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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2012-05-21 Community Planning and Development Commission MinutesCPDC MINUTES Town 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 Meeting Dated: May 21, 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: None There being a quorum the Chair called the meeting to order at 7:35 PM. Planning and Zoning Work Session Non - Conforming By -Law The Board reviewed the memo provided to them which suggested there may be an issue related to partial demolitions. The issue is how to interpret a partial replacement of a structure on an existing building. Section 6.3.8 — Voluntary Demolition and Reconstruction should not be used when an individual would like to demolish some portion of a structure and rebuild in its place. The question may be on how to interpret "structurally alter ". Ms. Delios noted that in the situation described in the memo, the individual referred to Section 6.3.8 as the work would involve the demolition of a breezeway and then the reconstruction of a mudroom. The Board continued to discuss whether any changes or clarifications to the by -law were needed. It was agreed that in the situation above, the individual should not refer to Section 6.3.8, but should have referred to Section 6.3.5 — Alteration of Nonconforming Single and Two - Family Residential Structures and that this work would qualify as a "structural change ". Mr. Safina stated that the previous re -write of this section of the by -law was done so that it would provide more as -of -right flexibility. The Board agreed that no changes to the by -laws are needed at this time. Sign By -Law Mr. Weston opened the discussion for review of the sign by -law. He was not in favor of making any changes to the current sign regulations until more businesses in town are in compliance. Mr. Weston did state he liked the way the Town of Dennis presented their sign ordinance and the photos seem to be very helpful. He suggested that instead of re- writing the sign by -laws, it may be worthwhile to develop a guidance document that may be easier for public to understand. Mr. Tuttle agreed and noted that it is not the by -law that is the issue. Ms. Delios stated that the compliance efforts completed a while ago were not well received. Enforcement lies with the Building Inspector and the Town is working on the best method for enforcement. Mr. Weston stated he is not in favor of changing the by -law especially when it is difficult to enforce what is currently in effect. Ms. Delios noted that it can be challenging and timely to work with business to come into compliance with their signage. Obtaining the appropriate plans and Page 1 of 4 CPDC Minutes of 5/21/2012 details is one of the major hurdles the planning staff faces. Again, Mr. Weston suggested that businesses may not be completely informed of the town's regulations. Ms. Delios agreed, but also said that interpreting the by -laws can be cumbersome and staff spends a lot of time trying to appropriately interpret signage. Mr. Weston would prefer to address this issue with providing guidance to the public as well as revisiting the sign application. Parking Mr. Weston opened the parking by -law discussion. He stated there are two items to discuss related to parking — 1) shared parking and 2) parking for uses that are not defined. The zoning by -law does not mention shared parking except within the Downtown Smart Growth District (DSGD) and within the PUD — I district. He likes the language and terminology included in the DSGD. Mr. Adams noted that the example by -law from the Town of Stoneham included language that requires the agreement to be recorded. The Board agreed that the option to have shared parking should be included into the Parking By -Law. Mr. Adams asked how the shared parking would be encouraged and suggested the by -law is drafted in a way to provide as much flexibility as possible. Mr. Tuttle agreed that including quantifiable requirements can create more issues at times and the overall goal is to create situations that work best for the individual business. Mr. Tuttle was concerned with how to handle situations with multi- tenant uses, changes of uses, leases, restrictions, etc. A question was raised on whether it would be necessary to have any shared parking agreements recorded. Mr. Weston would prefer to have agreements recorded so that it protects the property owners involved. The Board discussed the issue related with employee parking for town businesses. Mr. Tuttle stated that employee parking is a need to be accounted for and should be addressed differently, but not necessarily provided for on -site. Mr. Weston believes that from a zoning perspective this is something that does not need to be addressed and it would likely result in more required on -site parking. The Board discussed including a "catch -all" category for uses that are not defined in the parking by -law table. Mr. Adams suggested adding in more use categories. Mr. Weston agreed and may want to have a separate discussion on which categories to add. However, at a minimum the by -law needs a "catch -all" category. The Board also agreed to discuss standards for uses protected under the Dover Amendment. It was suggested to speak with the Building Inspector to see if there were other uses that have not fit well into the existing table for parking requirements. The Board agreed to start working on revising the by -law using the Stoneham by -law as an example. Ms. Delios offered to touch base with the former Stoneham Planner to see how the by -law worked for the Town and whether there have been any issues related to shared parking. Accessory Mr. Weston noted that open storage is not allowed in the Business B zoning district and that maybe this use should be extended to this district. Ms. Delios noted that one of the issues is the signage related to some of these uses, such as the Redbox or Coke machines. How will this be regulated? Mr. Weston agreed, but stated that most gas stations have some form of vending machine. He also noted that having Page 2 of 4 CPDC Minutes of 5/21/2012 product outside in the downtown area is not necessarily a bad thing. Mr. Tuttle stated that a vending machine and open storage are different, specifying that the Redbox is a 24/7 operation, while a propane tank refill station would need an individual's assistance. Mr. Weston is not sure how this issue relates back to zoning. The Board continued to discuss the issues related to vending machines and open storage. Mr. Tuttle is in favor of requiring a special permit on a case by case basis to add control. Mr. Safina noted that for Cumberland Farms, the Redbox would not impede pedestrian access or provide issues for handicap accessibility. Mr. Weston read the Open Storage Permit requirements from the zoning by -law and reviewed the definition of structure, building and open storage. Mr. Weston stated it would be safe not to classify Redbox as a structure or building, but would classify it as open storage. Mr. Tuttle did not agree and maybe vending machines should be added as an accessory use. Ms. Safina read the example ordinance from the City of Lakeland, which defines outdoor vending machine. Mr. Tuttle would be in favor of adding something similar to the towns zoning by -law. Mr. Weston expressed concern with regulating vending machines. Town Planner Updates Ms. Delios provided updates on some recent planning activities. Magic Cleaners — The owner of Magic Cleaners would like to use the same sign which was at their former location on Main Street and move it to their new location on Haven Street. Although their move was a while ago, the owner is just now getting around to it. Ms. Delios asked the Board if they wanted to review the sign before the sign permit was issued. It was noted that a Certificate of Appropriateness was granted for the existing sign. Mr. Safina stated that as long as the dimensional controls are met, then he has no problem with it. Mr. Weston agreed that it does not need to come before the Board for review. CPDC Schedule — June Ms. Delios noted that the Board should review the schedule for June. The regular CPDC meetings are scheduled for June 11th and June 25th. A joint meeting with the ZBA is schedule for June 21St to review the Home Depot site plan modifications and the Board of Selectmen hold a meeting to review the Regional Mapping project. MAPC requested that the CPDC attend the mapping meeting. Mr. Weston suggested cancelling the meeting on the 11th. The Board agreed. Other Ms. Delios met with the architect for the Irish restaurant proposed at the former Sense of Wonder Space. The applicant is proposing 200 seats which will include outdoor seating. The Housing Plan is underway and work will begin on the Retail Visioning Grant which was awarded to the EDC. Ms. Wilson noted that the CPDC meeting packets included some crash data related to their review for a pedestrian crossing on South Main Street. Additional information on pedestrian movements is being obtained from the school department and she hopes to have it soon. Approval of April 2, 2012 CPDC Minutes Page 3 of 4 CPDC Minutes of 5/21/2012 The Board reviewed the draft minutes and suggested minor edits. Mr. Tuttle moved the Board to approve the minutes from the April 2, 2012 meeting as amended. Mr. Safina seconded and the motion carried 4 -0 -0. Approval of May 2, 2012 CPDC Minutes Mr. Weston tabled this to the next meeting. Town Planner Updates Adjournment On a motion by Mr. Tuttle, seconded by Mr. Adams, the CPDC voted to adjourn at 10:40 PM by a vote of 4 -0 -0. Respectfully Submitted, Jessie Wilson Recording Secretary Page 4 of 4