HomeMy WebLinkAboutmin of planning brd 11/12/03
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Planning Board Minutes
November 12,2003 C.; rJr.T . L: p'; !: I q
Present: Tom Frenc~ Chair; Bernie Dolan, Doug Annino, Waher JenkinS, Mark Cook, ,. , . l
Ken Torman, Fred Armstrong
Shaun P. BUrke, Director of PI and Develo ment
1. Meeting caUed to order at 7:30 p.m.
Motion: To appoint Mr. Annino Acting Chair (Cook- Torman) All in favor. PASSES
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I 2. Correspondence
I. November 5, 2003 Minutes
Motion: To approve (Torman-Annino) All in favor. PASSES
2. Public Hearing notices Easton, Plainville, Sharon
~. French arrived at this time]
3. Downtown Workshop
The chair welcomed the downtown merchants to the second downtown workshop and
reviewed the agenda regarding parking and traffic issues. Mr. Burke said he had not
received the updated parking and traffic maps and suggested continuing the discussion
about the merchants' concerns.
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*Town-owned land for public parking. It was suggested that the Fales property not be
sold, but rather the structure be razed and the land leased for parking for the residents of
the Grain Mill, who currently park along the Old Colony railroad right-of-way. 'It was
suggested that the Grain Mill residents parking on land adjacent to, but not on the Old
Colonly railroad right-of-way would free up parking spaces for merchants, employees
and customers downtown. It was mentioned the town should be careful not to have
created a satellite train station parking lot by doing that.
*Vacant lot next to North Main Street fire station. If the result of the downtown study
was that North Main Street should be made two-way traffic, that vacant lot would be a
good location for the town to acquire to create new parking to make up for any lost
spaces due to a two-way traffic flow. There was no consensus about two-way traffic on
North Main Street; many merchants expressed reservations about the wisdom of two-way
traffic and the potential of losing customers by eliminating parking on one side of the
street.
*Old Colony Way. There were concerns that the parking spaces on Old Colony Way
may be lost permanently to commuter rail parking. A num~ of merchants shared that
concern, stating that once those spaces had been turned into commuter parking, even
temporarily, they would become de fucto permanent commuter parking spaces.
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*Middle Common. There was unanimity among the merchants in attendance that they
had not discussed this proposal with the Town Manager prior to his announcing what was
going to be done. There were concerns about what effect, if any, this change would have
on downtown parking, the geometry of Old Colony Way and North Main Street, and
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whether moving ahead with the changes to the Middle Common prior to the completion
of the downtown area study by the Planning Board was premature.
Motion: To send the Board of Selectmen a letter that the downtown study is ongoing,
and while the Planning Board is not opposed to the changes proposed by the Town
Manager, the board requests they be delayed until the conclusion of the study
(Cook~Annino) All in favor. PASSES
The next downtown workshop will be held on December 10,2003 at 7:30 p.rn. Issues of
discussion will include traffic maps, parking counts, requirements for residential parking,
means of encouraging mixed-use with commercial on the first floor.
5. Adjournment
Motion: To adjourn at 9:45 p.rn. (Torman-Cook) All in favor. PASSES
Date of next meeting: December 3,2003 at 7:30 p.rn.
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ignature of C
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Date of Approval
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