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HomeMy WebLinkAboutplanningbrdmin11022011 Planning Board Minutes . November 2~ 2011 ""f '.~IU Fi~CEIYED . Present: Tom French, Chau, Beth Ashman-CollIns, Clerk; Don Cleat~ 1A'1\tWrf~&daFF ICE Alternate Rod Oreste lOll Shaun P. Burke, Director of Planning and Development NOV '1 A S: 31 1. Meeting called to order at 7:00 p.m. I 2. Correspondence 1. October 19,2011 minutes Motion: To approve as submitted (Jodice-Cleary) Three in favor. Two abstentions. PASSES 2. ZBA application for Variance - 45 Spring Street - Rear Yard Setback Mr. Burke explained the applicant seeks relief from the rear yard setback for the construction of a family room. Thirty feet is required; the addition would be 25 feet off the rear yard at the center of the existing house and would have the least possible impact on the neighbors. Mr. Burke recommended a positive recommendation. Mr. Jodice said while there is no hardship described in the application, the lot is oddly shaped. Motion: To send the ZBA a positive recommendation (Cleary-Oreste) All in favor. PASSES 3. ZBA application for Variance - 420 & 424 Gilbert Street - Frontage, Lot Width, Depth. Mr. Burke explained there are two parcels; the larger has an existing home and the smaller is for a proposed new house. He explained there is a significant elevation change from Gilbert Street to the back of this lot. The new lot needs a variance for frontage and width, but has much more area than necessary. The lots are in separate ownership. Mr. Jodice said the plan to create one new lot is a better option than the alternative for this much land, which could be a residential compound. Motion: To send the ZBA a positive recommendation because the creation of one new lot would be a better option than the possible alternative (Jodice-Collins) All in favor. PASSES 4. ZBA application for Variance - 6 Stratton Road - Front Yard Setback Mr. Burke explained the application seeks to construct a portico over the existing front steps, which already intrude into the front yard setback. Mr. Burke suggested a positive recommendation. Motion: To send the ZBA a positive recommendation (Cleary-Collins) All in favor. PASSES 5. Public hearing notices Attleboro, Easton, Sharon 6. The Beacon I 3. Form A (ANR) Plans 4. Discussion with Stan Feck re: Affordable Housing Units Mr. Burke explained Mr. Feck and Mr. DiMascio each need to produce one affordable housing unit. The by-law allows a variety of options for the provision of that unit. Both Planning Board 1 11/3/2011 'III developers would like to construct the units off-site, rather than in the subdivisions that triggered the requirement for the affordable units. Mr. Burke said he would work with the developers and DHCD to arrange the details; tonight's discussion is simply to determine the alternate location of the units. Mr. Burke provided the board with a summary of the affordable housing by-law and DHCD's Subsidized Housing Inventory showing the town's existing affordable housing units. The goal is to have 10% of the town's housing stock affordable; Mansfield is currently at 10.82%. Mr. Burke said he would prefer the developer build the units instead of giving the town the money. Mr. Feck showed the board his plan to produce his unit in a duplex at 109-111 Chauncy Street, a site upon which a variance has been granted. He said he will be filing another subdivision soon, and he would like to make one side of the duplex the affordable unit for that project. He said the units would be condominiums. Mr. French asked if the board can approve what the building looks like. Mr. Burke said the by-law doesn't address that. Mr. French said he thinks it would be an asset to the community for this to look nice. Mr. Feck said he plans to dress up the back of the house, which faces Chauncy Street, and put the decks off the side. He said he would put up a stockade fence along the back of the site and would not touch the existing hedge line. He noted these would be condominium units, so the owners could make changes to the property. Mr. Jodice asked ifthe duplexes could have one entrance in the front and another in the rear, so it would look like a single-family colonial. Mr. Feck said he intends to construct the buildings so they do not look like duplexes. Mr. Burke said the by-law requires the affordable units to be comparable to market-rate units. Mr. Jodice said he thinks the units should match the character of the neighborhood in which they are built. Mr. Burke said there should be reinvestment in the neighborhood. Mr. Jodice said the developer of the Jake's Way subdivision produced the affordable housing units in the subdivision. Mr. Feck said that was permitted as a 40B, so the rules were different. Ms. Collins said there are advantages to the units being located near the train station, but she is concerned about the aesthetic impact on the neighborhood. Mr. Cleary asked about setting a precedent by building a condo unit in place of a single- family house. Mr. Feck said the goal of the by-law is to provide an affordable unit. He said the other option is to pay the difference into the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, which would put the responsibility for constructing the unit on the town. Mr. Burke said the reason the by-law includes options is to give the developers a choice and make it more likely the units will be produced. Planning Board 2 11/312011 ... Ms. Collins asked if there is a minimum size building the developer has to build. Mr. Burke said that is not defined in the by-law. Mr. Feck said he is planning to build two bedroom condominiums, but said if the board wants three bedrooms, he would do that. Mr. DiMascio said the Housing Authority has an extensive wait list for two-bedroom units, so they would rather have two bedroom units built. Mr. Oreste said the Mansfield Housing Corporation has discussed that with the Housing Authority, and he agreed there is a need for two bedrooms. Mr. Burke said the board may want to consider working on the affordable housing question at the time the subdivision is filed, rather than waiting until the end. That way, the board's decision can specify how the affordable unit will be provided. Mr. Jodice asked ifthe board would be able to say no to future developers' proposals. Mr. Burke said it would, because each development is unique. Mr. French said he can see the advantages of having this unit downtown, near the train station. He said he would feel better if the board could look at the elevations of the building. Mr. French said the by-law requires the unit to fit in with the neighborhood. Mr. Feck noted he will have three other units to sell, so they will have to be attractive. He said his goal is to make the building look like a straight-front colonial. Mr. Oreste said from an affordable housing point-of-view, this is a good location. He said the board doesn't really have the responsibility to approve the design, simply the location. Motion: To accept the location of the affordable unit associated with the Camden Lane subdivision in the Chauncy Street location (Cleary-Oreste) All in favor. PASSES Mr. DiMascio explained his proposal is similar to Mr. Feck's. He said he has a parcel of land on Mary Avenue, a paper street off King Street. He said he proposes a driveway on Mary Avenue with one duplex, which could be done by right, with half as the affordable unit. Mr. DiMascio said he has been speaking with the building inspector about getting a building permit for a lot with a private driveway off a paper street. Mr. DiMascio said Mr. Riccio told him the site would have to have access to water and sewer before he would issue a building permit. Mr. DiMascio said the town owns a parcel without adequate frontage on Mary Avenue; Mr. Jodice asked ifit would be possible to get additional frontage for the town's lot for the future construction of another duplex. Mr. Burke asked if the board is comfortable with this alternative location for the affordable unit. He also asked what the town wants to do with that parcel of land and whether it should get some additional frontage on Mary A venue for a future lot. Mr. DiMascio said the proposed duplex would be 150 feet back from the road. Planning Board 3 11/312011 - Mr. Burke said there are significant wetland issues in this area, including the 100-year floodplain. Mr. Burke suggested a motion on this location should be subject to issues like utilities, infrastructures and the building inspector's zoning opinion. Mr. Jodice asked if the town can go to the ZBA for a variance on the town-owned parcel. Mr. French suggested working with Mr. DiMascio to get the road built properly and make the town-owned lot conforming. Motion: To accept the location of the affordable unit associated with the Autumn Park subdivision in the King Street location contingent upon utilities, infrastructure and the building inspector's zoning opinion (Jodice-Cleary) All in favor. PASSES I 6. Public Comment Ms. Collins said she will be out of town from February through June and will have to take a leave of absence from the board. Mr. Burke asked Ms. Collins to send the board a letter explaining the situation. Mr. Burke said Dr. Mullin spent part of the day in town and met with Skip Coppola from AMB. AMB owns 16 buildings in the industrial park, approximately two million square feet, and has been taking on the responsibility for maintaining things like landscaping, because there is no park manager. Mr. Burke said the park has around five million square feet of space. He said he is concerned about there being no official park management, and what would happen if AMB were to leave. Mr. French said the town may eventually have to take on some of that responsibility. Mr. Jodice asked about dedicating some portion of industrial taxes toward the upkeep of the park. Mr. Burke said that is possible. The board discussed possibilities like developing relationships with individual businesses, trying to encourage the industrial park businesses to establish an association and an economic development district. Mr. Burke said the town has received a technical assistance grant from South Coast Rail to have SRPEDD write a Transit-Oriented Development zoning by-law. ) All in favor. PASSES Next meeting: November 16,2011 at 7:00 p.m. I to I ~ f . I If /1 Ii' / )el( ture of Clerk Date of Appfovar Planning Board 4 11/312011 ..