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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016-02-04 Zoning Board of Appeals MinutesTown of Reading Meeting Minutes o6�9'rxc0 se°PPfi `ry Board - Committee - Commission - Council: Zoning Board of Appeals]j Date: 2016 -02 -04 Time: 7:00 11 `„ P 3- 40 Building: Pleasant Street Senior Center Location: Great Room Address: 16 Lowell Street Purpose: General Business Session: General Session Attendees: Members - Present: Robert Redfern, Chairman; Damase Caouette, John Jarema, David Traniello, Erik Hagstrom, Kathleen Hackett Members - Not Present: None Others Present: John Halsey, 75 Beaver Road Kevin Sexton, 20 Emerson Street David Tuttle, 27 Heather Drive John Weston, 10 Winthrop Avenue Nick Safina, 221 South Street Catherine Capozza, 138 Woburn Street Eileen Manning, 78 Riverside Drive Christine Lusk, 52 Washington Street Peter Stroman, 46 Washington Street Bob Mooney, 25 Sunnyside Avenue Rhonda Holt, 46 Fairview Avenue Stephan Weynicz, 38 Minot Street Martha Jane & Steven Gagnon, 45 Pratt Street Tom Connery, 101 Beaver Road David O'Sullivan, 87 Sunnyside Avenue Julie Aylward, 25 Prescott Street Ernest Bay, 144 Woburn Street Nicholas Aiello, 92 -94 Washington Street Caroline Gauthier & Nick Gagnon, 76 Washington Street Everett & Ginny Blodgett, 99 Prescott Street Carl Mittnight, 18 Cherry Lane Drive Joan Cotter, 49 Riverside Drive Kevin Brown, 588 Pearl Street Linda Aiello, 106 Prescott Street Kathleen Rovnak, 86 Sunnyside Avenue Lois Bell, 35 Washington Street Stephen Crook, 137 Pleasant Street Sarah Picard, 187 Lowell Street Ida Fitzgerald, 35 Sunnyside Avenue Gordon McIntosh, 14 Plymouth Road Susan Taylor, 521 Pearl Street Lianne & Paul Stoddard, 96 Washington Street Bill Brown, 28 Martin Road Peter Avtges, 21 -23 Prescott Street Jon & Deborah See, 25 Lincoln Street Page 1 1 0 v �d �p l61911NCO'8� *� Town of Reading Meeting Minutes Ann Donohue, 84 John Carver Road James Newell, 32 Prescott Street Paul Kurker & Lynn O'Brien, 34 Washington Street Jacqueline Carson, 2 Summit Drive Unit 33 Margaret O'Sullivan, 78 Sunnyside Avenue Roger & Nancy Borlasc, 518 Summer Avenue Kathy Kern, 38 Victoria Avenue Jonathan Barnes, 41 Pratt Street Cadence Thomases, 21 Arlington Street David Savio, Public Safety Officer Bob LeLacheur, Town Manager Jean Delios, Assistant Town Manager Julie Mercier, Community Development Director Kim Saunders, Senior Administrative Assistant Chris Heep, Esq., Town Counsel Paul Haverty, Esq., Town's 40B Consultant Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Julie Mercier on behalf of Robert Redfern Topics of Discussion: Mr. Redfern opened the public hearing at 7:00 p.m. Case # 16 -02 Matthew Zuker & Kenneth Chase, Applicants, MKM Reading, LLC Geoffrey Engler, 40B Consultant, SEB LLC Peter Bartash, Architect, Cube 3 Studio Jeffrey Dirk, PE, Vanasse & Associates, Inc. James Burke, PE, DeCelle -Burke & Associates, Inc. The Zoning Board of Appeals held a public hearing in the Great Room at the Pleasant Street Center, 49 Pleasant Street in Reading, Massachusetts on the petition of MKM Reading, LLC, who seeks a Comprehensive Permit to develop 77 units of rental housing on a 36,604 square foot residentially -zoned tract of land under Massachusetts General Law Chapter 40B Sections 20 -23, with waivers from zoning requirements, on the property located at 39 -41 Lincoln Street and 2 -12 Prescott Street in Reading, Massachusetts. Mr. Matthew Zuker introduced his team for the Reading Village development. He stated that he sent out letters to the direct abutters offering to meet with them to discuss their concerns. He said that the project is transit - oriented and will improve a currently blighted site. He described ways the project would support downtown growth. He stated that the residential units will be 70% 1 bedroom units which will be geared toward young professionals who will be less auto - dependent and will bicycle, walk, or utilize the MBTA, etc. Mr. Peter Bartash, Architect with Cube 3 Studio, gave a PowerPoint presentation overview of the architectural plans. He stated that the building will comprise an at -grade parking level with four floors of residential above. There will be one parking space per unit. He said all four sides of the building's face will be the same quality. He showed how the building will reflect shadows in the neighborhood at different times of the day and year. Page 1 2 Town of Reading Meeting Minutes Mr. Jeffrey Dirk, PE, Vanasse & Associates, Inc., said that a full traffic study was provided that measured traffic in two different ways. He said the study examined three nearby intersections as well as the site ingress /egress. He described the study and results. Mr. James Burke, PE, DeCelle -Burke & Associates, Inc., introduced himself as the civil engineer for the site, and commented that the project will increase the pervious areas and improve stormwater management. He indicated that the site soils are excellent. He said that he is working with the Town's Engineering Department. Mr. Geoffrey Engler, SEB LLC, introduced himself as a 40B consultant who was involved in the Johnson Woods and 30 Haven Street projects. He commented on the 40B process, and stated that he is looking forward to a dialogue and collaborative process with the Town. Mr. Zuker concluded the Reading Village development presentation and opined that the site — in its current condition — is clearly in need of redevelopment. Mr. Traniello asked the petitioner how the proposed project complies with the issues stated in the MassHousing letter. Mr. Zucker commented on each issue. Mr. Redfern questioned Mr. Zucker if he received the memo from the Town Manager stating his concerns and comments. Board Comments Mr. Traniello noted inconsistencies in the Application and corrected the number of proposed affordable units to be 20. He listed his concerns with the proposed project, but stated he will wait to ask questions until the peer review consultants are retained and provide feedback. He stated that he would like a peer review process on: parking, drainage, engineering, and public safety. Mr: Redfern stated that the Town will retain consultants and the Board will work with each Town Department with regards to site impacts. Ms. Hackett agreed with the issues noted in the MassHousing letter and the concerns of Town departments and abutters. She questioned if the traffic study took into consideration the school traffic and when trains arrive and depart. Mr. Jarema asked the people who were in attendance at the public hearing if they understand what a 40B is. He asked the petitioner why they requested a 40B. Mr. Zuker stated that the burden of proof criteria for a variance are very hard to attain. Mr. Jarema agreed and commented on the waivers that the petitioner is requesting. He said that he has a number of concerns with the Application, but that this is just the beginning of the process. Mr. Paul Haverty, Esq., the Town's 40B Consultant, stated that the Board has 180 days to make a decision on a 40B application, but the petitioner could agree to continuances if needed. He recommended that the Board add the adoption of MGL Ch. 44 Sect. 53G to their next agenda. 3 This will enable the Board to employ outside consultants for peer reviews. He stated that in the meantime, the Board could vote to allow Town staff to begin the process. Mr. Chris Heep, Esq., Town Counsel, introduced himself to the audience. Mr. Caouette commented that this meeting is just the beginning of the process. He encouraged the neighbors to attend all meetings. He agreed there are a lot of issues with the proposed project. Mr. Haverty explained what it means for the petitioner to be a "Limited Dividend Organization." Mr. Redfern listed his concerns with the Application, which included: lack of landscaping and buffer zones; development against the property lines; lack of utility details and information regarding electric /telephone /cable and transformers; lack of information on dumpster locations; public safety issues with the proposed building height; snow removal; lack of loading areas; emergency vehicle access; inadequacy of parking; stormwater impacts to abutters; sanitary sewer concerns; shadow studies should be broadened; and lack of construction lay -down areas. Public Comments Mr. Redfern opened the meeting to the public. He read an email from Ms. Rebekah Schromm of 18 Berkeley Street expressing her concerns with the proposed project. Mr. Nick Gagnon of 76 Washington Street said he is looking forward to discussing his concerns with the developer, especially the notion that abutters will allow the developer to use their lots for screening purposes. He questioned how his privacy will be preserved with a 5 -story building and no buffer zone. He said he has concerns with the parking. Ms. Eileen Manning of 78 Riverside Drive opined that the proposed building does not fit with the character of the neighborhood, and is not great looking. She said that the project size and scale is beyond what the neighborhood would like. Ms. Rhonda Holt of 46 Fairview Avenue had concerns about flooding issues. She questioned how the waste for 77 additional units would fit into the storm drains. Ms. Jacquie Carson of 2 Summit Drive said that the Board should ensure that the building is ADA compliant. Mr. Peter Avtges of 21 Prescott Street commented that the project is too big and tall for the neighborhood. Mr. Stephan Weynicz of 38 Minot Street commented he was in favor of the development, and said it would add new life into the community. Ms. Christine Lusk of 52 Washington Street had concerns with where the visitors would park. She questioned the traffic impact on Washington Street. 4 Town of Reading Meeting Minutes Ms. Cadence Thomases of 21 Arlington Street commented that the residents of Arlington Street rely on the on- street parking spaces, and when all of the on- street spaces are taken, the street is hard to navigate in two directions. She expressed concerns about the traffic cutting through Arlington Street. Mr. Jonathan Barnes of Pratt Street commented on variances versus waivers, and asked what the Board's authority is in regulating the project. He echoed the concerns that were raised. Mr. Brown of 28 Martin Road opined that the project is an opportunity for the Town. Mr. Nick Aiello of 92 -94 Washington Street said he is not opposed to the project, but that this proposal is not the right fit. He mentioned that he gets water in his basement now and questioned how the project will impact ground water in the area. Mr. David Tuttle, CPDC and Town Meeting member, complimented the architecture of the building but questioned the density. He asked that the traffic study be expanded beyond the three intersections indicated on the map. Mr. John Weston, CPDC member, encouraged a peer review of the pedestrian crossings at peak hours. He stated that under current conditions, a Police detail is utilized on High Street. Mr. David O'Sullivan of 87 Sunnyside Avenue asked that the project be compared to the 40R. He questioned how many cars per unit were allowed for 30 Haven Street. Ms. Kathy Kern of 38 Victoria Avenue asked how the project will impact the Joshua Eaton School system. Mr. Brown opined that the school system should not be a factor. He stated that in 1967 there were 500 more students than there are today. Ms. Virginia Blodgett of 99 Prescott Street requested architectural drawings showing 300' back from the property in all directions. She said the current drawings do not indicate the mass and size of the building as it relates to the neighborhood. Ms. Eileen Manning of 76 Washington Street asked for clarification on what local concerns could trump this application. Ms. Julie Aylward of 25 Prescott Street asked about the developer's return on investment (ROI) for the project. Mr. Haverty answered that the Zoning Board of Appeals should look at the site concerns first. Project economics are only reviewed if and when the Applicant claims that conditions of the Board's decision render the project "uneconomic." He explained that the maximum ROI for a Limited Dividend Organization under Ch. 40B is 4.5 %. Mr. Everett Blodgett of 99 Prescott Street questioned the impact the project will have on sewer capacity for the whole street, as additional units will yield additional flow to the system. He said 5 Town of Reading Meeting Minutes that certain claims by the Applicant may not be feasible in Reading, including the notion that future tenants will not be as auto - dependent. He noted that taxis and Zip Car do not exist in Reading, and that there are no grocery stores downtown. Ms. Rhonda Holt of 46 Fairview Avenue asked for clarification as to why all of the units will count on the Subsidized Housing Inventory if only 25% of them are actually affordable. Ms. Ida Fitzgerald of 35 Sunnyside Avenue stated there are already two large projects in Reading and questioned how much is too much. Mr. Redfern stated the parking ratio at 30 Haven Street is 1.38 parking spaces per unit. Mr. Engler said that they will look at parking per bedroom and consider that 30 Haven also has 20,000 sf of retail space. On a motion by Mr. Traniello, seconded by Mr. Jarema, the Zoning Board of Appeals moved to authorize Town staff to begin the process of soliciting and securing consultants for the 40B project regarding the following site concerns: parking/traffic, stormwater and engineering, fire and public safety, municipal utilities, and design review. Vote was 5 -0 -0 (Redfern, Jarema, Caouette, Traniello, Hackett). After discussion, it was agreed that the public hearing will be continued until March 17t. The Zoning Board of Appeals will meet on February 18, 2016 to vote on adopting MGL Ch. 44 Sect. 53G. On a motion by Mr. Jarema, seconded by Mr. Traniello, the Zoning Board of Appeals moved to continue the public hearing until March 17, 2016. Vote was 5 -0 -0 (Redfern, Jarema, Caouette, Traniello, Hackett). Adjournment On a motion by Mr. Traniello, seconded by Mr. Caouette, the Zoning Board of Appeals moved to adjourn the meeting at 9:30 p.m. Vote was 5 -0 -0 (Redfern, Jarema, Caouette, Traniello, Hackett)