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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning Brd Min_7241996PLANNING BOARD MINUTES July 24, 1996 PRESENT: Chairman French, Clerk Sullivan PLANNERS: Bonda, Dolan, Flynn, McShane, Penney Shaun P. Burke, Director of Planning and Development 1. Meeting called to order at 7:00 P.M. Motion: To appoint Clerk Sullivan Acting Chairman (Flynn - Bonda) All in favor. PASSES Z. Site Plan Review - Great Woods Office Park Parking Expansion The clerk read the correspondence. Howard Kelman, attorney for the applicant, introduced himself, property manager Alice Tracy, and engineer John Spink. Mr. Spink explained the property had been purchased one year ago with the bottom floor unfinished. The owners now have a tenant and would like to finish that floor. Since the original permits were for existing occupancy, the site plan is necessary to bring the site into compliance with the zoning by -law. The parking lot will be extended toward the Norton Reservoir with a curb cut at Reservoir Street. The parking lot contains a depression where the area drains, and the existing slopes will be kept with an enlarged lip to keep the flow the same. The overflow will go toward the reservoir. Landscaping includes shrubs and trees along the reservoir, with the existing low shrubs and grass retained. (Chairman French arrived at this point.) Board Comment Planner Flynn asked if the plan conforms to the zoning by -law. Mr. Burke told her it does. Planner Bonda asked if the police department had reviewed the plan for sight distance. Mr. Burke said there was a representative at the original site plan meeting and their concerns were addressed by shifting the curb cut. Clerk Sullivan asked about the drainage calculations. Mr. Spink said the system is good for any storm event, but that he matched it for the 25 -year event. He explained in the 25 -year event, nothing would flow off site, but in higher storms, water would flow overland to the reservoir, as it does now. Clerk Sullivan asked how Mr. Spink knew the 25 -year storm would be held. Mr. Spink responded the area peres at better than two minutes per inch. Mr. Burke told the board the Town Engineer had reviewed the calculations, and the area had been a gravel pit, so the materials are good. Clerk Sullivan asked if there were any catch basins. Mr. Spink said there were not, just the detention buffer. Clerk Sullivan asked if the site would be putting any additional water onto the abutting properties. Mr. Spink said not with the existing soil conditions, but reiterated that in the 100 -year storm there would be overland flow across the properties. (Planner McShane arrived at this point, 7:15 P.M.) Clerk Sullivan asked if there would be lights in the parking lot. Mr. Spink told him there would be lights on the back of the building and there is an existing light at Reservoir Street, Planner Dolan asked if there was a way for the board to prevent salts and other materials from going into the reservoir. Mr. Burke said there was not under site plan review, and he had spoken with Mr. Lewis and because of the site's distance to the reservoir, the plan won't be going to the Conservation Commission. Planner Dolan said he thought if the town is working on something like that, businesses in town should as well. Mr. Spink explained they had looked into water quality, and the site is not in a water supply or acquifer recharge area, so at this time, there is no water- related quality control. Attorney Kelman asked about using calcium chloride. Ms. Tracy explained that for walkways, their snow removal policy is to not use salt products, and last winter started using calcium chloride instead. (Planner Penney arrived at this point.) Planner McShane mentioned the state has been experimenting with calcium chloride. Clerk Sullivan was concerned that if the area peres so well, whatever they use will go into the ground. Planner Flynn asked the board to keep in mind the recreation potential of the reservoir and said she was sure the Road Commissioners would establish a policy on snow removal chemicals. Attorney Kelman said they would be willing to go along with any policy set. He mentioned there is a handicapped ramp behind building 792, and they would like to keep the handicapped parking spaces in the front of the building, but move two or three to be near the ramp. Planner Penney noted three and one half spaces per 1,000 are required for one building, but five are required for the other buildings. Attorney Kelman explained there is a sliding scale based on the size of the building. Planner Penney asked if building 800 has four stories. Mr. Spink said it has three stories and a basement, which is the area to be finished. Planner Penney said the zoning by -law requires one loading area, but the plan does not show one. Attorney Kelman explained the building doesn't receive large deliveries, except office supplies, and there is one loading area. Planner Penney requested the area be identified on the plan. Planner Penney asked if directional arrows are to be painted on the pavement. Mr. Spink said they are not, and Planner Penney suggested they be added at the entrance and exits. Clerk Sullivan asked where snow is stored. Mr. Spink explained it is stored around the perimeter of the site and on the islands. After the new parking is added, it will be stored around the edges of the parking area. Chairman French asked if the parking lot has catch basins or drains. Mr. Spink told him there are existing drains to catch basins in South Main Street, and the new area flows toward the reservoir without catch basins. Chairman French asked what would happen if accumulated snow were stored around the edges and it rained. Mr. Spink said there would always be an opening to the drainage depression. Ms. Tracy said if there is too much of a pile up, they would have the snow removed from the site. Motion: To send the Building Inspector a positive recommendation with the following suggested conditions. 1. The use of salt be minimized because of the proximity of the site to the Norton Reservoir; 2. the loading area be shown on the plan; 3. directional arrows be painted on the pavement at both entrance; 4. no snow storage will be allowed in the drainage depression area; 5. handicapped parking spaces may be rearranged so some are near the handicapped ramp, provided the number of handicapped spaces remains the same. (Sullivan - Dolan) All in favor. PASSES 3. Correspondence 1. Memo from Mr. Williams RE: Hiring Freeze 2. Memo from Dan Clifford RE: Partial Release Stearns Hill Estates Motion: To approve the release amount (Sullivan - Flynn) Five in favor. McShane/Penney abstained. PASSES Mr. Burke updated the board on the status of Massapoag Estates, saying as a result of the last big storm, additional rip rap will be added to some areas. Mr. Clifford has met with the paving contractor, who is hoping to get underway next week, however, the contractor would like to be paid directly and is working that out with the Treasurer's Office. Mr. Burke said most of the work should be done by the following Friday. Planner Flynn requested an item dealing with loam specs and type be added to the work list. 4. Public Hearing Continued - George Fram Estates The clerk read new correspondence. Planner McShane suggested the deed be changed to reference Article 49 and Article 97, where Article 97 is the provision governing open space and conservation land. In a straw vote, three members were in favor of leaving the deed as is, with three in favor of adding a reference to Article 97. Mike Hinchey, Hinchey Landscaping, told the board when he was first contacted about this project, the concept was for a village using narrow roads, boulders, landscaping, indigenous plants, etc., to lessen the impact of the development. He said he thought granite curbing would take away from the intent of that. Board Comment Planner McShane said Mr. Folkman had mentioned he was willing to give up the sidewalk waiver, but was still planning to seek the waiver from granite. Mr. DeGirolamo told him they were still seeking both waivers. The clerk read the draft special permit decision, and the board made changes to some conditions. #3 - The open space parcel will be given to the Town of Mansfield Conservation Commission under amended Articles 49 and 97 of the Mass Constitution. Planner Flynn said she thought a Town Meeting vote would be needed for the town to accept the land. Mr. Burke said the Town of Mansfield is the legal entity. Clerk Sullivan suggested adding the land is to be controlled by the Conservation Commission and that they check with Attorney Mangiaratti on whether a Town Meeting vote is required. #5 - The drainage easement shall remain until prior to the issuance of certificates of occupancy. #10 - The list of planting materials to be used by the applicant shall be approved by the board. #11 - The stone on the walkway will be six inches deep. #12 - The entrance to the open space area will include landscaping, fencing, and signage. #22 - This provision does not apply to the light poles and individual driveway lights shown on the plan. The board discussed the waivers requested. Waiver 4 - Planner McShane asked if the landscaping plan showed street trees. Mr. Hinchey said it does not because he doesn't know what will be saved at this point. Planner McShane suggested the waiver be changed to Section 4.8 to allow for the preservation of indigenous existing trees throughout the project in accordance with the landscaping plan, to replace the requirement of trees being planted every 50 feet. Waiver 5 - Chairman French asked the draft be changed to reference cut -de -sacs. Waiver 6 - Chairman French asked the draft be changed to reference monolithic cape cod berm. Planner Penney asked what the tangent between the reverse curves is. Mr. Burke told him it is approximately 135 feet, with the requirement being 150 feet Motion: To close the public hearing (Sullivan - Bonda) All in favor. PASSES Motion: To approve Waivers 1 -5 as amended (Sullivan - Bonda) Planner Penney said he would only be willing to grant waivers if he sees they present a clear benefit to the town. Clerk Sullivan said he thought the idea of a cluster is to allow give and take and creativity. Chairman French said the benefit of the cluster was that the traditional approved subdivision could have been built without any open space going to the town. Planner Penney said the benefits to the town are minimal. Clerk Sullivan was concerned that if the board does not allow flexibility in clusters, it will send the message clusters aren't wanted. Mr. Burke said he would agree with Planner Penney if this were a traditional subdivision, but because a special permit requires a supermajority, developers tend to shy away from doing clusters. Here, the board has tried to work with the individual site, and the open space can be shared by everyone in town, instead of just the subdivision residents. Planner McShane asked if the waivers required five of seven votes. Mr. Burke explained the waivers require a simple majority. Planner Flynn was of the opinion developers doing clusters save money up front on frontage, sideyards, and smaller lots. Then they request waivers and say the money saved by not doing the waiver items will be put back into landscaping and signage. Planner Flynn said she thought the original savings should allow these items anyway, without waivers requested, and didn't think the board should allow so many waivers. Five in favor. Penney and Flynn opposed. PASSES Motion: Not to approve Waiver 6 (Flynn- Penney) Planner Dolan said he had been against the waiver, but Mr. Clifford and Mr. Azinheira were both comfortable with it and felt the monolithic cape cod would be better for maintenance and cost. Planner Penney agreed, saying he had been in favor of sloped granite, but has decided monolithic cape cod berm would be best in this instance. Chairman French said he supports the waiver and said the board has worked with the developer and he wants them to achieve the design they have worked on. Planner Penney said some people consider granite better from a safety point -of- view, but it is not. Flynn in favor. Six opposed. FAILS Motion: To approve Waiver 6 as amended (Dolan- Sullivan) Six in favor. Flynn opposed. PASSES Planner Flynn said she would like the cape cod berm to be consistent with other cape cod berm in town. Motion: To amend to include monolithic cape cod berm be similar to previously approved cape cod berm. (Sullivan- Withdrawn Motion: To deny Waiver 7 (McShane - Dolan) Planner McShane.was of the opinion one sidewalk makes no sense from safety and symmetry points of view. Clerk Sullivan agreed one sidewalk would be asymmetrical. Chairman French said he supports the waiver because two sidewalks would urbanize the development. Planner Bonda said she had a problem with a dead end sidewalk. Mr. Burke said one of the arguments for sidewalk on one side is the trees the developer is trying to save on the side with a significant grade change. Planner Penney said he is an advocate of sidewalks. Six in favor. French opposed. PASSES Motion: To approve the plan under special permit and Subdivision Control Law with the aforementioned conditions and waivers. (Sullivan - Penney) Planner Penney - In favor. I have voiced concern about some issues, but feel the design is superior to a conventional subdivision with its preservation of conservation land and conservation of open space for conservation and recreation. Planner Flynn - In favor because of the open space donation to the Conservation Commission and the development is in keeping with Mansfield's rural look. Planner Bonda - In favor because it meets the residential cluster development regulations, because of the open space and conservation land, and because it is a better use of the land. Planner McShane - In favor and hope this encourages cluster development, and because of the preservation of open space next to the Canoe River. Clerk Sullivan - In favor because of the open space land, the innovative configuration of the roadway, and it is a better use of the land. Planner Dolan - In favor because of the above stated reasons. Chairman French - In favor because of the preservation of a unified parcel adjacent to the river. All in favor. PASSES 7. Adjournment Motion: To adjourn at 9:30 P.M. to attend the Board of Selectmen's meeting (Dolan- Penney) All in favor. PASSES Date of next meeting: August 14, 1996 at 7:30 P.M. Signature of Clerk Date of Approval