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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPLANNINGbrd03252015Planning Board Minutes March 25, 2015 Present: Tom French, Chairman; Beth Ashman- Collins, Clerk, Michael McClanahan, Don Cleary, Ralph Penney, Rich LeBlanc; Alternate: Joe Cerretani Shaun P. Burke, Director of Planning and Development; Jennifer Davis, Administrative Assistant 2 Corresporitlepce .;_ 1. March 11, 2015 Minutes Mr. Penney said during the discussion about the Saquet land, the board discussed sending a letter to the Board of Selectmen and Conservation Commission. Motion: To approve as amended (McClanahan - Penney) Six in favor. LeBlanc, Cerretani abstained. PASSES 2. Public hearing notices — Attleboro, Easton, North Attleboro, Norton, Sharon Mr. French said the Planning Board will have to make recommendations to Town Meeting on the board's and the citizens' petitions zoning articles and asked the board to think about when it wants to vote. He said Town Meeting will likely be scheduled for May 5; the public hearing for the board's articles is scheduled for April 8 and the public hearing for the citizens' petitions articles is scheduled for April 29. Therefore, there will be no Planning Board meeting between the citizens' petition public hearing and Town Meeting. Mr. French said the board could either vote its recommendations after the public hearings or could take its votes the night of Town Meeting. Consensus was to vote on both the board's and the citizens' petitions the night of the public hearings. Mr. Burke said the Board of Selectmen will be finalizing the warrant and setting the date of Town Meeting at tonight's meeting; he said it is possible Town Meeting may be pushed off to wait for state reimbursement funds for snow plowing, Mr. Burke said he will be out of town the week of May 5 and that Mr. Riccio will attend the April 29 Planning Board meeting. Mr. Penney asked about the solar energy article; Mr. Burke said the board turned that over to the Board of Selectmen, which decided not to submit it for Annual Town Meeting. 3 Form A (ANR) Pians 4, Preluumary SUbd�vision Rev►ewveetland Vi_tlage 4 =Lot Resiilentrt2l Cluster ofE;, lbet Street Wdliam yVolt Ralph Maloon, RIM Engineering, explained the preliminary plan for a four -lot residential cluster with approximately 405 feet of roadway on approximately 11. 14 acres off Gilbert Street. Mr. Maloon said approximately 30 feet of stone wall along Gilbert Street will have to be removed for the roadway, so a scenic road permit will be required. Mr. McClanahan asked if the stone would be blended back into the radius; Mr. Maloon said there is a lot of room on the site, so the road may be shifted. He said there may be sight distance issues because of trees along 3/25/2015 Gilbert Street. Mr. French suggested the road be put in at the spot where the maximum sight distance can be attained and suggested proposing to replant any trees that have to be removed. Mr. Burke said there are two very large trees in the area of the proposed road, so wherever the road goes, one will likely have to come down to get sight distance. Mr. Burke said the existing stone wall is very low. The board discussed using the stones that are removed to augment the empty spots in the wall. Mr. French asked if the traditional plan has been prepared; Mr. Burke said it has, and asked if Lot 4 has adequate lot width. Mr. Maloon explained it does. Mr. Maloon said each of the proposed lots would be over 25,000 square feet. Mr. French asked about the open space; Mr. Maloon said they have not decided what to do with that land at this point. Mr. Maloon said the cluster residential plan is their preferred option, partially because it would 250 feet off the roadway length, resulting in 405 foot long road. Mr. Maloon said the land slopes up from Gilbert Street to the site. He said the entrance, from property line to property line, is 148 feet wide, so regardless of where the road goes, the drainage area cannot be located 100 feet from the abutting property. He said they intend to push as much drainage as possible to a detention area at the back of the site. There is no existing drainage in Gilbert Street, and the proposed lots have Class A soils with under two - minute pert rates. There will be catch basins and an oil /water separator in the proposed roadway; infiltration will go through the oil /water separator and a trench to percolate ground water into the ground. Mr. Burke said there is a high water table in the area; Mr. Maloon said he thinks the plan will work because of the sandy soils on the site. Department Head Comments The clerk read memos from Fire, MMED, Engineering and Conservation Mr. French asked what the 50 -foot access and utility easement is for; Mr. Maloon said that will be an access easement to a parcel behind this one owned by Massapoag Realty Trust. Mr. Burke said Subdivision Control Law requires projections be provided to adjacent undeveloped land, which is why that access easement is shown. However, he said the abutting landowner may have an issue with the maximum allowed roadway length if he were to try to connect his land with this development. Mr. Burke said the town owns a couple of parcels behind this, and there is a parcel owned by New England Power going back to the North Attleboro town line. Mr. Maloon pointed out this land is zoned Industrial 2; Mr. Burke said residential use is allowed at the same density as the surrounding residential parcels. Mr. Burke said there is still one active industrial site on Gilbert Street, as well as an MMED substation. Ms. Ashman- Collins said this would be a difficult area in which to locate new industrial use. 3/25/2015 Board Comment Mr. LeBlanc said there is no existing sidewalk on Gilbert Street, so a sidewalk built on this road would not connect to anything. Mr. French asked what waivers would be requested. Mr. Maloon said they would likely request waivers for sidewalk on one side and the distance of the drainage area to an abutting property. Mr. French asked about the roadway width; Mr. Burke said 22 feet would be appropriate for a four -lot development. Mr. Burke suggested looking at the planted cul -de -sac island; the board discussed leaving the island natural with a slight depression. Mr. Maloon said he could leave the center of the cul -de -sac natural and pitch it to the inside. Mr. French asked if the material would be good throughout the site; Mr. Maloon said the material may change toward the back of the site. Mr. Burke said Mr. Maloon may need the board's permission to remove part of the wall to get equipment into the site to do the test holes. Mr. Burke said he likes the cluster better because it pulls development back from the wetlands and keeps the houses toward the front, where the soils are better. He said the FEMA maps have changed for this part of town. Mr. Penney asked about the standard by which the conventional layout is determined; Mr. Burke explained that is based on a 200'x200' lot. He said rather than rezoning the land from industrial to residential, Town Meeting decided not to downzone the industrial land and to allow residential development by right at an R1 density. Mr. LeBlanc asked if the 50 -foot access easement would be part of the common space or one of the lots; Mr. Burke said it should not be part of either because it could be eliminated if the adjacent landowner decides to develop his land. Mr. French suggested making that a separate, non - buildable lot; he said if this plan is approved, the board will add a condition that the open space not be disturbed. Mr. Penney said there is much more open space on this site than would be required, so taking the 50' out would not impact the open space requirement. Bill Clemmey, Quirk Trust, asked about the drainage and said he was concerned about additional water on his property. Mr. Maloon said he would address that in the final design. Motion: To allow the applicant to temporarily remove 16 feet of the existing stone wall along Gilbert Street, leaving the stones on the site, to allow equipment to access the site to conduct soil testing. (Penney - McClanahan) All in favor. PASSES Motion: To approve the preliminary plan and recommend the applicant proceed with a cluster residential development plan with the general agreement to address all department head comments prior to the submission of a definitive residential cluster plan, general agreement to meet all requirements of the Zoning By -Law and general agreement to submit a four -lot residential cluster development plan. (Ashman - Collins - Penney) All in favor. PASSES 3/25/2015 Attorney Christopher Swiniarski, representing Verizon Wireless, explained the plan to augment the existing telecommunications facility at the XFinity Center. The proposal is to replace I 1 parking lot light poles with new poles containing telecommunications antennae, add eight antennae to the existing amphitheater and add a new 40'x50' equipment building in the parking lot area. The proposed antennae will be minimally visible and consistent with existing structures, will not obscure any window or architectural features, will not extend more than three feet above any existing structure and will not be visible from any adjacent property. No monopole is proposed, the compound will be fenced, no signage or lighting are proposed and the site is in a private lot with several hundred parking spaces. Brian O'Donnell, Hudson Design Group, said the light poles will be the same height as the existing poles, with two feet of antenna above. Attorney Swiniarski said the intention is to improve coverage at the XFinity Center. Mr. French asked about an improvement to public safety; Mr. O'Donnell said they will install extra conduit for public safety to use later. Department Head Comments The clerk read memos from Engineering, Conservation, Fire, Mr. Burke and Mr. Ahern. Mr. Burke said the proposed installation will not conflict with any existing utilities and that all of his comments have been addressed. Attorney Swiniarski said Verizon's consultant did a study on the town's frequencies, which showed there will be no interference with town equipment. He said they would be willing to look into possible future equipment for public safety. Board Comment Mr. Burke said the applicants have worked well with staff and responded to all of the department head concerns. He said he appreciates the way they are handling the XFinity Center's seasonal demand and thinks locating the antennae on the light poles will be an innocuous use. Mr. LeBlanc said he is concerned about the location of the last pole near the entrance; Attorney Swiniarski said that is an existing pole, which will be replaced, but he said he doesn't think anyone will notice the difference. Mr. French said that pole appears to be about 300 feet from the entrance. Mr. McClanahan said that is a heavily treed area. Mr. LeBlanc asked if the cylinders containing the antennae will be the same color as the poles; Attorney Swiniarski said they would be. Mr. LeBlanc asked if the boxes shown on the pole are part of the system; Attorney Swiniarski said they are. Mr. French asked if this would bring in additional property taxes; Attorney Swiniarski said they would pay property taxes on the building and the equipment. Attorney Swiniarski said there will be a security camera on the building. 4 3/25/2015 Motion: To approve the site plan application for the replacement of I 1 parking lot light poles with new poles containing telecommunications antennae, the installation of eight antennae to the existing amphitheater and the construction of a new 40'x50' equipment building in the parking lot area as shown on plan titled "XFinity Center 885 South Main Street Mansfield, MA 02048," Sheets T -1, C -1, C -2, C -3, C -5, C -4, C -6, C -7, C -8, A -1, A -2, A -3, A -4, dated February 3, 2015 by Hudson Design Group, prepared for Bell Atlantic Mobile of Massachusetts Corporation, Ltd., dba Verizon Wireless, with the following conditions: 1. Any and all remaining department head comments must be completely addressed prior to the issuance of a building permit[s]. (McClanahan - Penney) All in favor. PASSES 6,,,Publtc Comment. _ - Mr. LeBlanc said he will be taking a Wednesday night course during the fall semester and will have to take a short leave from the board. $. Ati�ournment Motion: To adjourn at 8:30 p.m. (Penney- ) All in favor. PASSES Next Regular Planning Board eeting: Z 55L Signa ure of Clerk April 8, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. h g 1 261- Date o Approval 3/25/2015