of the homeowners. Jeff Garden, 4 Smiley Ave, asked what side of the new road the sidewalk would be on; Mr. Maloon said if the waiver is granted, it would continue on the same side it is currently on. Rich Ablom, 60 Marshall Ave, asked if the new houses would connect to the Phase I force main. Mr. Maloon said all the new homes will be tied to that force main, and it is of adequte size. Mr. Ablom asked about additional stop signs. Mr. Feck said they would install whatever Officer Lawson requires. Mr. Ablom suggested signs at AspenlMarshall and/or Denwood/Marshall. Mr. Maloon said they could install a three-way stop sign at that intersection and anyplace else Officer Lawson requires; Mr. Feck said he had no problem putting up stop signs. Douglas McGee, 40 Smiley Avenue, said he has water problems from Phase I and suggested the developer be required to finish that project before approving this one. Mr. Feck said he is working on cleaning up Phase I for town meeting acceptance. ~ Ed Gazzaro, 44 Smiley Avenue, abuts Mr. McGee and agreed water collects between the two properties, and he has been trying to deal with his builder with no success; he said he was unsure if the problem was with the engineering or the grading. r Dan Fosse, 47 Marshall Avenue. was concerned the amount offill necessary to bring the new lots up would cause flooding problems. Mr. Maloon said the lots will have to be filled, but they will not be discharging more water onto existing lots than currently exists. Mr. French suggested adding the grades along the back property line of the new lots to the plans. Carl Emerick, 11 Denwood Street, asked if the new homes would be developed by same developer; Mr. Feck said he would be developing and building the new lots. Mr. French said a number of issues remained unresolved, and the public hearing would be continued so the applicant could address them and revise the plans. Mr. Feck said by taking out the cul-de-sac and opening up the road, traffic would be more spread out; he added he does not believe people will use this as a short cut between Fruit Street and South Main Street. Motion: To continue the public hearing to October 17, 2001 at 8:30 p.m (McShane-Achille) All in favor. PASSES f~Vi,~,.'f~ The board discussed the issue of drainage areas within subdivisions and with whom the r responsibility for maintaining them lies. 1...I;i..........~ Motion: To adjourn at 10:30 p.m. (Torman-Dolan) All in favor. PASSES Date of next meeting: October 3,2001 at 7:30 p.m ~>'A~~ 19nature of Clerk V ) 0 - 3- If I Date of Approval ('