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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPLANNINGbrd_06122013Planning Board Minutes June 12,2013 Present: Tom French, Chair; Beth Ashman- Collins, Clerk; Michael McClanahan, Donald Cleary, Cheryl Collins, Richard LeBlanc; Alternate Mike Feck Shaun P. Burke, Director of Planning and Development; Jennifer Crotty Davis, Administrative Secretary 1. Meeting called to order at 7:00 p.m. Motion: To appoint Mr. McClanahan Acting Chair (Collins- Asliman- Collins) All in favor. PASSES 2.. Correspondence V W- 1. May 15, 2013 Minutes Mr. LeBlanc abstained from vote on 1779 West Street finding Motion: To approve as amended (Feck - Collins) Four in favor. McClanahan abstained. PASSES 2. ZBA application for Variance — 229 & 243 School Street — Parking Mr. Burke explained the proposed use is a Firestone tire facility. There is an intermittent stream, a vernal pool and wetlands on the site. There are currently two single - family houses on the site, both of which would be removed. The applicant will have to come to the Planning Board for a special permit for an automobile service station, but have applied for parking relief first. Ms. Ashman- Collins said relief may not be necessary if the number of bays and the size of the building were reduced. Mr. Burke said the Commonwealth owns a lot of the land around this site and there are curb cut restrictions on Route 140. He said any business on this site would have to have a right -in, right -out entrance. He said the application does not meet the tests for the grant of a variance. [Mr. French arrived at this time.] Motion: To send the ZBA a negative recommendation. The board would need to see data to substantiate the applicant's claim that less parking is needed and feels a smaller building would eliminate the need for a variance and fit better on the site. (Ashrnan- Collins - Collins) Five in favor. French abstained. PASSES 3. Public I- Iearing notices — Attleboro, Easton, North Attleboro, Norton, Plainville, Sharon 4. The Beacon 3:.FormA ANR Plaus, _ 472 -480 Chauncy Street — Giovino NIr. Burke explained the plan seeks to separate one existing lot with two houses into two lots. The applicant was recently been granted a variance to create the two lots; the board sent a positive recommendation. Mr. Burke said both lots have adequate frontage and recommended endorsing the plan. Motion: To endorse the Form A (McClanahan - Collins) All in favor. PASSES 6/12/2013 Mr. French asked about the train station area RFP. Mr. Burke said he and the Town Manager are meeting with BETA Group tomorrow, June 13. The firm was one of the top three reviewed by staff and the preference of several Planning Board members. Mr. Burke said the Chamber of Commerce is holding a meeting at Covidien, 777 West Street, tomorrow, June 13 at 8 am to discuss the zoning changes approved at Town Meeting in May and a potential Business Improvement District for the business park. Mr. Burke said the town did a betterment district many years ago to take care of things like paving and landscaping, but there is no longer an entity managing the business park. He said the last Chamber meeting was before Town Meeting, when the board was proposing the zoning changes, and this will be a good opportunity to follow up now that the changes have been approved. Mr. Burke said he has met with someone interested in building a restaurant at the corner of Route 140/106, where a different restaurant was permitted several years ago. He said if the proposal is to fit the business into the same footprint as the original restaurant, it may not have to come back for site plan approval. The site has been cleared and the Conservation Commission Order of Conditions has been extended. clerk read the public hearing notice. Richard C. Alves, P.E., Town Engineer, explained the need to remove and replace three (not four) trees within the town -owned right -of -way at 481 and 501 Bird Road during the full -depth reconstruction of the scenic road. He said one tree in the Fram Drive right -of -way will be removed, but Fram is not a scenic road. Mr. Alves said he will replace that tree as well. No stone walls are to be altered or removed within the right -of -way. Mr. Alves said he the trees are either impacting the existing pavement or would have their roots cut during construction, so he would like to remove them before problems begin. He said there is room to replant new trees in the right -of -way, further from the paved surface. Mr. Alves said he has been through the Conservation Commission public hearing and has the necessary permits. He said he plans to begin constriction when school gets out. Mr. Alves said he will replace the trees with American Elm or Sugar Maple. Mr. Burke said the pines should be replaced with shade trees. Motion: To approve the scenic road application for the removal of three trees along Bird Road during the full -depth reconstruction (McClanahan - LeBlanc) All in favor. PASSES Attorney Robert Mangiaratti explained his client purchased the subdivision from the family who permitted it and would like to donate the 17 -acre open space parcel to the NRT, to change the 2 6/12/2013 curbing from granite to cape cod berm (the cul -de -sac and curbing adjacent to the Nicodemus parcel would remain granite curbing), and to reduce the width of pavement from 24 to 22 feet. Mr. McClanahan said he is concerned about 22 feet being too narrow, especially with the bike path. Mr. Mangiaratti said at the last meeting, the board discussed that dedicating the open space to public use would be a good trade -off for the pavement and curbing changes; these changes would be beneficial for both the town and the developer. He said he has prepared a draft deed and partial mortgage release for the open space to give to the Natural Resources Trust. Mr. McClanahan said he is concerned about setting a precedent for other developments. Mr. French said the subdivision has 10 lots on a dead -end sheet. Ms. Ashman- Collins said Branch Street is about 22 feet wide. Mr. Mangiaratti said the reduced pavement width is acceptable to the Department of Public Works, but they are opposed to changing from granite to cape cod berm. Mr. McClanahan asked how the road would be poured; Mr. Bobola said it would be monolithic. Mr. Burke said Stanley Village used cape cod berm. He said Fram Estates, approved in 1996, also used cape cod berm, and it is still in good condition. Mr. Burke said if the board finds the public interest would be served by accepting these changes, they could be made as field modifications. Motion: The board has reviewed the proposed plans and found the public interest will be served by accepting the change from granite curbing to cape cod berm except around cul -de -sac and adjacent to the Nicodemus property as a field modification (McClanahan - LeBlanc) All in favor. PASSES Motion: The board has reviewed the proposed plans and found the public interest will be served by accepting the change from 24 -foot wide pavement to 22 -foot wide pavement as a field modification (McClanahan- Ashman - Collins) Mr. French asked how the 22 -foot wide pavement is measured; Mr. Burke said it is measured gutter to gutter, with the berm outside of that. All in favor. PASSES Motion: The Planning Board acknowledges that as part of the agreement reached with the two above votes, to modify the curbing and pavement width, the board accepts a quitclaim deed and partial mortgage release on behalf of the Natural Resources Trust from Nitor Development, Inc., for the remaining 17 acres of land, shown as "remaining land 742,035 square feet' on the "Definitive Subdivision Field Modification Plan for Lincoln Place" prepared by RIM Engineering Co. Inc., dated January 30, 2012 and revised May 1, 2012, May 312, 2012, June 15, 2012, June 27, 2012, July 23, 2012 and May 15, 2012. (McClanahan - Ashman- Collins) All in favor. PASSES 6/12/2013 Mr. Burke said the Recreation Department's Duck Race will be held June 26, the date of the next scheduled Planning Board meeting. The board decided its next meeting will be July 10. Howard Fiske, Spring Street, said he is concerned about the work at the Lincoln Place site. He said the construction trucks are not stopping at the bike path crossing when they leave the site and are driving too fast. He said he has spoken with Mr. Burke, Mr. Riccio, Mr. Ahern and the Police Department about his concerns. Mr. Fiske said the bike path is used by a lot of handicapped people, both residents and people from other towns, and the safety of those users should be protected. Mr. McClanahan suggested a police detail may be necessary during construction. 8. Adjournment Motion: To adjourn at 8:10 p.m. (McClanahan- ) All in favor. PASSES Next Planning Board eting: & 7 A t da." Signature of Clerk July 10, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. Date of Appr val 6/12/2013