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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-01-23 Community Planning and Development Commission MinutesOF$ O� 6�90lNCON9� Town of Reading Meeting Minutes Board - Committee - Commission - Council: DECEIVED TOW N CLERK RE .DING,'"; Mr. Tuttle inquired whether infrastructure that is not considered critical until there is a disaster is included in the Plan. Mr. Cleaves responded that the DPW and Engineering Division have put together a Capital Improvements Plan that demonstrates they have a good handle on what needs to be upgraded and maintained. Mr. Tuttle clarified his concern with planning for the unknown, such as an earthquake or gas tanker crash, which would require the Town be prepared in unforeseen ways ahead of time. Mr. Cleaves replied that the scope of the Plan is limited to natural disasters. Ms. Delios reminded the Commission that the Fire Chief oversees the Town's Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP). Mr. Tuttle noted that the pace of technological advancement means the definition of critical infrastructure is changing. Mr. Cleaves stated that most municipal responders use two-way radio instead of the internet and phones. Mr. Hansen asked whether funding from FEMA is limited to what is in the Plan, or would be available if unforeseen devastation occurs. Mr. Cleaves said FEMA funding is not limited to disaster relief or constrained by the Plan. Mr. Safina asked for public comment. There was none. Continued Public Hearing - Definitive Subdivision — "Randall Road Extension" Applicant: Mark G. Hall, 0 Randall Road & 25 Springvale Road Attorney Bill Crowley and Tom Hector, P.E., were present on behalf of the Application. Ms. Mercier gave the Commission a brief update on the project, noting that the Applicant last met with the Commission on November 7, 2016, at which time the hearing was kept open to allow them time to get through the Conservation Commission process. She opined that only minor changes have been made and that there are no major outstanding issues. Mr. Crowley explained that the Conservation Commission issued an Order of Conditions for the project on January 12, 2017, and that they are waiting for the appeal period to expire. He noted that the Conservation Commission asked for minor changes to the plans, which have been made, and the plans have been reviewed by Town departments. Mr. Crowley went through the list of waivers being requested for the project, and indicated willingness to work with RMLD on any outstanding utility concerns, and to draft easement documents for Town Counsel to review. Mr. Safina reminded the Commission of their request for granite curbing along most of the road extension. Ms. Mercier explained that the vertical granite curbing has been revised to extend to the edge of the Filterra tree boxes. Mr. Tuttle asked whether the Board of Health had approved the plans and waivers. Ms. Mercier replied in the affirmative. Mr. Weston said he is okay with the waivers for sewer and drain pipe cover as long as Engineering and Conservation are fine with them. Ms. Mercier indicated that they are. Ms. Mercier read through a list of the plan changes, which mostly pertained to requests from Engineering and Conservation. Mr. Safina referred to the finding regarding rooftop solar, and opined that due north -south orientation is not necessarily the best way to take advantage of solar gain. He mentioned that Building Integrated Materials (BIM) might be a more holistic solution. Mr. Safina asked for public comment. There was none. Page 1 2 Mr. Tuttle moved to approve the Definitive Subdivision as amended. The motion was seconded by Mr. Weston and approved with a 5-0-0 vote. Planning Updates Ms. Delios mentioned that Artis Senior Living is starting to move people in. Ms. Mercier mentioned that the Commission will need to craft guidelines for implementing the Stormwater Bylaw, and to modify the Site Plan Review guidelines. Tony D'Arezzo of 130 John Street asked the Commission to discuss requiring affordable units within the Subdivision Regulations so that the Town does not fall behind on the 10% goal every time the Commission approves a subdivision. A discussion ensued. Mr. Weston opined that the Town should get the value of 10%, and that one way to do it is through payment. He mentioned that developers in Virginia have to pay impact fees. Ms. Delios clarified that impact fees are not allowed in Massachusetts, but that inclusionary zoning is used in some towns to keep on pace with the 10% requirement. She noted that a big rental project is the way towns get to 10%. Mr. Safina pointed out that large rental projects result in housing units of the same type, which begets the question of what the value of 10% really is. He stated that one problem with not being at 10% is that the Town does not have control over the affordable housing that is proposed. Ms. Delios mentioned that Artis Senior Living made a payment to the Reading Housing Authority in lieu of providing affordable units. Ms. Mercier noted that Concord has a provision in its Subdivision Rules & Regulations for affordable housing, and offered to look into it further. Public Hearing - Definitive Subdivision Applicant: Mass Equity Investments LLC 1260 & 1264 Main Street Jon Tilton, project engineer, and Jackie Welch, Applicant, were present for the hearing. Mr. Safina reminded the audience to sign -in. Mr. Weston read the legal notice into the record. Ms. Mercier gave an overview of the site and the project. She explained that the property is located on the westerly side of Main Street just beyond Rocky Road as you go toward North Reading. The Applicant is proposing to consolidate two existing lots, each which contains a single-family home, and to subdivide the tract into 5 new lots. One of the existing homes is proposed to remain, and the other will be demolished, resulting in a net of 3 added homes. She noted that the tract abuts Town -owned land to the west and north, which is under the control of the Conservation Division. The Applicant is proposing trail access and future road access to the Town -owned land across a 60' wide easement to the Town. In addition, a few parking spaces are proposed at the end of the cul-de-sac for trail parking. The bordering vegetated wetlands along the northern edge of the property will require a Notice of Intent filing with the Conservation Commission. Mr. Tilton described the existing site conditions and the proposed project. He explained that the subdivision road will be 340 feet long ending in a cul-de-sac bulb that meets both Fire Department requirements and the roadway layout requirements of the Town's Subdivision Regulations. He noted that driveway access to all the homes will be from the proposed road. A new water line will be installed and each house is proposed to have its own sewer grinder pump that pumps sewage to a force main and then to the sewer main to the south in Main Street. There is about a 20 -foot drop in elevation from south to north toward the wetlands. The drainage system will be comprised of catch basins in the rear that will discharge to an Page 1 3 infiltration basin that straddles Lots 3 and 4, and catch basins in the front that discharge to an underground drain in the proposed street. He described the 60' access easement, which will only be developed with a walking path and kiosk, but will allow the Town to create road access at some future point if desired. The Town Engineer and Conservation Administrator have provided feedback on the proposed project; changes will be made to the plans after the Applicant opens their hearing with the Conservation Commission. Mr. Tuttle noted that there is a substantial grade change from south to north, and asked about site leveling and grading. Mr. Tilton replied that the intent is to keep the existing grading as much as they can, but that some leveling will be needed. Mr. Safina inquired about future homeowner use of the infiltration pond, and asked that a condition be added to the Decision that information be provided to future owners in closing documents. He asked about the outstanding issues with Engineering. Ms. Delios asked for more information about the sewer grinder pumps, and asked that they be shown more clearly on the revised plans. Mr. Tilton explained that the pumps will run for a distance of approximately 130 to 300 feet, depending on the location of each house, and that the force main will then pump the sewage to the manhole in the street. He stated that the Engineering Division has allowed these same pumps in other developments, and that they will be present to witness the pump tests. He explained that tying into the manhole to the north would enable the use of gravity but would require digging under a culvert. The Engineering Division thought that sewer grinder pumps would be a better solution. Mr. Safina clarified that each owner would then be responsible for their own grinder pump, which would then go to a force main in the subdivision road. Mr. Tilton responded that the Town Engineer requested that the force main be in the centerline of the street. Mr. Safina agreed that having it down the centerline makes sense. Mr. Safina asked whether all the trees shown on the plan are actually proposed. Mr. Tilton responded in the affirmative. Mr. Safina asked how access to the detention pond would be ensured. Mr. Tilton explained that the sides of the pond will be adjusted to a 3:1 slope to allow a small machine to access it, and that the Town will have an easement over the whole area. Mr. Safina noted that no traffic study was provided, which is probably fine for the addition of just 3 homes; however, he expressed concerns with sight lines pulling out of the road onto Main Street. Mr. Tilton pointed out that sight line easements proposed across the corner lots will prevent people from planting trees that block views. He stated that the project should not generate much traffic. Mr. Tuttle mentioned that traffic along that stretch of Main Street moves at high speeds, and that the 20' elevation change could make for a blind pull-out. He opined that a minimal increase to traffic does not mean the existing condition is currently safe. Mr. Tilton agreed to put together a Traffic Analysis of the proposed intersection for the next meeting. Mr. Weston added that cars pulling out onto Main Street may have trouble immediately accelerating up the hill. He asked the Applicant to look at average speeds, acceleration times, and gaps in traffic flow. Ms. Goncalves-Dolan noted that the Pearl Street intersection with Main Street has a similar condition and has restrictions placed on it. Mr. Tilton went through the rest of the requested waivers and Town Engineer's concerns. He noted that the trees have been delineated, as requested. He stated that Engineering does not want an island in the middle of the cul-de-sac, and that sidewalks are only proposed on one side of the road to limit the overall amount of pavement. He opined that a 30' width of pavement is a lot, but it was provided instead of 24' to meet the Subdivision Regulations. Page 1 4 The Commission discussed pavement width requirements and agreed it might be time to reconsider the Subdivision Regulations. Mr. Tilton concluded that the proposed parking area is not striped in order to avoid the appearance of an office park. Mr. Tuttle asked for clarification about the roadway easement areas and how that works with lot size requirements if the road is continued and the cul-de-sac bulb decommissioned. Ms. Mercier explained that the Subdivision Regulations contain a provision for exactly this scenario, and that the lot areas will still meet zoning requirements. Karen Carr of 1257 Main Street mentioned that she has a U-shaped driveway but only uses one side because the grade change makes it too dangerous to pull out on Main Street from the other side. She noted that traffic moves very fast, and that it often backs up to Franklin Street. She stated that people tailgate her as she pulls into her driveway. Stephen Scullin of 1252 Main Street noted that when the Rocky Road development went in about 25 years ago, it created a major flooding problem in his yard and the backs of his neighbors' yards. He stated that a retention pond was put in but does not work. He added that the house at 1260 Main Street gets flooded as well. He agreed that sightlines are bad when pulling out onto Main Street, and that making a left is nearly impossible. He noted that there was confusion when Rocky Road went in about how many trees would be taken down, and he opined that one pump station for the whole site would be better than a pump for each house. Mr. Tilton responded that the Limit of Disturbance would be shown on the plan, and agreed to discuss the sewer grinder pumps with the Town Engineer. He explained that the drainage design accounts for what is running onto the site, which likely includes the failing retention pond on the abutting lots. William Finch of 51 Mill Street and a member of the Trails Committee expressed support for the trail access but cautioned that the easement language should be clear about who will maintain it. He opined that it is unlikely the Town -owned land could ever be developed, as that would take an act of the Legislature. He noted that there is a parking area on Franklin Street that provides access to Kurchian Woods and that no additional traffic is generated but that it is beneficial to have parking spaces. He stated that though the wider road off of Main Street is likely safer than the two existing driveways, perhaps the road could become narrower after the apron. He made a general statement that less impervious is better. He concluded that the grinder pumps on Mill Street that have never had a problem in 15 years but that they do require backup power. Mr. Tilton responded that a generator for backup power is proposed for each homeowner. This means that the homeowners have to maintain the grinder pumps and the generators. Mr. Safina asked whether the homes will have gas, and noted that co -generation is very efficient. Mr. Tilton replied that the homes will have gas, and that the electric utility and streetlights are required to be shown on the plans. Mr. Safina asked the Applicant whether a Landscape Plan would be provided. Mr. Tilton said that a Landscape Plan showing buffers, street trees, stone walls, the Limit of Disturbance, etc. will be provided. Mr. Weston asked what the anticipated home sizes would be. Ms. Welch responded that they will be in the 2,900 square foot range. Mr. Tilton noted that they are meeting with the Conservation Commission on February 8th, and asked to come back to the Commission on February 27th if possible. Mr. Tuttle moved to continue the public hearing to February 27th. The motion was seconded by Mr. Weston and approved with a 5-0-0 vote. Mr. Tuttle moved to adjourn the meeting at 10:09 PM. The motion was seconded by Mr. Hansen and approved with a 5-0-0 vote. Page 1 5 Documents reviewed at the meetin4: CPDC Agenda 1/23/2017 Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Presentation Randall Road Extension - Continued Public Hearing: a) Revised Definitive Subdivision Plan Set, dated 12/1/16 b) Revised Landscape Plan, dated 12/1/16 c) Revised Draft Decision, dated 1/23/16 1260 & 1264 Main Street - Public Hearing: a) Legal Notice b) Application, Form B, Form G & Waiver List c) Definitive Subdivision Plans, dated 12/7/16 d) Concept Plan on GIS Map e) Drainage Report with Maps, dated 12/7/16 f) Environmental Impact Report g) Memo from Town Engineer, dated 1/17/17 h) Draft Decision, dated 1/23/17 Page 1 6