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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2012-03-26 Community Planning and Development Commission MinutesTown of Reading 16 Lowell Street Reading, MA 01867 -2683 Phone: 781 - 942 -6612 Fax: 781 - 942 -9071 Email: jdelios @ci.reading.ma.us Community Planning and Development Commission CPDC MINUTES Meeting Dated: March 26, 2012 Location: Selectmen's Meeting Room Time: 7:30 PM Members Present: John Weston, Chair; David Tuttle, Nicholas Safina and Charlie Adams Also Present: Jean Delios, Town Planner; Jessie Wilson, Staff Planner and Recording Secretary Others Present: Chris Snell, Worcester MA Gregory O'Connor, Gregory J. O'Connor Architects Julie Thurlow, Reading Cooperative Bank Bob Morris, NEDA Virginia Adams, Reading Historical Commission and Walkable Reading Barbara Jones, Reading Chronicle Glenn Stubbs, Mr. Glenn's Barber Shop, Reading Donna Dudley, 35 Glenmere Circle Virginia Blodgett, Walkable Reading Bill Crowley, 159 Haven Street Leslie Leahy, The Hitching Post Everett Blodgett, Walkable Reading There being a quorum the Chair called the meeting to order at 7:40 PM. Public Hearing — 600 -622 Main Street, MF Charles Building Renovations, Site Plan Review Application Mr. Adams read the legal notice. Mr. Weston summarized the process of Site Plan Review noting that a presentation will be made by the developer and then questions from Board and Town staff will be addressed and then the meeting will be opened for questions from the public. Mr. Shaun Briere, Attorney with Mawn and Mawn, P.C., representing the Applicant provided a brief presentation of the overall project. The project is located in the downtown area at the corner of Main and Haven Street which is also within the Downtown Smart Growth District boundary. The lot is approximately 0.73 acres with approximately 33,174 square feet of building gross floor space. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is locally known as the MF Charles Building. The project underwent the Design Review Team (DRT) meeting process back in November of 2011 and based on comments from that meeting the plans were revised for the Site Plan Review application. The Site Plan Review application was submitted on March 6, 2012. The interior spaces will Page 1 of 7 CPDC Minutes of 3/26/2012 on the first floor will be outfitted to accommodate commercial and retail uses. The space at the corner of Haven and Main Street will be completely renovated for Northern Bank & Trust Company. It is anticipated the space located on the north end of the site, adjacent to the alleyway will be occupied by a restaurant. The upper levels are proposed for residential and will be built out to a "shell" as part of this phase. As a result of comments received from the DRT process, the design of the rear of the building has significantly changed. Mr. Briere indicated that waivers for parking, loading spaces, and percentage of retail services for mixed -use will be sought from the CPDC. Mr. Brian Jones from Allen and Major is the engineer for the project. Mr. Jones provided a summary of the existing and proposed conditions. The existing building along Haven Street is a three story structure with a single story structure in the rear of the building. Along the west side of the property, adjacent to the Reading Cooperative Bank parcel there is a 15 -foot wide easement providing public egress from the municipal parking lot. The site is largely impervious with the exception of the bark mulch "island" located in the alleyway. The primary goal of the project is to rehabilitate and renovate much of the existing structure to bring it back to its original historical appearance. However, the project proposes the demolition of the single story structure in the rear of the building to accommodate the construction of the "tower" element. The rear of the building will be modified to include a loading space and a dumpster enclosure area. Landscaping is a significant element of this project, primarily in the alley way, but there will also be landscaping in the parking islands. The project proposes an outdoor patio in connection with the anticipated restaurant use and the project will also address some accessibility issues. The landscaping features within the alleyway will serve as a raingarden to treat stormwater runoff from the site. He also indicated that the project includes the installation of a water quality unit for additional treatment of stormwater. The project includes additional lighting, two pole lights within the alleyway and one in the rear of the parking lot. Lighting will also be installed on the bollards and outdoor walls of the property. The trash and loading area will be addressed as part of this project. The trash area within the building will have direct access to the dumpster enclosure area. The dumpster enclosure area will house dumpsters for the individual tenants and will be completely enclosed by a new wall and integral gate. Mr. Gregory O'Connor from Gregory J. O'Connor Architects is the architect for the project. Mr. O'Connor provided a summary of the architectural plans for the project. The 1st floor plan identifies that access to the new bank space will be provided from the rear of the property through a new bank lobby. This is the area depicted on the rendering as the "tower" portion of the building. This entrance will also provide accessible entry to the other 15t floor retail tenant space along Haven Street and access to the future residential units on the 2nd and 3`d floors. Restrooms, the trash room and elevator will also be located here. He stated that the rear dumpster enclosure area will be better concealed by a proposed wall and integral gate. At this time, the only space proposed for full build out is the bank. Plans are being developed for a restaurant on the other end of the building but this project will not involve those renovations required for restaurant occupancy. The interior of the 2nd story of the building will be demolished and new stairs will be constructed. The current plan for the 2nd and 3`d floors is to leave the interior space as a shell for future residential use. Mr. O'Connor described the work associated with the exterior of the buildings as shown on the elevations. The goal is to bring the building back to its original historic character, by removing the colonial features and attempting to restore the buildings original features. He received historic photos and hopes that much the original fagade is under existing brick work. The doorways will remain in the same location, however due to the interior renovations some doors may not be used in the same manner. The primary door on Main Street will serve as an egress. The aluminum doors will be removed. The storefronts and location of doors on the Haven Street side Page 2 of 7 CPDC Minutes of 3/26/2012 will remain. However, all the materials will be restored. The stone detailing along Main Street will remain and the signfields, copper trim work and roof edge will all be restored. The brickwork along the upper story facade will also be restored. Where necessary, bricks will be replaced with a matching color brick and mortar. The location of the doorways will remain, but could be changed as future tenants come in. The upper story windows will be replaced with double -hung windows and infilled windows will also be replaced with double -hung windows. The storm windows on the 2nd and 3 floors will be removed. The "tower" element of the project will house the elevator and the primary entry to the bank. A wall will be constructed to create the dumpster enclosure area. The rear of the single story building will receive new brick skin and new signfields. A new storefront will be constructed that will replicate the Main Street storefronts and new metal canopy will accompany the rear facade. The brick facade continues down the alley and will also be restored. Mr. Weston questioned whether this project was proposed under the Zoning for the DSGD. Mr. O'Connor indicated this was under the DSGD Zoning. Mr. Tuttle questioned the other Board members how to treat a phased project proposed under the DSGD Zoning. Ms. Delios stated that the residential component of the project will be under review at as a separate phase in the future. Mr. Weston was unsure how the affordable housing element fits in a phased project as the required documentation must be to Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) prior to the issuance of a building permit. Mr. Briere replied that they would not be seeking building permits for the residential components at this time. Mr. Weston stated that he would like follow up on how to treat this project with DHCD as he does not want issues to arise later. Ms. Delios said she would verify with DHCD. Mr. Tuttle suggested that the work being proposed may fall under the underlying Business B district, but that there is also a Mixed -Use overlay. He is not sure this fits under smart growth zoning. Mr. Briere indicated that this project has always been proposed as a phased project with the residential component being the second phase. Mr. Weston raised concern that this may present problems with parking if this is not handled correctly. Ms. Delios stated she will verify with DHCD and is confident the decision can be conditioned such that the affordable housing component will be addressed in the subsequent phase of the project. Mr. Adams asked if the utilities will be underground. Mr. Jones replied that the project proposes to maintain the overhead wire utility but that they could be underground. Mr. Jones added that the project team has not completed the full utility analysis but if required, they can add a pad- mounted transformer as recommended by the Reading Municipal Light Department (RMLD). Mr. Adams asked about the blank wall at the rear of the proposed restaurant. He wanted to know if there was any opportunity to make that wall more appealing. Mr. O'Connor replied that he could look into adjusting the planes of the wall to make it more appealing. Mr. Adams asked about the ATM kiosk proposal and wanted an update on that potential alternative. Mr. Briere stated the plans as presented identify a drive -up ATM that will maintain the existing Haven Street driveway configuration. However, to accommodate a 2 -way driveway from Haven Street as requested by the Town, they would end up losing that drive -up ATM. So the Town suggested a free - standing ATM which the Town would grant access easements. The granting of the easement will be before Town Meeting in April for approval. Based on that outcome, the plans could be revised to reflect that alternative. Mr. Adams asked if the building would be sprinklered. Mr. O'Connor confirmed that the building will be upgraded to include sprinklers. Mr. Weston asked for the height of the tower, noting the requirement is 45 -feet. Mr. O'Connor indicated that the tower is higher than 45 -feet but they can revise the plans for meet the requirement. Page 3 of 7 CPDC Minutes of 3/26/2012 Mr. Safina asked about the signage on the tower, stating that it appears to be higher than the roofline. Mr. Safina added that signage should be removed from one side of the tower since both sides can be viewed from the parking lot. Mr. Briere said they could eliminate the sign on the side that faces west. Mr. Safina asked if the sign is to be illuminated. Mr. O'Connor said they are still working on the details and anticipate a backlit lettering style. Ms. Delios said they should work with the Town and review the by -law as "halo" lighting can have different interpretations. Mr. Weston suggested they prepare a Master Signage Plan as there would be more conformity with all the tenant spaces. Mr. Weston discussed the parking element of the project. He expressed concern with the Applicant seeking a waiver for the minimum off - street parking requirement for the residential component. He felt that it could be problematic when trying to sell a unit, especially in a tandem configuration. He recognizes the site constraints, but also believes this could present a big issue in the future. He suggested the Applicant revisit the parking plan and attempt to address these issues. He also suggested evaluating bike accommodations which could be beneficial for the future residential tenants. Mr. Weston asked about the loading and delivery operation. He noted there was only one loading space which will serve for delivery drop -offs and also serve as the area for trash collection. He asked the Applicant to address queueing issues that may arise with this configuration. Mr. Weston also asked the Applicant to provide a swatch of the awning to better view the colors. There was a brief discussion on the height of the proposed planter that will provide seating. It was determined that the height is appropriate as designed. Ms. Delios asked the Applicant to investigate using larger caliper trees. Mr. Jones indicated that one of the proposed tree species is measured in height and the other tree species is not available in more than 3" caliper. However, the Leaf Linden could be supplied in a 3.5" caliper and the plans will be revised to reflect this. Ms. Delios asked about the opposite wall in the alleyway. How will this be treated? Mr. Jones indicated that a screen from the wall will be established from the proposed landscaping. Mr. Weston asked if the waiver for 50% residential a result of the CPDC or DHCD? The consensus was that requirement was a result of the CPDC and not DHCD. Ms. Wilson asked for the height of the canopies in the rear of the building. Mr. O'Conner replied that they are 8 -feet in the rear of the property because they are over a pedestrian path. They are lower along the wall in the alleyway as they are not directly over the pedestrian path. Mr. Weston invited questions from the public. Mr. Bill Brown stated he was opposed to the ATM kiosk plan and does not believe the driveway onto Haven Street should be 2 -way. Ms. Megan Young - Tafoya suggested the Applicant consider blade signs when developing a Master Signage Plan. She believes this would be a great addition to the downtown. Ms. Thrulow, representing Reading Cooperative Bank, stated overall satisfaction with the project but is concerned with the 2 -way driveway. She expressed concern that a 2 -way driveway would present a safety hazard to pedestrians and it would also prove to be difficult for drivers to maneuver. Page 4 of 7 CPDC Minutes of 3/26/2012 Mr. Everett Blodgett, of 99 Prescott Street and representing Walkable Reading expressed concerns with the walk - ability issues of the site and also stated he was not in favor of the 2 -way driveway. Mr. Weston indicated there are provisions for off -site parking in the zoning. Mr. Blodgett explained he was just concerned with how walk -able off -site parking would prove to be. Ms. Virginia Adams, representing the Reading Historical Commission wanted to confirm that the memo she provided will be part of the public record. Mr. Bill Crowley, of 159 Haven Street asked for the timeline and schedule of the project as well as and the subsequent phases. Mr. Briere replied that the 15t phase will be completed as quickly as the process allows for. The 2nd phase of the project currently does not have a timeline. Mr. James Mawn, owner of the 600 -622 Main Street property, indicated that they anticipate 100% occupancy of the ground floor commercial units within a year. Mr. Safna asked if all the windows will be addressed as part of Phase 1. Mr. O'Conner verified that all the windows will be done as part of this phase. Mr. Bradley Latham, Attorney representing Reading Cooperative Bank, expressed concern over the 2- way driveway and that it would be very problematic for drivers entering and exiting as well as present hazardous conditions for pedestrians. He asked the Board to consider those issues when evaluating the free - standing ATM kiosk alternative. Mr. Weston noted the Town Engineer memo stating there are still some issues to be addressed. Mr. Briere indicated they are working on finalizing responses to the Town Engineer and will also be submitting revised plans to address those comments and comments from this evening. Mr. Weston pointed out that the affordable housing item needs to be addressed and the Applicant should revisit the parking situation to evaluate if there are other more suitable solutions. Mr. Tuttle moved the Board to continue the Public Hearing for the Site Plan Review application from Haven Properties LLC, for the property located at 600 -622 Main Street to April 2, 2012 at 7:30 PM. Mr. Adams seconded and the motion carried 4 -0 -0. Administrative Regulations - South Main Street Design Best Practices Mr. Weston opened the discussion to review the comments from the Public Hearing on the South Main Street Design Best Practices. He suggested the Board review them, make changes as needed and then take a vote. Mr. Weston reviewed the comment letter from Walkable Reading. Mr. Tuttle stated he was in favor of their suggested language in regards to bicycle access. The other members were also in consensus of the revised language. Mr. Weston indicated that the comment regarding sharrows can be discussed with the Board of Selectmen in response to the interest in evaluating the plan for the Main Street roadway. Mr. Tuttle indicated that the Mr. Tom Loughlin at the last meeting suggested that Reading ask MassDOT to take back the roadway layout. By regaining the rights to the road, it may be more feasible to implement a three lane cross - section. Mr. Weston agreed that MassDOT has proposed and constructed three lane Page 5 of 7 CPDC Minutes of 3/26/2012 cross - section roadways in other Towns, but it has only been when the traffic volumes present the opportunity. Additional evaluation on Main Street will be needed to determine the traffic volumes. Ms. Blodgett offered to provide a contact at MassDOT to Mr. Weston. There was a brief discussion regarding the speed limit. It was noted that the speed limit will likely not affect driver behavior and result in lower travel speeds. Mr. Tuttle moved the Board to adopt the South Main Street Design Best Practices into the Administrative Rules and Regulation for use in the Development Review Team (DRT) process and preliminary plan discussion. Mr. Adams seconded and the motion carried 4 -0 -0. Town Planner Updates Home Depot - Ms. Delios told the Board that Home Depot is proposing to use space in their parking lot for the rental of Penske Trucks. Town Counsel has been requested to review this request as there is some confusion as who holds the authority to determine whether this use fits within the perimeters of allowed uses in the PUD -I. In addition, there are several issues with the use of their Open Storage permit. We will be addressing all those issues as the project moves forward. Ms. Delios provided an update on the PTTTF meeting. A pedestrian cross -walk is being considered on South Main Street near Minot Street. She asked the Board if they wanted to include a recommendation for the location. Mr. Weston expressed concern in the planning process noting that pedestrian issues need to be addressed comprehensively. Mr. Delios responded that the Town will be looking for funding to develop a pedestrian and bicycle plan to hopefully start addressing these issues that are being treated haphazardly. Housing Plan — Ms. Delios told the Board she received some responses for the RFQ to complete the Housing Plan. Some of the plan will be completed in -house but outside help will be required. 32 Lowell Street — Ms. Delios asked if all the Board members have seen the letter prepared by the Applicant for the ballet school. She summarized issues of the project noting the Building Inspector required parking for the site. Town Counsel agreed with the Building Inspectors Determination for 1 space per 300 gross floor area. The Applicant appealed the Building Inspector's decision and presented the case to the ZBA. The ZBA upheld the Building Inspectors decision and granted a variance based on a plan that showed four parking spaces. Mr. Safma noted that now that variance will run with the property. Ms. Delios confirmed this but indicated the variance was to be conditioned for educational uses. MAPC Leap — Ms. Wilson provided an update on the status of the LEAP project stating that they are working on establishing a baseline of the energy consumption for each of the RMLD Communities. In the meantime, she has been working with MAPC to develop a Working Group. Ms. Wilson asked if any of the Board members would be interested in participating. Mr. Tuttle agreed he could be the representative from the Board. Mr. Weston stated the North Suburban Planning Council requested they vote for a new representative. It was suggested that George Katsoufis retain that role. Mr. Weston will follow up with him and they can vote at a later meeting. Page 6 of 7 CPDC Minutes of 3/26/2012 Approval of March 12, 2012 CPDC Minutes The Board reviewed the draft minutes and suggested minor edits. Mr. Tuttle moved the Board to approve the minutes from the March 12, 2012 meeting as amended. Mr. Safina seconded and the motion carried 4 -0 -0. Adjournment On a motion by Mr. Tuttle, seconded by Mr. Adams, the CPDC voted to adjourn at 10:10 PM by a vote of 4 -0 -0. Respectfully Submitted, Jessie Wilson Recording Secretary Page 7 of 7