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HomeMy WebLinkAboutmin of planning brd 06/14/2006 r Planning Board Minutes June 14,2006 RECEIVED OWfI CI FRHS OFF ICE 06 JUN 22 PH 2: 32 Present: Tom French, Chairman; Fred Armstrong, Clerk; Walter Jeift~~~ 5 Doug Annino, John DeMassi, Frank Holmes . )S"AtffiJSm 1. June 7, 2006 minutes Motion: To approve as submitted (Annino - DeMassi) Six in favor. Torman abstained. PASSES 2. Special Permit to be signed - 163 Rumford Avenue - IS-Unit Apartment Building _ Crugnale Properties Mr. Armstrong noted that there are a couple of typographical errors on the front page and Mr. DeMassi noted that the lettered items are mismarked. Mr. Burke noted that we will correct the exhibit list and the errors. Motion: To sign the Special Permit for 163 Rumford Avenue (Armstrong - Holmes) Five in favor. Annino, Torman abstained. PASSES r Mr. French brought up the issue of reorganization for the coming year. He asked for the Board's input, as the Board typically reorganizes after Town Meeting. Motion: To elect H. Thomas French as Chairman (Torman - Holmes) Mr. French said that he thinks anyone would be a great Chairman but likes to serve. The Board expressed their support for Mr. French. Mr. French thanked the Board for their confidence in him. Vote: All in favor. PASSES Motion: To elect Fred Armstrong as Clerk (Torman - French) Mr. Annino said that Mr. Armstrong does a great job as Clerk. Vote: All in favor. PASSES George Dentino, 2 Gladiola Terrace and member of the Board of Selectmen Asked the Board about a recommendation the Planning Board made relative to lighting at Hutchason Fields. Mr. Burke provided Mr. French the minutes from the June 24, 1998 Planning Board meeting. Mr. Dentino asked about minutes specifically related to Hutchason Fields. The Town Manager added that there was a specific discussion relative to lighting, among other issues. The minutes indicate that there would be no lighting now or in the future. Mr. Dentino asked if it is prudent to get another recommendation by the ~ 1 current Planning Board prior to the plan coming before the Board of Selectmen. The ~ Board indicated they thought it would be prudent to review and make a recommendation. Mr. Burke said that the original plan was submitted in 1998. It involved the Hutchason Fields and the Hope Street parking lot. Mr. Burke pointed out that the Town is the - oWner. Mr. DeMassi asked who manages the fields. The Town Manager replied that the Parks and Recreation Department who manages the fields. Mr. French referenced the minutes and how Mr. Trowbridge, who prepared the plans, stated that the fields would only be used during the daytime. The Town Manager pointed out that Midget Football is currently in a bind. In 2000, the Town came back to discuss the issue of parking and lighting of the lots. Mr. Dentino expressed concern that there is no plan in front of the Planning Board at this meeting. Mr. Burke said that the placement of the lights, their height, the number of lights, etc. are important issues and need to be addressed by the Planning Board. Mr. Dentino said that the issue never should have come before the Board of Selectmen if no plan had come before the Planning Board. Mr. French asked to have the conversation inclusive of the Planning Board and pointed out that the Planning Board will look at a plan, once received, and make recommendations to the Selectmen. Mr. DeMassi said he hopes the Parks & Recreation Department will be the ones to present the plan. Mr. Annino believes that temporary lighting will be harder to control and believes that permanent lighting may be an option. The Town Manager said that there is a level of apprehension about lighting at Hutchason Fields. We would like to try out the temporary lighting and learn from that experience. Mr. Jenkins noted that this is a temporary solution. The Town Manager said the real ---.. solution is permanent lighting, but the neighborhood has reservations. He added that Mansfield has field use needs. If we are out to protect the neighborhood, Mr. Annino believes that it will be a hard sell. Mr. DeMassi believes that the temporary lighting will be beat up and damaged and that there has to be a full solution to lighting, including the parking lots. Mr. Burke noted the staff will be meeting on this issue and will address the concerns the Planning Board has, and those issues will be resolved before the plan comes the Board. Mr. Burke said there isn't a whole lot of information out there, but added that Mr. DeMassi brings up a good point about readjusting/tampering of the lights. Ken Buckland, the town's consultant from The Cecil Group, was present for a discussion on Transit Oriented Development at the Train Station. He said wanted to get the Planning Board up to speed on the development. He said they are pretty close to the end of the contract and he is working on his final report. He presented the Board members a working draft report. Mr. Buckland asked how familiar the Board is with the project. Mr. Armstrong noted that the last update the Board has was with the Selectmen in March. Mr. DeMassi asked about the feedback with respect to density and if Mr. Buckland has incorporated any of that. Mr. Buckland said that Plymouth has a 40R project in Cordage Park. If you put in ~ the current zoning, which drives density, there could have 8 units per acre or up to 20 2 . T r-- units per acre. Mr. Buckland said that what we are proposing fits into this range. If approved by the state, 40R provides the potential for receiving $3,000 per building permit. Under 408, as schoolchildren move into these units, the state will pay for the cost of educating them. It is a program that is worth the Board's research and addresses the issue of density. It also helps get the TaD money in place. The state hasn't been issuing more than $2 million per community. r Mr. Armstrong asked if the town can do both TaD money and district increment financing. Mr. Buckland replied that the town can do both. Mr. French asked what types of improvements will be made to Route 106 and asked if it involves the underpass. The Town Manager replied there is state and federal funding available for the underpass. Mr. Buckland replied that there would be improvements made from the train station to Route 140 and could pay for additional traffic lights as well. Mr. Annino asked if we are talking about one point of access. Mr. Buckland said that there is no second access and you would need to get access to County Street. The Town Manager noted the timing of the lights needs to be coordinated on Route 106 and added there will need to be a traffic light at Winthrop Street. Mr. Annino expressed concern that there is one major means of access for all of the development near the station. The Town Manager said the majority of train station users are Mansfield residents. Mr. Annino said the circulation problems in that area have not been solved and said he is fearful the development will cause major problems. The Town Manager said the problem with the County Street access is with CSX, the owner of the property. The town does not have a right to that access and CSX has told the town they will not consider providing access unless it is for business use. Mr. Annino said he is having trouble understanding how we have gone this far without making the vehicular access work. If we can't get people in and out successfully, it just won't work. Mr. Buckland said that we have put in seven individual projects, with the idea that money could be shifted around. Mr. Annino believes that multiple access is important. Mr. Buckland said one of the proposals is for on-grade access to County Street. A bridge over the train tracks is an option, but that will increase the cost. The Town Manager said we could look at a bridge and perhaps abandon the idea of the parking garage. Mr. French brought up the issue of parking, saying Mansfield has a regional train station - it is so easy to get off the highway and come here, and it is a disaster to get in and out of there now. The Town Manager said if there is no garage, then it solves the problem of density. Mr. Buckland noted that parking takes up a lot of space. ~ Mr. Annino said we have to make the circulation and parking work. The Town Manager said Town Meeting approved a parking enterprise fund. The structure is in place to put some of that money toward improvements at the train station. Mr. Buckland said the key piece is district increment financing (DIF). Mr. French brought up the issue of widening Route 106 from the train station to Route 140 and whether we want to do that. Mr. Burke brought up an example in Washington DC involving one lane changing direction during peak travel times, coming in and out of the city. Mr. Buckland said MassHighway is 3 using the phase "context sensitive design" with respect to Route 106. Mr. Annino added "') we have to be sensitive to the existing landowners. The Town Manager said he spoke to landowners a while back, who opposed widening Route 106 to two lanes each way. He said that some of the landowners are now thinking of building condos there. Mr. DeMassi said he believes the infrastructure improvements should be made first, not second. Mr. Buckland said the DIF program is designed for just that. Mr. Burke said coming to an agreement on the density will help to determine traffic issues. He also thinks consensus on the plan doesn't necessarily mean immediate implementation. The Town Manager added that the single points of access are important to the neighbors. Mr. DeMassi asked if the draft report describes the proposed densities; Mr. Buckland replied it does. Mr. Burke said the purpose of having Mr. Buckland here is to talk about the project, have the Board review the draft and offer comments to Mr. Buckland at a later point. Mr. Buckland was curious to learn if the Board is receptive to 40R. Mr. Armstrong stated that he is receptive to the idea of 40R. Mr. Burke asked if the town can go for 40R, TOD and DIF. Mr. Burke said there had been discussion during the initial train station process about providing a roadway parallel to the tracks all the way to Copeland Drive. There are other access options other than County Street and it could provide a second means of access. Dr. Torman asked why that parallel access idea was abandoned and Mr. Burke replied it \ was because of the high cost and the number of property owners involved. Dr. Torman noted the traffic would still be dumped onto Route 106. Mr. Burke suggested the Board not rule out the idea of reverse flow. Mr. Annino asked if Mr. Buckland has looked at how this project will change the character of the town. Mr. Buckland replied that we went through the various designs, and putting some density in this area is not out of character, as it is currently happening on North Main Street. Mr. DeMassi said that if we increase parking by 400 spaces, then 400 new cars will come into town. He questioned if these people will utilize the local businesses. Mr. Armstrong asked what happens once the draft report is finalized and approved. Mr. Buckland said there are a series of steps outlined in the report. Mr. Holmes asked when the traffic study to support the rezoning will be done. Mr. Buckland believes that should be at the top of the list. A traffic engineering analysis would be the first step. Public Comment Karl Clemmey, 750 South Main Street Brought up the issue of the waiting list for parking spaces in his lot. He is looking for direction and informed the Board that he is willing to spend the money to put up the parking garage and he wants to develop the land. ---, 4 r- Paul Conner, Mansfield Jeep Chrysler He noted that people are in support of a parking garage. Mr. French said the problem with the parking garage is how to determine the number of spaces. Mr. Conner said the town has been sitting on its hands and he is concerned Mr. Buckland hasn't approached him and the Clemmeys about the plan's impact on their property. He noted the neighbors are in support as long as the traffic is kept out of the neighborhoods. He expressed his concern about the lack of progress. Mr. French said that is the purpose of this meeting. He said we need to determine what to do with the land that is not used for the parking garage. Mr. Conner suggested the town work to improve the intersection of Copeland Drive and Route 106. r- Dr. Torman said we know we have to do something and want to do it right. We are trying to make some headway and will come up with a plan that will help move the town forward. He doesn't feel comfortable moving forward without all of the information. He expressed concern about how to move the cars around town. Mr. DeMassi said we don't want to piecemeal the traffic mitigation - it needs to be developed ahead of time. Dr. Torman said we can't move the cars that use the train station now. Mr. Burke said we need to establish what is there, determine the density we want, and then look at improvements based on the density. He said we need to know where we need to be and then do the design for the future. Dr. Torman suggested we come up with a number of spaces and then determine the plan to manage the traffic. Mr. Armstrong said land takings along Route 106 are probably not feasible. We need to determine what the density we want is, and then determine what is feasible for the density. George Dentino, 2 Gladiola Terrace and member of the Board of Selectmen Noted that there have been a number of plans proposed. He believes the landowners should be involved in the development process. The Planning Board has a numPer of problems to deal with, such as the traffic problem and the south side of the Hatheway- Patterson property. Mr. Buckland pointed out the plan has not changed that many times, but the proposal has been refined. Mr. Buckland added the town needs to put the zoning in place and then determine the type of development and said a major component is the points of access. He said following through with the traffic engineer is the next logical step. Mr. Clemmey said ifhe built the garage, he would not have any available land after the construction. He informed the Board that an individual is willing to give the town $1 million per year for 10 years to construct a building on Mr. Clemmey's property and use it for recycling. Mr. Armstrong asked how the recycling will come in and Mr. Clemmey said that it will come in by trucks. He added that two houses have gone to foreclosure in that area. Mr. Jenkins asked Mr. Clemmey how much he would charge to park in the garage. Bill Clemmey replied that they would likely charge $S/day. Bob Hickey, 14 Baker Street, Foxborough and member of the Foxborough Board of ~ Selectmen S When the traffic study is being conducted, he asks that it be done beyond the Mansfield ~ borders to include Spring Street, Summer Street and all the way up to Exit 8 on Route 95. He also asked that the Foxborough Board of Selectmen be included on correspondence and communication. Mr. DeMassi questioned why we would pay for a traffic study to be done for Foxborough. Mr. Hickey explained that if Mansfield plans to have a major egress onto County Street, then Foxborough would like to know. Bill Clemmey, 9 Deerpath Lane Asked for a copy of the plan, at which time Mr. Buckland provided his own copy. Mr. French thanked Mr. Buckland for coming in and found it to be interesting and added that the Board looks forward to reading the draft report. Ralph Maloon, RIM Engineering, presented several possible plans for the development of the 30.34 acre parcel on Branch Street, which abuts the bike trail, in the R2 zone. Plan A shows a ten-lot subdivision with 12 eight-unit multi family buildings (10 single family and 96 multi-family units) off a cul-de-sac. Plan B shows 2S eight-unit multi-family buildings (200 units) and a community center; and Plan C shows a 2S-lot subdivision. Mr. Maloon outlined the property in question, which is located at 2S3 Branch Street. There is only one potential entrance on Branch Street. He said if a second access were found, it would cross into a residential development. He said he would need waivers for the length of the dead-end road and the number of vehicle trips per day, which will be over 300. Mr. DeMassi asked if the applicant has spoken with any abutters; Mr. Maloon replied they have not. He presented Plan A, which is a ten-lot subdivision with 12 eight- unit multi-family buildings (10 single-family and 96 multi-family units) off a cul-de-sac. He added that he has already met with Conservation on this plan. ~ Mr. French referenced the subdivision regulation regarding the number of dwellings on a dead-end street and pointed out the unusual access on Branch Street. There are two existing homes near the access and he pointed out that the property goes over the bike path. Mr. Ken Morse pointed out that the house at 2S3 Branch Street was there at the time of the railroad. Ken and Cheryl Morse, Jane Munroe and Warren Morse, children of the late owner, were introduced. Mr. Annino said the Board has not recognized a double-barrel roadway as a second means of access. Ken Morse asked if Jake's Way is considered a dead-end road. Mr. Burke replied that under Chapter 40B, the developers have free reign. He added that the town is at its 10% affordable housing limit. Mr. DeMassi asked if there is a lot of wetlands in the area. Mr. Maloon replied that there are a couple of wetlands, which are not even shown on the GIS map he showed the Board. Mr. DeMassi asked ifhe has considered any other tie-ins. Mr. Maloon replied that some of the abutters are land investors but that he cannot have the second means of ~ 6 r-- access through another subdivision. Mr. DeMassi said if those other developments have an open lot that could be used; Mr. Maloon replied they do not. Mr. French said the board has never waived the length of a dead-end road during his tenure and doesn't believe it is in the town's best interest to do so. Mr. Armstrong said all three plans are horror shows, and involve public safety concerns. Mr. French said if Mr. Maloon came before the Board with a plan that did not ask for any waivers and conforms to the Subdivision Regulations, the Board is required to endorse the plan, after review by the Engineering Department. Mr. Burke added that for age-restricted development, the applicant would need to apply for a Special Permit, which is discretionary. Mr. Holmes reiterated the point that the one means of access is unusual. Mr. Maloon compared this site to Heron Crest. Mr. DeMassi pointed out they are two very different issues. Mr. Jenkins asked the Board about cluster development. Mr. Burke replied it would still need waivers and Mr. French added that the applicant would need to do a test plan. Mr. DeMassi asked the Board if they would allow Mr. Maloon to build more than 10 units on the road ifmore of them were affordable. Mr. Holmes pointed out that it is still a safety issue. Mr. Burke added that regulations can be waived if there is a public purpose. Mr. DeMassi discussed the issue of "dumbbell" streets and Mr. French said he doesn't believe that would lend itselfwellJo this property. (' Warren Morse asked where the bike trail starts and Mr. French explained it starts at the train station, goes over East Street and goes all the way to the airport. Ken Morse suggested the use of mechanical gates at the bike trail entrance. Mr. Armstrong pointed out that East Street was there before the bike trail. Mr. Burke said that all of the grade crossings are at 90 degrees. The Morse family thanked the Board for their time. Mr. Burke said when the town took title to the land for the bike path by eminent domain, it eliminated by default those portions on Branch Street. He said that ownership and the right to access the property are the major issues with these proposals. Motion: To adjourn at 10:20 p.m. (Torman) All in favor. PASSES Date of Next meeting: Wednesday, June 21, 2006 at 7:30 p.m. r -~~ (9/2,/ Ja:, ~lt-- t' O-r\^C5~ 7 Signature of Clerk Date of Approval ~ ---, --., 8 , r.