HomeMy WebLinkAboutmin of planning brd 07/09/03
('
Planning Board Minutes
July 9, 2003
Tom French, Chair; Bernie Dolan, Clerk; Mark Cook, Walter Jenkins, Fred
Armstro , Dou Annino; Shaun P. Burke, Director ofPlannin and Develo ment
1. Meeting called to order at 7:30 p.m.
I 2. Correspondence
1. May 14, 2003 Minutes
Motion: To approve as submitted (Dolan-Annino) All in favor. PASSES
2. ZBA application for Variance-43 & 51 Walnut St- 4.2.1, Frontage and Lot Width
Mr. Burke explained there had been two separate lots, but they have been married
through zoning. The house recently burned down and the owner would like to
rebuilt and recreate the second lot. The lots would have 120 feet of frontage
where 150 is required. Mr. Armstrong asked if these parcels would require a
Form A; Mr. Burke explained this was the first step, and if the variance is
approved, the applicant would have to come back with a subdivision plan. Mr.
Dolan said the existing lots in this neighborhood are small.
Motion: To send the ZBA a positive recommendation (Dolan-Jenkins)
Mr. Jenkins suggested a condition be added that the applicant not be allowed to
return with a request for a sideyard setback variance. Mr. French said a variance
cannot be conditioned, but that concern could be included in the recommendation.
r
Amend Motion: To send the ZBA a positive recommendation because the
proposed lots are consistent with the lot sizes in the neighborhood. However,
suggest the ZBA not allow the applicant to return with an application for a
sideyard setback variance. (Dolan-Jenkins)
Mr. French said he didn't remember the board ever supporting a similar
application.
Four in favor. French opposed. Cook abstained. PASSES
3. ZBA application for Finding - 17 School Street - 4.2.1, Front yard setback
The structure is currently non-conforming, with a 20-foot setback where 30 is
required on a comer lot. An addition was approved, but a deck was added and
encroaches further into the setback. Mr. Burke suggested a negative
recommendation. Mr. Annino said he was concerned about a precedent being set
by homeowners building non-conforming structures and then requesting relief:
and was concerned about the negative effect on the neighborhood.
Motion: To send the ZBA a negative recommendation because the board is
concerned about the precedent being set by homeowners building non-conforming
structures and then requesting and being granted reliet and because of concerns
about the detrimental effects on the neighboring properties. Suggests a strict
interpretation of the Zoning By-Law should be followed in these situations.
(Jenkins-Annino) All in favor. PASSES
.r--
r
4. Letter re: Lennon Family Development, Ware Street. The developers would like
the street name to be "Kevin's Way."
5. ZBA decision - 1298 East Street - Denied (negative recommendation)
6. ZBA decision - 23 Church Street - Granted (positive recommendation)
7. ZBA decision - 71 Campbell Street - Granted (negative recommendation)
8. ZBA decision - 19 Mayflower Drive - Granted (no recommendation)
9. ZBA decision - 3 Coach Road - Granted (positive recommendation)
10. Meeting notices Mass Water Resources Commission, Attleboro, Easton, Foxboro,
Norton, North Attleboro, Plainville, Sharon, JTPG
11. The Beacon
12. Planning magazine
13. New England Planning newsletter
14. Transreport newsletter
15. Mass Housing Partnership annual report
16. Mass Interchange newsletter
17. MHP Network newsletter
4. Site Plan Review - 383 North Main Street - DiGiovanni - Demolish Existing
Buildings/Construct New Commercial/Apartment Building
Ralph Maloon, RIM Engineering, presented the plans showing the drainage flowing
across Chauncy Street toward Thompson Street. There are three existing buildings
being demolished, with one new building to be constructed. The existing sidewalk will
be removed and rebuilt, but the height of the curbing has not been finalized. Vehicle
traffic will enter the site from Pratt Street. Siltation control, a small swale and an area
of crushed stone have been added at the Pratt Street side.
r
Mr. Maloon explained pre and post development runoff has been reduced for all
storms. He said this area has had drainage problems, especially at Crocker Street. Soil
testing has been done, and he proposes to put the loo-year storm underground. There
will be no overflow of drainage from this site.
The front of the building has a portico. At either end of the building, there are five-
foot sidewalks. There is a security light over the door and lights in the parking lot.
There are low shrubs in an approximately six-foot planting bed and a larger landscaped
area at the comer of North Main and Pratt. The building will be slab on grade with
commercial tenants on the first floor and 19 apartments on the second and third floors.
There are 28 spaces required and provided, with two handicapped parking spaces.
There is a small loading area and a fenced in dumpster. Mr. Maloon presented a
conceptual drawing of the front of the building.
Department Head Comments
The clerk read comments from Mr. Field, Mr. Burke and Ptlm. Lawson. Mr. Maloon
said the plan has been revised to address the department head comments, including
moving the dumpster, which now has more than 30 feet of clearance for a truck to turn
around. The handicapped parking spaces have been relocated.
r
('
Board Comment
Mr. Jenkins asked if there would be access from the handicapped spaces in the back of
the building to the front of the building. Mr. Maloon said there is a five-foot sidewalk
with a handicapped ramp to the front of the building, and the retail space can also be
accessed from the back of the building.
Mr. Jenkins said this is a tight site, and while the number of residential parking spaces
is dictated by the Zoning By-Law, parking for the retail space is not. He said he was
concerned about employee parking, especially with another large mixed-use building
being proposed around the comer. Mr. Jenkins said he was also concerned about the
drainage because Crocker Street has been a problem area.
Mr. Armstrong asked if the spaces behind the building would be for residents only.
Mr. Maloon said there would be signage for tenant parking. Mr. Jenkins said some
units might have two cars, and suggested those cars could be stacked. Mr. Maloon said
some of the spaces could be stacked if the landscaping were eliminated. Mr. Burke said
there is no requirement in the B2 zone for employee or customer parking. Mr. Jenkins
said he understood that, but was concerned that the retail uses are viable. He suggested
it might be possible to lease parking from nearby landowners for employees.
r
Mr. Armstrong asked about the drainage, which appears to go to a single catch basin.
Mr. Maloon said there would be sufficient capacity to handle the roof and parking lot
runoff. There is also a swale to prevent runoff from going into Pratt Street.
Mr. Annino asked where the roof drainage goes; Mr. Maloon said it would be
collected through a PVC pipe and be connected directly to the groundwater recharge
area. Mr. Annino said the underground pipe should be shown. Mr. Maloon said the
building will be slab on grade, and the downspouts will be on the face of the building.
Mr. Annino asked about the landscaping plan; he said the plantings are too small and
asked why they are grouped the way they are. He said the residential abutter and
parking lot should be screened. Mr. Maloon said there is an existing transformer in the
front of the building. Mr. Annino said there should be an additional transformer for a
building of this size, and it should be landscaped. Mr. French suggested a landscape
plan, signed by a landscape architect, be submitted. Mr. Annino said the dumpster
should be screened and suggested using white pine. Mr. Maloon said it is very close to
the lot line, and there isn't room for additional screening. Mr. Annino said the
dumpster pad appears to be too small for that many tenants.
Mr. Annino said he was concerned about the subcompact parking spaces having
enough turning radius to get in and out. He was also concerned about access to the
parking space near the Pratt Street entrance. He asked how that entrance would be
delineated. Mr. Maloon said he would include a detail of the curb cut and radius.
r
r
Mr. Annino said the lighting for the parking lot should be lower and should not cause
glare problems in the parking lot. He said the dimensions and striping of the parking
spaces should be shown, along with a van-accessible parking space.
Mr. Annino said the fire service should be a six.inch line. He asked if there were
additional elevations available for the building; Mr. Maloon said he did not have any.
Mr. Annino said he would like to see the elevation on the Pratt Street side. He
suggested the board ask applicants to provide elevations from all sides.
Mr. Annino asked about the grading at the porch and patio; Mr. Maloon said the pitch
of the public sidewalk would be the same as the patio, which would be concrete.
Mr. Annino asked about mechanical equipment; Mr. Maloon said there is a utility
room on the first floor. Mr. Maloon said if a condenser is needed, it would have to be
on the roof or the Pratt Street side.
Mr. Annino asked if there should be a sidewalk around the front of the building; Mr.
Maloon said that was a good idea. He said there is an existing sidewalk, but there could
be a walkway through the landscaping from Pratt Street.
r
Mr. Annino asked the height of the building; Mr. Maloon said it would be 40 feet to
the peak of the roof. Mr. Annino asked about signage; Mr. Maloon said there would be
signs on the front of the building, but there probably wouldn't be signs at the entrance.
There will be "tenant only" parking signs. Mr. Annino asked about lighting along the
new sidewalk. Mr. Maloon said there is one light, but the site is fairly well lit from the
street. Mr. Annino asked the details of the dumpster fence be shown.
Mr. Dolan asked where the first floor apartments would be; Mr. Maloon said they
would be in the back of the building. Mr. Maloon said the plans were amended to show
four lamps with lower illumination per Mr. Burke's request. Mr. Burke said his
comments, other than the lighting issue, have been addressed. He said he is glad to see
redevelopment of the downtown area. Mr. French agreed.
Mr. French asked the square footage of the building's footprint; Mr. Maloon said it is
7,995 square feet with about 4,000 square feet of retail use proposed. There is one
main hallway down the middle of each floor.
Mr. Jenkins asked about the right-hand side of the building. Mr. Maloon said the
windows shown on the conceptual plan are the same on either side. The building will
have an elevator. Mr. Jenkins said the dumpster should be screened. Mr. Annino asked
that the Pratt Street elevation be looked at more carefully.
r
Motion: To send the building inspector a positive recommendation with the following
conditions and staff comments:
1. All department head comments must be fully and satisfactorily addressed;
2. The single catch basin should be kept clean to avoid drainage leaving this site and
(' contributing to existing puddling problems in the area;
3. All drain lines should be shown on the plan;
4. The size of the plantings shown on the plan should be increased;
5. A landscaping plan, signed by a registered landscape engineer, should be submitted;
6. The landscaping plan should include adequate screening for the abutting residential
properties, as well as the parking lot;
7. The transformer should be landscaped and shown on the plan;
8. A second transformer may be necessary due to the size of the building;
9. The dumpster enclosure appears to be too small for the number of residential and
retail units;
10. A detail of the fencing and screening around the dumpster should be shown;
11. The two parking spaces at the Pratt Street entrance appear to be difficult to access;
12. The curb cut and turning radius into the Pratt Street entrance should be shown;
13. A handicapped van parking space should be shown;
14. The pavement striping and parking space dimensions should be shown;
15. The fire service line should be six (6) inches;
16. The design of the building f~ade on Pratt Street, as well as the building's elevation,
should be reconsidered;
17. The air conditioner condenser and screeninglplantings should be shown on the plan;
18. The sides of the building should be lit with wall packs;
19. A different style of parking lot lighting should be considered, and the light poles
should be lower than shown;
r 20. While it is not required in this zone, the Planning Board is very concerned about
inadequate employee parking for the retail businesses.
(Annino-Cook) All in favor. PASSES
10. Scenic Road Public Hearing - Gourdin Circle Residential Cluster - 11 Lots ofT
Mill Street; and Special Permit Public Hearing continued - Red Mill Realty
Trust
Scenic Road Pub6c Hearing
The clerk read the public hearing notice for the scenic road public hearing.
Ralph Maloon, RIM Engineering, explained the plan for the removal of one lO-inch
maple tree and three 3-inch maple trees, to wrap 100 feet of existing stone wall within the
radius of the driveway, and to add a stone monument sign and lighting at the entrance.
He said part of the lO-inch maple is in Mill Street. The existing trees have been located
on the plan, and additional trees and shrubs will be planted. The subdivision will have a
concrete sidewalk. The same type of lighting will be used for each driveway.
Mr. Maloon said the existing stone wall is fieldstone, and will be relocated inside the new
roadway. The sign will be a single block of granite with the subdivision name. Mr.
Burke asked if the sign should have a granite post to tie it to the lighting structure. Mr.
Maloon said he could use granite or fieldstone for the sign.
r
Board Comment
r
Mr. Jenkins noted there is a fair amount of landscaping, and asked ifthere would be more
low landscaping between the road and the wall. Mr. Maloon said the wall is about 24
inches high, and he could add some spreading plants and perennials to add color. The
school bus depot has been eliminated.
Mr. Annino agreed with Mr. Jenkins about additional low-level landscaping in front of
the wall. He suggested reducing the landscaping behind the wall and using forsythia or
arbor vitae to create a vertical backdrop. He said the abutting properties should be well
screened and suggested street trees be added to both sides of the road; Mr. Maloon said
he had planned to leave the existing trees. Mr. Annino suggested the same types be
planted on both sides of the road.
Mr. Annino asked for a detail of the stone wall and radius, and suggested the stone wall
left on Mill Street be maintained.
Mr. Dolan asked where the trees being removed would be replaced. Mr. Maloon said
they would be replaced with the street trees and shrubs; he said he could add a couple of
additional maples behind the wall. Mr. Maloon said he would check the abutting
property to be sure the new road couldn't be seen from that house.
Mr. Annino asked to see a sketch of the sign, which seems to be higher than the wall
enclosing it.
r Mr. Burke said the street name has been changed to Patriot's Way, but the entrance sign
says Gourdine Circle, which might be confusing. Mr. Dighton suggested Gourdine
Estates, so it doesn't sound like there are two street names.
Pub6c Comment
David Penta, 360 Mill Street, was concerned that the proposed roadway seems to be
directly across Mill Street from his house. Mr. Maloon said there will be a stop line and a
stop sign at the new roadway.
Subdivision Pub6c Hearing continued
Mr. Malon said he had not received department comments on the revised special permit.
He said the Water Department has requested a loop, and they are working on an
agreement for the water main to come through the circle and offsite. He said this will be
a private way, and the homes will be required to have a minimum 2,000 square foot root:
and the water will be put into the ground. The detention area has been eliminated and the
roof runoff will go into the ground. The peak flow for all storms has been reduced,
which will result in less fill for the roadway. The island will have one drainline through
the middle.
Mr. Maloon explained the paths have been eliminated, and he is proposing a five-foot
sidewalk on one side of the street to the circle.
r
(
Mr. Maloon said they have found a vernal pool, with a common area around the outside
of the subdivision and in the center of the cul-de.sac; the vernal pool is now contained
within a house lot. The circle is currently treed and will remain so, except for the
installation of drainage. Mr. Annino suggested clearing the circle and grassing it. Mr.
Cook asked who would maintain the grass.
Mr. Maloon has included building envelopes and a 35-foot no-cut, no.build restriction
abutting the properties on Mill Farm Drive. There is a note indicating this on the plan,
and the homeowner's association documents will detail this restriction. Mr. Burke asked
that the restriction be added as #4 to the notes section. Note 4 should read "no clearing of
trees and no structures within the 35-foot restricted area."
Randall Tatum, 385 Mill Street, said he was opposed to removing trees unnecessarily.
Mr. French asked if there is an alternative to going through the middle of the circle; Mr.
Maloon said it would be possible to go around the outside of the circle, but there are
already several utility lines there.
Mr. Maloon said the island is over 300 feet across, and the utility cut would be about 20
feet across. Mr. Riordan suggested planting either end of the cut and letting it grow back.
r
Mr. Tatum said he was opposed to direct burial of underground electric utilities; Mr.
Burke said the town no longer uses direct burial. Mr. Tatum said he was opposed to a
narrow road; Mr. Maloon said the pavement is 20 feet wide. Mr. Annino said he
wouldn't want it any wider than that. Mr. Burke said Mill Street is 18 feet wide and
variable. Mr. Maloon said the new road would be perfectly straight, and he suggested
making the circulation around the island one-way. The board didn't like that idea.
Mr. Dolan asked about donating the open space; Mr. Maloon said they intend the open
space to go to NRT or the Conservation Commission. Mr. Armstrong asked if anyone
would maintain the frontage of the open space; Mr. Burke suggested a maintenance
easement for the homeowner's association.
Mr. Tatum said the right-of-way being proposed for the utilities goes across his property,
and he was concerned about interference with his septic system. Mr. Maloon said many
years ago, the land was broken into front lots with 47 feet for access to the back, and said
Mr. Tatum claims half the paper road. He said if it is a paper road, they have the right to
run utilities through it. Mr. French asked Mr. Maloon to show the septic system on the
plan. Mr. Dighton said Mr. Tatum could tie into the sewer line for the new development
and they would be willing to contribute to that.
Mr. Burke said there are no new comments on the revised plans, and suggested the public
hearing be continued to August 6, 2003 at 8:00 p.m.
Mr. Jenkins said he thought the board was divided on the open space in the circle. He
said he would like to see it grassed. Mr. Armstrong said grass would bring maintenance
r issues. Mr. Burke suggested there could be some selective cutting in the island. Mr.
r
Cook said he didn't think anyone would maintain a grassed island that large and
suggested clearing around the outside of the circle and adding some benches. Mr.
Maloon said there are some large trees in the island and suggested thinning the trees out
and clearing some lower branches. Mr. Tatum said there is a lot of wildlife in the area
now. Mr. Jenkins said the circle area should be looked at carefully. Mr. Dolan suggested
letting the homeowner's association decide what to do with the circle.
Motion: To continue the scenic road and special permit public hearings to August 6,
2003 at 8:00 p.rn. (Dolan-Armstrong) All in favor. PASSES
11. Site Plan Review - 12 Pratt Street - Stan Feck - Demolish Existing
Building/Construct New Commercial/Apartment Building
Ralph Maloon, RIM Engineering, explained the plan to demolish the building at the
comer of Pratt and Fuller Streets. He tried to do soil testing, but most of the parking area
has 10-12 feet offill, so the soil testing will be done after the building comes down. Pre
and post development runoff will be almost identical, and a subsurface groundwater
recharge area is proposed.
r
The building will be set back a few feet from the street, and will have a portico and a
parking lot. There will be 16 apartments and 24 parking spaces, with one handicapped
space. A stockade fence is proposed along the property line with some landscaping
inside the fence, along the street, and on either side of the entrance. A portion of the
neighbor's driveway is on this property, and will remain there. The dumpster is enclosed
within a stockade fence. There is a loading zone adjacent to the handicapped aisle. Mr.
Annino noted the handicapped van space has to be 16 feet wide.
There will be one catch basin to a manhole with an emergency overflow to Pratt Street.
There are four lights on the plan, along with door lights and ceiling lights in the portico.
He said he expected a new report from engineering regarding the sidewalk. He said he
expected to replace the concrete sidewalk with granite curbing to the far end of the
entrance to the parking lot.
Department Bead Comments
The clerk read comments from Mr. Field, Mr. Burke and Ptlm. Lawson. Mr. Maloon said
he would move the handicapped aisle per Ptlm. Lawson's concerns.
r
Board Comment
Mr. Jenkins said he would like to see some elevations of the buildings. Mr. Maloon
showed the board a conceptual drawing. Mr. Jenkins said there is 8,000 square feet of
office or retail in this building with no employee parking, and the surrounding area only
has two-hour parking. Mr. Dolan said the Police Department has been excluding
downtown businesses from the two-hour parking regulation. Mr. Jenkins said there still
isn't enough parking here, and there is twice as much business space as in the North Main
Street building. Mr. Armstrong noted there are no parking regulations in this zone. Mr.
r
French said both this and the North Main Street building have maxed out their sites, and
for practical purposes, there should be parking for employees and customers.
Mr. Jenkins suggested the building might be more successful as a smaller, residential
building rather than a mixed-use building.
Mr. Annino said the catch basin near the loading zone is in a high traffic area, and could
be a problem in bad weather. He said he wasn't sure the transformer could be hung on
the utility pole in the front of the building. He said the work on the footings would go off
the site and was concerned about site distance. He asked whether the curb should run the
entire length of the adjacent parking lot on Pratt Street to keep abutting cars away from
the building. He said the dumpster area is too smalt a detail of the stockade fence should
be shown, the radius at entrance should be shown, and a snow removal area be shown.
Mr. Annino was concerned about getting in and out of entrance and the parking spaces
being too close to driveway.
Mr. Maloon said the site is filled with 10-12 feet of sand. Mr. Annino said that detail
should be shown on the plan. Mr. Annnino said the fill has to support the foundations
and drainage structures.
Mr. Annino asked for a landscaping plan showing more and larger materials.
Mr. Maloon said the sidewalks would be rebuilt. Mr. Annino asked that the roof leaders
r be shown, along with the gutters and mechanical equipment. Mr. Maloon said this
building would be slab on grade, but may have some small crawl spaces. Mr. Annino
said he would like to see elevations of all four sides, and said the building is much too
large for the area. He suggested looking at the elevation on Fuller Place.
Mr. Dolan said there is no landscape requirement in this zone. Mr. Annino said the plan
should still be stamped by a registered landscape architect. Mr. Dolan said with offices
proposed for this site, he was concerned about the need for all-day parking.
Mr. French asked if this site has a 21E report. Mr. Maloon said there was some cleanup
necessary, and is almost complete.
Motion: To send the building inspector a negative recommendations because while the
board supports the redevelopment of downtown buildings, it has very serious concerns
about traffic, parking, and public safety:
1. All department head comments (attached) must be fully and satisfactorily addressed;
2. The board is very concerned about the size (approximately 8,000 square feet) of the
proposed office use(s) on the first floor of the building. While the board understands
there are no parking regulations in this zone, the members are very concerned about there
being absolutely no employee parking for these office use(s), which will generate the
need for all-day parking.
r
('
3. The board feels strongly that the building as proposed is much larger than the
surrounding buildings and will be out of scale with the neighborhood, and strongly
encourages the applicant to reduce the size of the proposed building;
4. The catch basin should be relocated away from the walkway to the back entrance of
the building;
5. An on-site transformer may be necessary due to the size of the building, and should be
landscaped and buffered;
6. The dumpster enclosure appears to be too small for the number of residential and
office units;
7. A detail of the fencing and screening around the dumpster should be shown;
8. There should be a snow reDlOvaVstorage area shown on the plan;
9. Several of the parking spaces appear to be difficult to access, especially those shown
near the entrance;
10. There may problems with adequate sight distance;
11. The turning radius into the entrance should be shown on the plan;
11. A landscaping plan, signed by a registered landscape engineer, should be submitted;
12. Additional and larger plantings should be shown at the back of the site;
13. The landscaping plan should include adequate screening for the abutting residential
properties, as well as the parking lot;
14. A detail of the soil conditions and fIll material found on site should be shown on the
plan;
15. All roof drain lines should be shown on the plan;
16. The design of each side of the building, as well as the elevations, should be shown on
the plan;
17. The location of all mechanical equipment should be shown on the plan, and any
exterior equipment should be landscaped;
18. A handicapped van parking space should be shown on the plan;
19. The pavement striping and parking space dimensions should be shown on the plan;
20. The fire service line should be six (6) inches in diameter;
21. The sides of the building adjacent to the proposed sidewalk should be lit with wall
packs;
22. A different style of parking lot lighting should be considered, and the light poles
should be lower than shown;
(Annino-Dolan) All in favor. PASSES
r
r
17. Around the Table I
The board discussed holding a workshop to discuss issues such as downtown zoning and
a Master Plan update. Mr. French said tonight's site plans highlight the problems with
downtown parking, traffic, etc. Mr. Annino suggested the board meet first to develop a
strategy, then meet with the Downtown Business Association. The workshop will be
August 13, 2003.
Mr. Burke told the board he has seen a plan for retail development in the Golden
Triangle, but nothing has been officially submitted. He has also met with a representative
of Hampton Inn, which is interested in the Currivan land on the comer of Route 106/140.
r
r
,
r
Mr. Dolan said the sight distance coming out of Plymouth Street onto School Street is
very difficult because of the state's bridge construction sign.
Mr. Burke said the regional application for the Economic Target Area designation has
been approved. He said he would be filing a grant application in the next few days with
the EP A for the Hatheway-Patterson site redevelopment. Mr. Burke said there would be
a dedication for the bike path in the fall.
I 8. Reorganization
Motion: To reappoint Mr. French Chairman (Jenkins-Dolan) All in favor. PASSES
Motion: To reappoint Mr. Dolan Clerk (Cook-Annino) All in favor. PASSES
110. Adjournment
Motion: To adjourn at 1l:30p.m (Cook-Dolan) All in favor. PASSES
D fnext meeting: July 23, 2003 at 7:30 p.rn.
0V)Y L~. 2./V
e of Clerk Date of Approval ./