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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-03-17 ad Hoc - Zoning Advisory Committee MinutesL Town of Reading Meeting Minutes Board - Committee - Commission - Council: Zoning Advisory Committee Date: 2014 -03 -17 Building: Reading Town Hall Address: 16 Lowell Street Purpose: General Business Attendees: Members - Present: Marsie West David Traniello David Tuttle Eric Bergstrom Jeff Hansen George Katsoufis Erin Calvo -Bacci Members - Not Present: Others Present: Time: 7:30 PM Location: Selectmen Meeting Room Session: Jean Delios- Assistant Town Manager - Community Services Jessie Wilson - Community Development Administrator Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Jessie Wilson, Community Development Administrator Topics of Discussion: There being a quorum the Chair called the meeting to order at 7:40 PM. The ZAC discussed the results from the March 3, 2014 ZAC Public Forum. Ms. Delios said that is was well attended and that the Turning Point questions were a great success. She noted there were about 12 Town Meeting members in attendance. Ms. West asked if VHB has received any more responses from the survey and that she felt it may have been too long. Ms. Delios said that they could shorten it. Mr. Hansen asked at what point does the ZAC stop requesting feedback and begin to present the information. Ms. West pointed out that the update to Town Meeting in April will be a good time to tell Town Meeting what some of the changes are. She emphasized the importance of getting Town Meeting members involved so they understand the changes. If they do not understand the information, or feel that they have not been involved, there is a good chance they will vote it down. Mr. Traniello suggested pointing out all the meetings and outreach done to date. Including the regular meetings, CPDC efforts, forums, breakfasts, surveys, etc. Ms. Delios said that she has been working work a business in Town on ideas to get the business community more engaged. One idea is to have an after -hours event that will provide a more relaxed and informal setting to get people to talk about zoning. Ms. West felt that was a good idea. She also pointed out that at the breakfast, the owner of the Dirty Doodle provided some great feedback in terms of how to convey and present the information. He is even willing to assist with the development of the presentation. Page I 1 Town of Reading - Meeting Minutes Mr. Hansen asked if there would be any supplemental information provided to Town Meeting during Town Meeting. Ms. Delios said that would be a good idea, to at least highlight the key changes. The ZAC discussed some of the key points which revolve around the themes of signs, aquifer protection, accessory apartments, etc. Mr. Katsoufis said that it would be important to talk about design guidelines outside of the historical context. He noted that not all design guidelines would replicate the MF Charles Building. Ms. West felt it would be best to keep the information more general to Town Meeting. The ZAC continued to have a discussion on the topic of design guidelines. Ms. Delios said that the Downtown Smart Growth District Design Guidelines are not prescriptive and are very flexible. Ms. Calvo -Bacci said that she feels design standards or guidelines are fine for Reading, as long as the Applicant or developer is aware they are required. The ZAC also discussed the idea of extending the boundaries of the Downtown Smart Growth District, but it was agreed it was not in their purview at this time. The ZAC reviewed the results from the Turning Point questions asked at the Public Forum. As for the question regarding design guidelines, it was agreed that many people would want them to avoid the color selected for the Oaktree Building, but the ZAC was not sure if the public understood the process involved with instituting design guidelines. Mr. Tuttle believe they got good feedback on the accessory apartment question. Mr. Hansen said he is performing some research for the ZAC on this topic. Mr. Traniello said there is a current application before the Zoning Board of Appeals for a Special Permit /Variance for an accessory apartment. Mr. Tuttle said that the application is for an apartment that would exceed the size limit and that it is semi - detached. Ms. Delios said that the ZBA is in a tough situation because the regulations are outdated and can make it challenging for the ZBA to make a good decision based on the criteria. Ms. Wilson told the ZAC that a representative from Planet Aid would like to speak with the committee on the topic of donation bins. Ms. Delios noted that donation bins are not allowed under current zoning because it is not an allowed use. She did add that Home Goods has a trailer for Goodwill in the parking lot which is always accepting donations. In addition, the Town does have certain recycling days for textiles, plastics, etc. Ms. West said that Planet Aid can present /speak at any of their meetings, but would suggest it be limited to 10 minutes. As for the Town Meeting presentation, Ms. Delios said she will take an initial shot at the draft. She said that the Community Planning and Development Commission (CPDC) will do an introduction and speak to Phase I of the project and then introduce the ZAC who will update Town Meeting on the work thus far. Mr. Katsoufis said that it is very important to tell Town Meeting members their involvement is key so that the new bylaw does not fail. Ms. Delios agreed. Mr. Trainello suggested using buzz words and phrases such as "this is your Town ", "what would you want it to look like ". It was agreed to review the draft presentation on April 2, 2014. Mr. Hansen agreed to think about the supplemental information which will be provided at Town Meeting. Communication Efforts Ms. Delios reported the Town Clerk sends a letter to Town Meeting members when the warrant packets are ready to be picked up. To help push information out, Ms. Delios said that she will be including some information with that letter regarding the Zoning Update Project. The goal is to try and reach as many Town Meeting members as possible. Ms. Calvo -Bacci asked about the RCTV Community Bulletin Board and suggested looking into that. In regards to the information that goes out with the Town Clerk's letter, Ms. West suggested including a brief paragraph about the project directly on that letter. It was suggested to hit the hot topic issues such as Medical Marijuana, Aquifer Protection District, Signs and Accessory Apartments. It was also suggested to use a cartoon, similar to one used in the past, to get people's attention (if allowable). Page 1 2 Town of Reading - Meeting Minutes In addition to Town Meeting members, Ms. Delios said reaching out to the business community is also important. Ms. West agreed stating that there have been some businesses at the public meetings, but not as many as they would like. Ms. Hansen asked if there were leaders of Town Meeting that could speak in favor of the project. Ms. Delios said that is a good idea, but she was unsure of how Town Meeting operates on that level. Ms. Delios said that they have been thinking about doing some Turning Point questions at Town Meeting to get them interested. Update on Permittina Flow Chart Mr. Katsoufis said that he is still working on revising the table and splitting it into residential and commercial permitting. That way, it may be easier to find a middle ground and path to merge them. Mr. Tuttle pointed out that a permitting guide is also necessary in addition to the flow chart. Beciin Review of Revised Deliverables Ms. Wilson said that the ZAC should review the deliverables and begin the discussion at the next meeting. Mr. Katsoufis said that the Planned Unit Development (PUD) is a very large section and it would be great to get a history of that section. Continue Review on Section 2 - Definitions Non - Conforming Mr. Tuttle said there is a difference between non - conforming structure and non - conforming use. The ZAC agreed to continue to work on this definition. Nursing Home Mr. Traniello asked if the comments from Jacquie Carson, Director of Peter Sanborn Place, was incorporated into this definition. The Consultant included a definition of Assisted Living Facility so it seems that her concerns have been addressed. Office The ZAC had no changes. One Family Dwelling It was agreed to change the term to Single - Family Dwelling. Open Space The ZAC suggested minor changes to the second alternative provided by the Consultant. Ms. Wilson told the ZAC that this definition may be a challenge for the Building Inspector as the definition of a yard includes the term "open space ". This could impact what is allowed in a required yard. It was agreed to discuss the proposed definition with the Building Inspector. Open Storage The ZAC had no changes. Place of Assembly Mr. Katoufis offered to review the proposed definition to determine whether there are any conflicts with the state building code. Potential Drinking Water Sources The ZAC had no changes. Public Off - Street Parking Facility Page 1 3 Town of Reading - Meeting Minutes Ms. Delios told the ZAC that this definition was added about a year ago to clarify the off - street parking exemptions and what constitutes a public off - street parking facility. No changes were suggested. PUD Bylaw Ms. West suggested defining Planning Unit Development. It was also agreed to list other acronyms such as GSGD and PRD The ZAC agreed to table the remaining definitions. Approval of Minutes The ZAC reviewed the minutes of February 27, 2014 and suggested minor edits. On a motion by Mr. Tuttle, seconded by Mr. Hansen, the ZAC moved to approve the February 27, 2014 minutes as amended. Motion carried 6 -0 -1. Adiournment On a motion by Mr. Tuttle, seconded by Mr. Trainello the ZAC moved to adjourn at 10:10PM. Motion carried 7 -0 -0. Page 1 4