2004-03-08 Community Planning and Development Commission Minutes

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Town of Reading 16 Lowell Street Reading, MA 01867-2683 Phone: 781-942-9012 Fax: 781-942-9071 Email: creilly@ci.reading.ma.us COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION CPDC MINUTES Meeting Dated: March 8, 2004 Members Present: Chair, Susan DeMatteo (SD), Neil Sullivan (NS), Jonathan Barnes (JB) Also Present: Chris Reilly (CR), Town Planner The Chair called the meeting to order at 7:35 PM. SD moved to approve the minutes of the January 26, 2004 meeting with the noted amendments. JB seconded. Voted 3-0, all in favor. Administrative Review: Johnson Farms Preliminary PUD Plan Amendment Determination Attorney Brad Latham represented Johnson Woods Realty Inc. and made a presentation on amendment request. He explained the memo he submitted to the Commission; they are requesting a minor amendment determination regarding the addition of Mr. Louis Peterson's property at 113 Longwood Rd. to the Preliminary PUD Plan, which would add 4 2 bedroom units to the plan and a single family unit for Mr. Peterson. The property is in the PUD overlay district. Attorney Latham went over DHCD guidelines and criteria for determining whether a change is major or minor; their standard is usually a 10% change in units or area. SD read from Town Counsel's memo on the amendment determination and procedural process; Town Counsel's interpretation was that this was a major amendment as she understood it and public input should be accommodated. Ted Moore talked about why the amendment should be considered minor; the footprint change is small and the increase of 5 units is 3% of the 161 units currently approved. He is concerned that a major amendment determination will significantly delay the project due to the procedural requirements for submitting an entirely new application. SD asked why the request was not made during the preliminary PUD review. Attorney Latham explained that negotiations were ongoing with Mr. Peterson. JB has a general preference to do everything in public, irrespective of the merits of the amendment, which would require a major amendment determination; in any event he believed this request constituted a major amendment. SD was concerned about whether CPDC would be locked into the proposed number of units if a minor amendment determination was made and noted that Town Counsel did not advise was the case. CR explained that a major amendment determination would require at least 2 weeks to advertise the required public hearing and notice abutters.