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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning Brd Min_7271994P r- - L' E_ Ti AW I 1 PI9 3: 01 PLANNING BOARD MINUTES JULY 27, 1994 [ PRESENT: Chairman McClanahan, Acting Clerk French PLANNERS: Annino, Bonds, Flynn Shaun P. Burke, Director of Planning and Development 1. Meeting called to order at 7:30 P.M. 2. Public Hearing Continued - Tara Estates Modification Motion: To appoint Planner French Acting Clerk. (Flynn - Annino) All in favor. PASSES. The clerk read a letter from the applicant's engineer requesting the public hearing be postponed for 60 days. Motion: To postpone the public hearing until Wednesday, September 7, 1994 at 7:30 P.M. (French- Annino) All in favor. PASSES. 3. Correspondence 1. Memo from Shaun Burke to Bob Swanson, Town Engineer RE: Hodges Brook Estates revised drainage area. 2. Letter from RIM Engineering to the Planning Board RE: Hodges Brook revised drainage area. Mr. Burke said he had not received comment from the Engineering Department and did not know the outcome of the previous night's Conservation Commission meeting. The board decided to postpone a decision on the revised design until the next meeting. 3. Letter from Remus Realty Trust RE: Massapoag Estates water pressure booster pumps 4. Memo from Shaun Burke to Bertram Cook .and 0. Conrad Lajoie RE: Massapoag Estates water pressure booster pumps 4. Discussion of Water Pressure Booster Pumps - Massapoag Estates Al Paglia of Remus Realty Trust said they are testing all the homes in the subdivision; some have pressure problems and some do not. He suggested installing pumps in homes with problems 110%-7, retesting after the subdivision is built out, and installing pumps in any homes that do not meet the plumbing code for water pressure at that point, Planner Flynn said she was concerned about the possibility of the development company changing hands before the project is completed and the new owner being unwilling to work with the board on the pressure problem. She said she would like to see a statement from the Water Department on the safety, reliability and convenience of the water service in the subdivision. Planner Flynn also suggested any modifications to the board's approval of the pumps should be done under a mortification public hearing instead of a field modification and requested a synopsis of what has happened on the project to this point. Mr. Burke told her what had changed from the original approval was that now, Mr. Paglia is requesting to install pumps in the houses that don't meet plumbing code at this point, then retesting and installing pumps as needed after the subdivision is finished. Chairman McClanahan suggested notifying the abuttors of the Planning Board's discussions with Remus. Planner Bonda agreed, saying the board should find out if there are complaints Remus may not have heard about. Planner Flynn said she would like to get information from other town staff to help the board make the right decision and reaffirmed her desire for a public hearing. Planner Annino said he was concerned the board was never given specs on the pumps, which was part of the original approval. Chairman McClanahan asked if it wouldn't be easier to install pumps in all the homes at once, rather than having to go back later. Planner French said he thought it reasonable to hold a public hearing. Motion: To hold a .public hearing on the modification of Massapoag Estates for the purpose of discussing possible modifications to conditions of approval and to discuss water pressure as it relates to the safety and convenience of the residents. The public hearing will be held Wednesday, August 24, 1994 at 7:30 P.M. (Flynn - Bonda) The board would like to get comment from the Town Engineers and the town's water consultant, and requested the developer provide specs on the booster pumps. All in favor. PASSES 3. Correspondence Continued 5. Form J release Massapoag Estates for Lots 34, 53 and 80. Motion: To sign the release. (Flynn - Bonda) Four in favor. One opposed. PASSES 6. Memo from Dan Clifford, Subdivision Inspector RE: Partial release of Bond A for Massapoag Estates. Motion: To release $89,506.58 (Flynn - Bonda) Four in favor. One opposed. PASSES 7. Memo from Dan Clifford RE: Partial release of Bond B for Masssapoag Estates, Motion: To release $8,792.96 (Flynn- French) Four in favor. One opposed. PASSES 8. Memo from Dan Clifford RE: Partial release of Bond D for Massapoag Estates. Motion: To release $77,313.89 (Flynn - Bonda) Four in favor, One opposed, PASSES 9. Form I Covenant for Cobbler's Corner Motion: To accept the covenant (Bonda - Annino) All in favor. PASSES Motion: To sign the plan for Cobbler's Corner (Annino- Flynn) All in favor. PASSES 10. Letter from William F. Williams to John Haley, MBTA General Manager RE: Meeting with Board of Selectmen 11. Memo from William Williams to Bob Swanson RE: Whitetail Lane intersection improvements 12. Memo from William Williams RE: Special Town Meeting 13. Memo from Amos Robinson, Chairman, Board of Selectmen RE: Joint meeting 13. Memo from John Pobst, SPREDD RE: Train Station 14. ZBA decision Strom - Granted 15. ZBA decision Appeal of Clemmey RE: Great Woods - Parking Lot Permit overturned. ZBA did not act on any other aspect of the appeal 16. ZBA variance application - Clifford Turner 33 South Walnut Street. To divide single lot in R2 zone into two lots. Motion: To send the ZBA a negative recommendation. The board does not feel a lot with 19 feet of frontage is warranted nor does it feel allowing it would be a good precedent to set. The board also feels it would be a hardship on the abutters and would increase the visibility of the parcels. (Annino - Bonda) All in favor. PASSES. 17. Minutes July 13, 1994 Motion: To approve the minutes as written. (Bonda - Flynn) All in favor. PASSES. 18. Memo from William Williams RE: Land offer of Cabot Partners 19. Memo from Shaun Burke to William Williams RE: Land offer of Cabot Partners Planner Flynn excused herself from the discussion. Mr. Burke showed the board a plan done by Beals Associates of the approximately 96 acres offered the town by Cabot Partners. Some of the land is in Foxboro, some is isolated, and most is wetlands in the Plymouth Street area adjacent to Hodges Brook. Mr. Burke then showed the board a plan prepared by Leonard Flynn of the Conservation Commission showing the land to be kept by Cabot Partners and to be donated to the town. Mr. Burke said he thought it would be a dangerous precedent to accept undevelopable l land in order to relieve the owner of a tax burden and suggested it might be a better idea to give the land to the Natural Resources Trust. iActing Clerk French asked if the fire station plan was separate from this offer. Mr. Burke told him the site on Plymouth Street had been considered a site for a new West Mansfield fire station long before this proposal came up. Acting Clerk French said he saw no reason to accept the land if the fire station is a separate deal, since there will be no benefit to the town and the land is protected by state and federal law anyway. Planner Annino was concerned the land may be a bigger liability than a benefit, especially since it is so close to the Plymouth Street recreation fields. He added that having a fire station in that area will be a benefit to those in the industrial park. Planner Benda said she was very concerned that discussions of this land offer and the fire station be separated. Motion: To send Mr. Williams a memorandum expressing the board's concerns about taking the land and about the proposal's connection with the West Mansfield fire station. Suggest Cabot Partners keep the deed and the town work out a tax abatement. ( Annino- Bonda) All in favor. PASSES. 5. Form A (ANR) Plans Carlton Briggs submitted a Form A for one lot on West Street abutting the Carlton Estates subdivision. The property was conveyed, but the bank's attorney wanted a plan showing all the details to be signed by the Planning Board. The applicant had paid a fee on the lot when the subdivision was filed and requested a fee waiver on the Form A. Motion: To sign the Form A (Flynn - Bonda) All in favor. PASSES 6. Discussion of Subdivision Rules and Regulations Mr. Burke went over the changes the board had discussed at its last meeting. The board arrived at a consensus on the changes to Sections 3.2.2.9, 3.3.14- 3.3.15.3 and 5.1.10. The board will wait to decide on Sections 4.1.2.6 and 6.1.2 and 6.1.3 until it gets more information. Mr. Burke showed the board a study sent by Dianne Crowne at SRPEDD concerning ways of slowing vehicular traffic by introducing obstacles into the roadway, making it more pedestrian friendly. There is grant money available for projects like this, and the board discussed doing something similar on East Street in front of the schools. 7. Public Discussion 8. Around the Table Planner Annino discussed taking a leadership role in issues of design and aesthetics in development in town. He said the board may consider bringing in different ideas from various projects and developers as a way of coming up with a broad - based aesthetic Master Plan. . Acting Clerk French asked if Mr. Burke had heard anything about progress on Weaver Lane. Mr. Burke responded he had spoken with Paul Folkman, who said they had not done the dye test yet. Mr. French asked if the board should have him come in to discuss the project. Motion: To send Folkman -Zola Builders a letter requesting they come to the Planning Board meeting of August 10 to discuss the project's status and give the board a date and their plans for resolution of the problem. (French - Bonda) All in favor. PASSES. Mr. Burke told the board he had attended the public hearing for the Gilbert Street bridge and was concerned that if it is reconstructed, it will have a 20 -ton limit instead of the current 7 -ton limit. He said the larger bridge would change the character of the vehicles traveling in the area. Mr. Swanson had suggested adding a through trucking exclusion as a way of reducing problems. Mr. Burke suggested the board send letters to the Board of Selectmen,. Representative Barbara Hyland, and Mass Highway asking that if they go ahead with the bridge, a truck exclusion be one of the conditions. Motion: To send letters to the above referenced requesting a through trucking exclusion be made a condition of the Gilbert Street bridge construction. ( Annino- Bonda) Planner Flynn suggested including documentation from the Police, Fire, Highway and any other departments that may have opinions on the subject. All in favor. PASSES 9. Adjournment Motion: To adjourn at 10:30 P.M. (Flynn- Banda) All in favor. PASSES. Date of next meeting: August 10, 1994 at 7:30 P.M. QA �1- --- oanim ) SigWature of Clerk Date of Approval