HomeMy WebLinkAboutPLANNINGbrd_03232016Planning Board Minutes
March 23, 2016 wti
Present: Tom French, Chairman; Don Cleary, Clerk; Beth Ashman- Collins, Michael
McClanahan
Alternate Joe Cerretani
Shaun P. Burke, Director of Planning and Development; Jennifer Davis, Admmisirative-
Assistant "
CD G
LD
1. Public hearing notices: Attleboro, Easton, Norton, Plainville
2, Discussion with Jed Cornock, SPP DD Principal Comprehensive Plannclr re: Housing
P>A'ailuction Plau,
Mr. Cornock explained SPREDD is orenarine the 2016 Mansfield Housine Production Plan
update through a grant from South Coast Rail. Mansfield's last HPP was done in 2009, and the
plan is good for five years.
Mr. Cornock distributed a handout with information defining an HPP, which is a town's plan to
produce affordable housing and includes a housing needs assessment, housing marking
information and identification of goals and strategies. The outline of the plan includes looking at
population profiles and projections, breakdown of demographic information (type of households,
economic status, education, school enrollment, labor force); a housing and marketing analysis
(how long people stay in homes, household sizes, owner vs. renter occupied); and a housing
stock analysis. The plan will include an analysis of barriers to producing affordable housing
(constraints of infrastructure, lot size, amount of developable land) and an affordability analysis
(can people afford to buy homes, where is the gap, how to address that gap).
Mr. Cornock explained his findings in Mansfield so far, including rapid population growth from
1990 -2000, leveling off from 2000 -2010. The population is aging, households are becoming
more affluent, there is a variety of housing stock and housing units are predominantly owner -
occupied. Mansfield has met the 10% state affordable housing requirement, but the affordability
of two developments is set to expire in 12 -15 years, so those units will drop off the state list. He
suggested one goal of the HPP be to consider revisiting the affordability restrictions of those
sites early to avoid the town's units dipping below 10 %. Mr. McClanahan asked if the
developers of those units can renew their affordability; Mr. Cornock said they can. Mr. Burke
suggested encouraging the ZBA to begin negotiations with those owners now.
Mr. Cornock said the Planning Board's role is to review and adopt the HPP, then send it to the
Board of Selectmen for its approval before sending it to the state. He said the grant has been
extended to June 30 and he expects to have a draft by mid - April.
Mr. McClanahan asked what the new units being built now will do for the town's affordable
housing percentage; Mr. Burke said there has been one large residential development approved
Planning Board 3/23/2016
downtown and there is one in the permitting process; he said there may be additional large
developments in the TOD area in the future.
Ms. Ashman- Collins asked if units automatically fall off the state list when their affordability
expires; Mr. Burke said units have to be certified by the state to be on the affordable list.
2. March 9, 2016 minutes
Motion: To approve as submitted (McClanahan- Ashman - Collins)
Four in favor. One abstention. PASSES
3. North Common Estates mylars to be signed
Motion: To sign the mylars (McClanahan- Ashman - Collins) All in favor. PASSES
5. Spec tal hermit public Ifearfng contmitQd 10 Oakland Street {Chocolate Factory)
130 ReSident►al Unfits, 20Q feat Restaurant, apgx 11; 00 s1 Manufacturing and .appX.
x,240 sf Off celioeola #Q Factory, I I C ,
Russell Barnaby, Chocolate Factory, LLC; Attorney Karen Wright; Phil Cordeiro and Chris
McCarthy, Allen & Major Associates, Inc.; and Warren Mott, BKA Associates, architect; Ken
Cram, Bayside Engineering, traffic engineer
Mr. French explained there are five members present; Mr. Feck, who was present the first night
of the public hearing, is absent. Mr. Cerretani, who was not present the first night, is present
tonight. Mr. Cerretani said he has read the minutes and correspondence and is comfortable
participating. Mr. Barnaby said he was comfortable with that.
Mr. Barnaby asked if the board has any questions about his financial impact /number of school
children memorandum. Mr. French asked about the mix of units; Mr. Barnaby said there will be
70 two - bedroom units, 58 one - bedroom unit and two studios. Twelve of the two- bedroom units
will be lofts.
Mr. Cram presented the traffic findings. He explained the site, 6/10 of a mile from the
commuter rail station, will have 130 residential units, 200 -seat restaurant, office space and
manufacturing space will have 365 parking spaces. He said they looked at the intersections of
Oakland/Maple Streets, Oakland Sheet /Twin Oaks driveway, Oakland /Swett Streets, North
Main/Pratt/Oakland Streets and North Main /Chauncy Streets. The residential component will
have the largest impact on traffic. The turning movement counts on Oakland Street in front of
the site in June 2016 were: 7,100 cars /day; 526 during the am peak and 641 during the pm peak.
Mr. Cram explained they used MassDOT and MPS 2009 -2013 crash histories; most of the
intersections had few crashes, but over the five -year period, there were 57 crashes, mostly angle
or rear -end collisions, at North Main/Chauncy Streets. He said that intersection will be improved
Planning Board 3/23/2016
soon by the town and another recently permitted mixed -use development. There is public
transportation, the MBTA and GATRA, in the area, but not on Oakland Street.
Mr. Cram said they looked at sight distance at the proposed driveways, with a posted speed limit
of 30 mph on Oakland Street and an average of 34 mph. He said they used a seven -year
planning horizon, which included background projects and other planned roadway improvements
such as the North Common Estates - related work on the North Main/Chauncy Street intersection
and the town's roadwork this summer. They used Institute of Traffic Engineers traffic
generation numbers for residential, restaurant, office and manufacturing uses; Mr. Cram said
they expect almost 2,0000 vehicle trips a day, or around 1,000 cars a day coming and going from
their site. He said most would be going back toward Route 106, few toward Maple Street. He
said peak hour traffic will be mostly residential and noted the restaurant is not expected to be
open in the morning. He said there will be 67 residential trips during the peak am and the
restaurant will generate around 82 trips a day. Mr. Cram explained there will be two types of
trips, residential and commercial, and about 88% of the residential traffic will be headed toward
North Main Street. He said in built out conditions, the weekday increase will be 98 additional
vehicles, or about one car per minute during peak hours.
Mr. Cram said only one of the intersections he studied, Chauncy/North Main Streets, is
signalized. He assessed the Chauncy/North Main Street intersection to look at every approach,
volume /capacity, delay and level of service. He said the planned improvements will help
queuing time and flow through the intersection. He said the level service at the unsignalized
intersections is good.
Mr. Cram said the site is on a straight, level stretch of Oakland Street, with sight distance at the
driveways over 400 feet, except at the north driveway, where sight distance is 340 feet, well in
excess of the required 289 feet.
Mr. Cram said he recommended the driveways be single lanes in and out with stop signs and the
landscaping will be set back to avoid impacting sight lines. The development will use a
Transportation Demand Management program to encourage people not to use their personal
vehicles; the building manager will coordinate transportation demand strategies and provide
residents information about options like carpooling and GATRA. He said the mail will be in a
central location and there will be on -site bicycle storage.
Board Comment
Mr. Cerretani said there are a lot of residences in the area and asked if GATRA runs busses
down Oakland Street now; Mr. Cram said it does not. Mr. McClanahan said that may be because
a lot of the residents walk to the train station. Mr. Cerretani asked about getting new GATRA
routes; Mr. Burke said it has been recommended the town approach GATRA to run a shuttle to
e"
t
Planning Board 3/23/2016
the business park for commuters coming into town from Boston, and that a route up Oakland
Street into Foxboro may be a good idea when this project is at occupancy.
Mr. Cleary asked if all of the driveways need to be two -way. Mr. Cram said there are three
driveways; the fourth is for emergency access only. He said making the driveways one -way
would not work well because of the shape of the parcel and the location of the parking. He said
two -way traffic will help with flow and break up the traffic,
Mr. Cleary said it seems like big trucks have trouble turning onto Route 106 from North Main
Street; Mr. Cram said when the roadway improvements are done and Oakland goes back to two -
way, that should improve.
Mr. French asked if existing conditions assumed the Chocolate Factory is empty; Mr. Cram said
they did. Mr. French said if the building isn't used as housing, it could contain businesses. Mr.
Cram said if that were the case, the employees would be coming to the site in the morning, rather
than tenants leaving the site in the morning.
Mr. McClanahan asked if the traffic study took credit for people walking to the train station; Mr.
Cram said it could have, but did not. Mr. French asked if Mr. Cram had an estimate of the
percentage of commuters who would walk or bike to the station; Mr. Cram said in this type of
development, that number could be as high as 10 %. He said because of its location, residents
may not have two cars per household. Mr. French asked what a reasonable parking standard
would be for that kind of development; Mr. Cram said between 1.5 -2 parking spaces per unit.
Mr. Cerretani asked if the findings are based on the developer's demographic market; Mr. Cram
said his numbers are based on ITE standards. Mr. Burke said ITE is a blend of traffic numbers
from around the country, and while it is use specific, it is not site specific. Mr. Burke said this
traffic study was not done using "mixed -use" models, it was done using "residential" models.
Mr. Cram said there will likely be some multi -use trips with, for example, residents using the
restaurant and residents who work on site.
Mr. Burke presented a plan showing the existing and proposed sidewalk and asked how the lack
of sidewalk on this project's side of the street would impact the number of residents who walk to
the train. Mr. Cram said there is a crosswalk on Oakland Street, so people can access the
sidewalk on both sides of the street. Mr. McClanahan said there are often people walking on the
side of Oakland Street without sidewalks. Mr. French asked if any of those missing sidewalks
will be built when the town does its improvements this summer. Mr. Cram said the building
manager, as transportation coordinator, will be able to direct people to the best pedestrian route
to the train station. He said there are things that can be done to make the crosswalk as safe as
possible. Mr. Burke said the town plans to make Mansfield Avenue a parking lot rather than a
e
4 Planning Board 3/23/2016
through way and suggested installing a concrete chatter strip at the crosswalk to slow traffic. Mr.
Cram said enforcement is key. He suggested crosswalks with solar - powered, pedestrian-
activated, flashing LED beacons for mid -block crosswalks. He said studies have shown a
reduction in crashes where they are installed. He said other traffic calming measures could be
used, such as raised crosswalks and portable radar carts. Mr. Cordeiro said the pedestrian
crossing at Dunkin Donuts on School Street uses similar equipment.
Mr. Cleary asked if it would be useful to have electric car parking at this development. Mr.
Cram said they see that more and more on sites close to Boston. Mr. Barnaby said it is a good
idea; Mr. Cram said they have talked about 4 -6 charging stations.
Public Comment
Don Pierce, 98 Oakland Street, said he sees a lot of people walking to the train station when he
comes home from work around 4 pm. I-Ie said he would be willing to give the town some of his
land for sidewalk construction.
Paul DiGiandomenico, 155 Oakland Street, said he has been walking to the train station for 15
years and there is a good flow of pedestrian traffic on the sidewalk side of the street, but he does
not see a lot of walkers on the non - sidewalk side. He said automobile traffic is heavy and fast,
and not all drivers obey the crosswalks. Mr. Cram said appropriate signage to alert drivers to the
crosswalk is important.
Mr. DeGiandomenico said in the winter, the sidewalk on his side of the street can take several
days to be plowed, so he has to walk on the street. He said he is concerned that more people
driving and walking could make that situation more dangerous.
Mr. Barnaby said he understands it would be $60- 70,000 to connect the sidewalk from the
Chocolate Factory to a little beyond the Tahana restaurant. Mr. McClanahan suggested working
with the town on the design possibilities. Mr. Barnaby said he would be happy to do that; Mr.
French suggested doing that before the next meeting. Mr. Cordeiro said it would cost around
$12,000 per crosswalk to install the LED flashing light system.
Mr. Burke asked how the parking lot will work; Mr. Cordeiro showed the board a sketch of the
parking plan. He said the triangular shape of the site makes the parking configuration difficult.
He said the restaurant has 19 parking spaces and a secondary area for valet parking, which will
remove cars from the site and make use of extra spaces at the back. There will be 25 flex
parking spaces to serve the office during the day and the restaurant in the evening. He said the
parking is code compliant, but the logistics need to be worked out. He said the bulk of the
parking will be for the residential units, but they will not be numbered spaces.
Planning Board 3/23/2016
Mr. Burke asked about the roof garden shown on the plans; Mr. Mott said that is on the roof of
the basement. Mr. McCarthy said that could potentially be used by tenants or for the restaurant.
Mr. French said parking is provided at two spaces per unit and asked if the parking requirement
for this site should be lower than 2.0. He asked if it would be smart to reserve space for those
parking spaces, but not build them unless they are needed. Mr. Cordeiro said they want to avoid
having to come back to add parking later. Mr. French said taking spaces out of the middle of the
larger parking fields would free some more area to be landscaped; Mr. Cordeiro said he was
concerned that would impact the shared parking possibilities.
Mr. Mott explained the layout of the buildings. Building A, with 10 units, will have a central
hallway with doors on each side, and will use the existing high transoms and add new window
openings. The basement will have the rental office /management area, which will be open to the
lobby on the first floor, and have function rooms, gym, mailboxes and bike storage. The first
floor will have a new entrance open to the management office doors. Mr. Mott explained typical
apartment layouts.
Mr. Mott said the fagade will be kept the same. Mr. Burke asked if the rear of the building will
be restored as well; Mr. Barnaby said it would. Mr. Mott said there would be no access from the
rear, except for the individual lofts and a move -in lift.
Mr. Pierce asked about using highway sound buffer panels rather than the 10' fencing along the
back to mitigate train noise; Mr. Cordeiro said there is a 10 -foot high visual and sound buffer,
but they do not have the width to install a highway sound buffer. The 10' fence will be made of
a 6'x6' wooden post fence with shadow box board -on- board; he said they cannot use a solid wall
because it would be more vulnerable to the wind. He said the fence will reduce sound, but will
not stop it. He said the fence, in combination with the architecture and windows, will help with
sound.
Mr. Mott said the Fire Department needs an 18' wide lane at the back of the building, so
plantings at the back of the building will be in pockets and use naturalistic plantings. He said
they wanted to keep as much green space as possible, and the majority of the plantings will be in
front. He said the dumpsters will be screened.
Attorney Wright asked what the board would like to see and hear at the next meeting. Mr.
French suggested a meeting with the town engineer. Mr. Burke suggested discussing hours of
operation and railroad permits. Mr. McClanahan asked to see exterior materials and colors. Mr.
French asked about the distribution of affordable units; Mr. Barnaby said he would distribute a
plan showing that information. Mr. Burke said the affordable units must be submitted to DHCD
r
to be included on the town's list. Mr. Barnaby asked if the affordable units can be offered to
r
Planning Board 3/23/2016
town employees; Mr. Burke said there is a local preference included in the lottery system. Mr.
Barnaby asked about possible sidewalk installation; Mr. Burke said the first thing is to determine
whether a sidewalk could be constructed on town -owned land, whether the road can be shifted a
bit or whether private land has to be considered.
Motion: To continue the public hearing to April 6, 2016 at 7:15 p.m.
(McClanahan- Cleary) All in favor. PASSES
G,� P.�rbl� Gorivnax�t� .,. rt
Mr. Burke said there has been a pre - application from a marijuana distribution center for a site on
West Street; the site must get a letter of support or a letter of non - opposition from the Board of
Selectmen.
Ms. Ashman - Collins said the IDC has been talking about downtown issues like wayfinding
signs. Mr. French said businesses like the National Black Doll Museum would benefit from
signs like that. Ms. Ashman - Collins said signs to direct people to downtown and to parking
would be helpful.
Mr. Cleary asked if the speedbumps were part of the Mansfield Crossing special permit; Mr.
Burke said they were.
Mr. Burke said he attended an IDC meeting and invited the committee to come talk to the
Planning Board.
Motion: To adjourn at 9:30 p.m. (McClanahan- ) All in favor. PASSES
Next Regular Planning Board Meeting: April 6, 2016 at 7:00 p.m.
L4 LWII��
Signature of Clerk
� - G-,) I 0 1 G
Date of Approval
Planning Board 3/23/2016