HomeMy WebLinkAboutmin of planning brd 01/25/06
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Planning Board Minutes ' ,i I C>L.
Present: Tom French, Chair; Fred =~:;n~c~:~~ Ken To~[1~.fhID~J~i,qjoug
Annino, Walter Jenkins; Shaun P. Burke, Director of Planning ~d.l?~~JQPtn~tJ
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1. January 11, 2006 minutes
Motion: To approve as submitted (Torman-Armstrong) Six in favor. Annino
abstained. PASSES
2. Special Permit to be signed - Arnold's Gymnastics parking expansion
Mr. DeMassi said the existing lighting is unshielded wall packs and he was concerned
they would shine onto neighboring properties after construction. Mr. Jenkins noted
the special permit specifies the new parking lot lighting will be shielded. Mr. Burke
said if the wall packs become a problem, the parking lot will have to use shielded
light poles because wall packs can't be shielded. The lighting condition in the permit
says the lights will be changed from wall packs to poles if it is necessary. Mr. Burke
said it would be "necessary" if the abutters complain. Mr. DeMassi said he would
like the owners to come back to explain the lighting before signing the permit. Mr.
Jenkins said the Arnolds seemed willing to work with the abutters and the board on
this issue.
Motion: To sign the special permit (Jenkins- Torman)
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Mr. Burke suggested changing the condition to "building lighting shall be relocated to
the parking lot." Mr. French suggested "parking lot lighting currently attached to the
building shall be shielded or relocated to the perimeter of the parking lot."
Motion amended to reflect Mr. French's suggestion.
Mr. French suggested amending condition 9 to specify six Austrian pines be planted.
Six in favor. Annino abstained. PASSES
3. ZBA application for Variance - 2 Pinto Way
Mr. DeMassi said there isn't enough information on the plan or in the application to
send a recommendation. Mr. Armstrong noted the house is already non-conforming,
and this would increase that non-conformity. Mr. Burke said that house may have
had a 30-foot front yard setback when it was built. Mr. Annino said if the
surrounding neighborhood is similar, the case could be made that this wouldn't be
any more non-conforming, but there is nothing on the plan about the neighboring
properties. Mr. Jenkins noted the application hasn't even been completely filled out
or signed.
Motion: To send the ZBA no recommendation because there is insufficient
information included in the application
(DeMassi-Annino) Four in favor. Three opposed. PASSES
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[Mr. Annino left the table at this time.]
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Ralph Maloon, RIM Engineering, explained the site is on the north side of Williams
Street near the new bridge, is owned by Earl Brown and shows a conventional six-lot
subdivision. Mr. Maloon explained he worked on this site about 10 years ago; Mr. Burke
said this was submitted in 1991.
Mr. Maloon explained the conventional subdivision has a 650-foot long, dead-end road.
The width of the right-of-way would be 50 feet, but they would need a waiver for the
comer rounding easement. He said the Form A lots on Williams Street were done in
1967, when a 20-foot radius was adequate. He added a sketch to the plan showing the
gutter line and sideline of the road with both a 3D-foot and a 20-foot rounding. He said a
24-foot road can be built the same way, but the grass strip would only be 7.5 feet. He
said there would be adequate width for a sidewalk.
Mr. French asked if the conventional subdivision would be done. Mr. Maloon said his
client prefers that design. Mr. Maloon said the water would be looped to Gordon Court.
Mr. French asked if Gordon Court touches the cul-de-sac; Mr. Maloon said it does not.
Mr. French asked if the new road could be pushed through to connect to Gordon Court;
Mr. Maloon said based on the current ownership, it cannot be connected to Gordon
Court. He said the applicant has discussed this with the neighbors, who would prefer to
keep it dead-end.
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Mr. Burke asked if the scale between Gordon Court and the new road different; Mr.
Maloon said Gordon Court has the old 60-foot cul-de-sac layout. He said the
circumference of the proposed cul-de-sac was increased to get frontage for the six lots.
Mr. Jenkins asked if frontage waivers could be granted if fewer lots were done; Mr.
French said the board cannot grant frontage waivers.
Mr. Maloon said he would like to keep the 13-foot grass strip around the cul-de-sac. Mr.
Burke asked how the impervious surface wouldn't be increased with the larger cul-de-
sac. Mr. Maloon said there would be an extra 30 feet by 24 feet of pavement.
Mr. Maloon said test holes have been done.
Mr. Jenkins asked if there would be any benefit to cluster because of possible open space
near Robinson Pond. He said he likes the natural buffer and open space provided in a
cluster. Mr. Maloon said it makes sense to provide open space near the pond, but noted
there is a wetland there, too. Mr. Burke said if that area were in common ownership,
there wouldn't be lawns installed there. Mr. Maloon said they had considered installing a
walking path near the pond, which they would have to work out with the Conservation
Commission.
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Mr. Burke asked why the applicant preferred a traditional subdivision to a compound.
Mr. Maloon said he didn't know why. Stan Feck said he is looking at this property, and
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said he would be willing to look at a cluster development. Mr. French said with a cluster,
r the lot sizes could be reduced, the houses grouped together and some open space left
around the pond. Mr. Burke said the town has a policy about green belts adjacent to
waterways. Mr. Jenkins said except at the back of the site, there are no wetland issues to
impact where the houses can be located, and with a cluster there could be some creativity
with house locations. He said that would also make the development more palatable for
the abutters.
Mr. DeMassi asked if a seventh lot would work on this site if it were done as a cluster.
Mr. Burke said he wasn't sure the conventional plan demonstrates that six lots can be
built and said he would speak with the town engineer about that issue.
Mr. French explained this is an informal discussion with the applicant, and the applicant
would do a preliminary plan, followed by a definitive plan and a public hearing.
Doug Annino, 151 Tremont Street, said the cluster would make a lot of sense in this area
because of the size of Williams Street. He said this land is beautiful and the development
could be kept away from the water with the cluster-type development. He said there have
been other areas of Williams Street clear cut, which hurts the whole neighborhood. He
said there may be sight distance issues at the bridge and the drainage in this area is very
poor. He said there is a swale running north and south between his property and this
land, which takes a lot of water from Tremont Street.
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[Mr. Annino returned to the table at this time.]
Mr. DiFazio explained when his restaurant opened, he did not think they needed a bar.
Since then, the customers have asked for a lounge area, and he has been losing customers
to other restaurants.
Mr. Burke explained this is the Bl zone, so there are no setback requirements. He said
site plan review was triggered because the change is more than 15%, which would be
about 650 feet. This addition is about 720 square feet. He said the parking requirement
in this zone is one space per 750 feet, so this doesn't trigger the need for parking. The
northern end of the building is about three feet from the property line, the back will have
an emergency exit, but there will be no public entrance in the back.
Mr. Holmes asked about the stairs from the roof; Mr. Jodice said that will be an
emergency exit with rails all along the top.
Mr. Annino asked about lighting. Mr. Difazio said there would be shielded lights at the
emergency exit. Mr. Iodice said lighting would be on the building, and will be shielded
so it won't glare off the site.
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Mr. Jenkins asked about deliveries. Mr. Defazio said drivers currently park in the front
and come in through the side door. The new plan is to have deliveries brought to the
basement door; that area has been cleaned up and a patio added. Mr. Iodice said the
existing building takes up most of the lot, so there isn't a lot of room for new entrances.
Mr. Jenkins asked if there are any plans to occupy the second floor. Mr. Defazio said he
is not planning to do that because it would be too expensive to add an elevators.
Mr. Annino asked about trash removal. Mr. DeFazio said they usually only have two
barrels each night, and he puts what he can out on the street, and the rest is brought to an
off-site dumpster each night. He said he doesn't like to leave trash around his site
because of animals and bugs.
Mr. Jenkins asked what the addition material would be; Mr. Defazio said it would be
insulated concrete blocks. Mr. Jodice explained it will be a split face block, decorated on
the outside. Mr. Jenkins asked about windows; Mr. DeFazio said there would be no
windows on the addition.
Mr. Annino asked what would be done on the rest of the site; Mr. Defazio said they
would landscape on the side, and there would be a walkway for the emergency door on
the side. The back of the site will be landscaped.
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Mr. Holmes asked if the back of the property is paved; Mr. DeFazio said there is a thin
layer of asphalt there, installed to avoid runoff into the basement.
Mr. Annino asked about roofrunoff; Mr. Jodice said there is a drain at 150 North Main
Street that Mr. Maloon will investigate tying into. Mr. DeFazio said that property and his
are owned by the same person.
The clerk read a memo from the Engineering Department.
Motion: To send the Building Inspector a positive recommendation including: the
landscaping be shown on the plan, trash be stored inside, lighting be shown on the plan
and screened to have no more than one footcandle going off property, drainage for the
site and the building be shown on the plan (Holmes-Armstrong) All in favor. PASSES
I 2., Cor........ eeIltinuect
[Mr. Annino left the meeting at this time]
4. ZBA application for Variance - 2-4 North Main Street - George's Cleaner's - Mark
Blanchette. The application is to seek variances from density and dimensional
requirements, parking and floor area ratio. Mr. Burke said the board has seen this
application before; but this is a revised plan. The difference is they are seeking relief
on fewer parking spaces (12), the density has been decreased and they are still
seeking relief for parking under the building.
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Mr. Jenkins asked if the entrance from North Main Street is cantelivered over the
parking lot. Mr. Burke said it shows three spaces with part of each under the
building, and what appears to be a sidewalk wrapped around the building.
Mr. Armstrong said the application claims the hardship is economic feasibility.
Dr. Torman said the owners listed on the application are no longer the owners, and
asked if the application is legal. Mr. French said the board is only making a
recommendation; Mr. Burke suggested including that information in the
recommendation.
4.2.2, Density and Dimensional (parking under the building) - Mr. Burke said this
variance has recently been granted on a couple of other buildings downtown. Mr.
Burke said they don't want to enclose the parking area completely, but said they
agreed to screen it. Mr. Jenkins asked ifthere is a minimum standard for retail on the
first floor; Mr. Burke explained the way the by-law currently reads, 100% of the first
floor must be retail.
Motion: To send the ZBA a positive recommendation on Section 4.2.2, Footnote 2,
specifically to give parking underneath, not to relieve the applicant from the
requirement of having retail on the first floor.
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Mr. Holmes said there is 3,500 square feet of retail proposed and asked how much
there was before. Mr. Burke said there was no retail, just the dry cleaning and
laundry services. Mr. Jenkins said the building footprint was 4,500-5,000 square feet.
Mr. Holmes said the West Street elevation would have to have more screening for the
parking area so the building doesn't look like it is on stilts.
(Armstrong-DeMassi) All in favor. PASSES
Floor Area Ratio - An FAR of 1.5 is allowed by right, 1.67 is proposed. The
application says the hardship is economic. Mr. Jenkins said he cannot buy that
argument because the applicants just bought the building. He said the front elevation
on North Main Street is screened on one plan but not on another, where the building
appears to be cantilevered.
Mr. DeMassi said the difference between 1.5 and 1.67 FAR is pretty small, but said
he is more concerned about there only being five parking spaces for the retail uses.
Mr. French said this is a self-created hardship and the ZBA should think about the
precedent this variance would set. Mr. DeMassi said this property is on the edge of
two zones, so he doesn't have as much of a problem with the higher FAR. Mr.
Jenkins said this property is on more of a rural end ofNortb Main Street; Mr. Burke
said the issue is one of scale and mass.
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Mr. Jenkins said the application has asked for relief to use underground parking,
which he said he would count under the FAR because it is space inside the building.
Mr. Burke said the by-law doesn't calculate it that way. Mr. DeMassi said he would
agree with Mr. Jenkins if the parking area were completely private and not available
to the public. He said in the board's original recommendation, it said it would
consider a lower FAR, which this application does. He said it originally came in at
2.5, and the revised plan at 1.67 is significantly different. Mr. Holmes said the
proposed building is huge compared to the rest of the neighborhood.
Mr. Burke noted the parking variance request is for 12 spaces rather than the 22
originally requested.
Motion: To send the ZBA a positive recommendation on Section 4.2.2, Floor Area
Ratio (DeMassi-French)
Dr. Torman said the board has to be concerned about setting a precedent. Mr.
French said it is a big improvement over the original application. Mr. DeMassi said
he would like to see more retail on the first floor of that building. Dr. Torman said
one of the buildings recently renovated on North Main Street does not have adequate
parking and the owner cannot rent either the apartments or the retail space, and the
same type of situation will happen on this site.
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Mr. DeMassi said the intent of the board's concerns would be met by sending a
positive recommendation on this and a negative on the parking variance.
Three in favor. Three opposed.
Motion: To send the ZBA a negative recommendation on the parking variance
because of the lack of parking for the retail uses.
(Holmes-Armstrong) All in favor. PASSES
[Mr. Annino returned to the meeting at this time]
17. Aro.....thir...
Mr. Jenkins said the intersection of East Street and Route 106 is very dangerous because
it is striped but the lights haven't been activated yet.
Mr. Burke told the board he would be having surgery on February 6 and would be out for
a few weeks.
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Motion: To adjourn at 9:45 p.m. (Torman-Holmes) All in favor. PASSES
~: Wednesday, Febnwy 8,2006 at 7:30 p.m.
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Signature of Clerk Date of Approval
Planning Board
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