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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-02-27 Community Planning and Development Commission Minutes ora a o, Town of Reading e Meeting Minutes - Board - Committee - Commission - Council: Community Planning and Development Commission MI NOV 28 PN 3: 01 Date: 2017-02-27 Time: 7:30 PM Building: Reading Town Hall Location: Selectmen Meeting Room Address: 16 Lowell Street Session: Purpose: General Business Version: Attendees: Members - Present: Chair Nick Safina, John Weston, Dave Tuttle, Karen Goncalves-Dolan Members - Not Present: Others Present: Assistant Town Manager Jean Delios, Community Development Director Julie Mercier, Economic Development Director Andrew Corona, Selectmen John Halsey, Selectmen Barry Berman, Selectmen John Arena, Administrative Assistant Caitlin Saunders, Jackie Welch, Ed Sartell, Tony D'Arez o, Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Topics of Discussion: Nick Safina called the meeting to order. Public Hearing. 4011 Plan Review Applicant: 136 Haven Street LLC. 136 Haven Street &0 Sanborn Street Mr. Weston read the legal notice into the record. Mr. Safina stated that the Applicant has requested that the hearing be continued to March 27`h and has granted the Commission an Extension of Time to open the hearing. He read the Request for Continuance and the Extension of Time into the record. Mr. Tuttle moved that the CPDC continue the hearing until March 27, 2017. The motion was seconded by Ms. Goncalves-Dolan and approved with a 4-0-0 vote. Approval Not Reauired Plan Applicant: 136 Haven Street LLC. 136 Haven Street &O Sanborn Street Mr. Weston made reference to a memo from the Community Development Director stating that the Plan shows a consolidation of lots that does not impact frontage, and that the Plan can be endorsed. Mr. Tuttle explained that the plan extinguishes lot lines. Mr. Safina clarified that it does not include the former Reading Co-op parking lot parcel. Mr. Tuttle moved that the CPDC endorse the ANR Plan for 136 Haven Street @ 0 Sanborn Street. The motion was seconded by Mr. Weston and approved with a 4-0-0 vote. Page I 1 Continued Public Nearing, Definitive Subdivision Applicant: Mass Equity Investments LLC, 1260 & 1264 Main Street John Tilton, P.E., and Jackie Welch, Applicant, were present on behalf of the Application. Mr. Tilton updated the Commission on progress made since the January 23rd meeting. He noted that they have met with the Conservation Commission twice and that a site visit is scheduled for next week. Based on feedback from the Conservation Commission and the Town Engineer, the following plan changes have been made and/or additional information provided: the Landscape Plan now shows the limits of disturbance, a 10'wide landscape restriction area on the southerly lot line, and an inventory of trees within the wetlands buffer that will be removed; the driveway on Lot 1 has been reduced; the force main has been moved to the center of the street; test hole data has been provided for each stormwater management area; retaining wall elevations have been provided; grading around the detention pond has been flattened to 4:1 to allow better access by small machines; the sewer grinder pumps are now shown on the plans; a note indicating that replacement trees are to be specified by the Tree Warden once the project is underway; overall impervious calculations and upland area calculations have been provided for each lot; cut and flll volumes were added to the plans; hydraulic data sheets have been provided; an Infiltration trench has been added to Lot 5; separation to groundwater is now 2'; notes have been added indicating how the road build out and parcel exchange will work; the utility plan is still being worked out with RMLD; triple water gate is shown; and a Details Plan has been added. Mr. Weston inquired about the intersection analysis. Mr. Tilton Indicated that it should be ready soon, and will include a plan and summary. Mr. Weston mentioned a traffic analysis that was provided recently for another project and that was done well. Ms. Mercier offered to send it to Mr. Tilton. Ms. Mercier asked whether alternatives to the sewer grinder pumps had been given another look. Mr. Tilton responded that tying Into the sewer main further up Main Street (towards North Reading) would require they go under a culvert, which is not preferred by the Town Engineer. She stated that information will need to be given to the future homeowners upon closing that explains how the sewer grinder pumps function and are maintained. Ms. Mercier asked whether easement language has been provided to the Conservation Commission regarding the future roadway and trail access. Mr. Tilton responded that the language is still being worked out. Ms. Mercier asked whether further consideration has been given to reducing the pavement width. Mr. Tilton stated that the Applicant would like to continue with the plan as proposed. Mr. Saflna asked whether not knowing the tree species would present any Issues cost-wise for the Applicant. Mr. Tilton explained that the Tree Warden did not want to commit to a species this early on, but wanted to wait for the As-Built Plans to see what would work. He agreed to put in the number and species required. Mr. Safina asked for public comment. There was none. Mr. Safina asked the Applicant what their timeframe is. Mr. Tilton indicated that the process with the Conservation Commission seems likely to come to a close in March. Ms. Welch and Mr. Tilton agreed to continue the hearing to April P. Mr. Safina stated that he has no major concerns beyond the outstanding traffic analysis. Mr. Weston mentioned the traffic analysis and the sewer grinder pumps. Mr. Tuttle moved that the CPDC continue the hearing until April 3, 2017 at 7:30 PM. The motion was seconded by Mr. Weston and approved with a 4-0-0 vote. Page 1 2 Workina Session — Zoning for November 2017 Subseauent Town Meeting Ms. Mercier showed the Zoning Update chart from 2016 and mentioned that it is time for the Commission to start planning for November 2017 Subsequent Town Meeting. Ms. Delios noted that the Warrant will likely close in late September, which means that all the public hearings need to take place over the summer. Mr. Tuttle commented that good progress has been made over the last few years. Mr. Weston noted that the Commission had discussed revising the Sign Bylaw regulations before the constitutionality issue came into play. He asked whether the Commission wanted to resume looking at the regulations on the heels of the recent work, or give it room to breathe and see what Issues arise once the new`constitutional' bylaw has been utilized. Mr. Safina opined that simple changes should be made sooner in order to allow for consistent interpretation and ease of administration. The Sign Bylaw Is difficult for the layperson to understand because of the legalese; It should be simplified, but maybe not this year. Mr. Safina suggested that If the 40R District expansion passes in April, the Commission should begin working on sub-district design guidelines. Ms. Mercier clarified that creation of sub-districts would be through a map amendment at Town Meeting, while guidelines could be voted on by the Commission at a Public Hearing. Mr. Weston suggested that rather than drawing lines around sub-districts, the design guidelines could apply to properties when certain conditions are met. This would be a way of getting around Town Meeting. Ms. Mercier reminded the Commission that they will need to adopt guidelines for the Site Plan Review and Stormwater bylaws. Mr. Tuttle suggested not reinventing the wheel with regards to the Stormwater Bylaw guidelines. Ms. Mercier agreed to find examples for the next meeting. Ms. Mercier also mentioned that In prior years amending the PUD, PRD, and Parking bylaws was discussed. Mr. Weston stated that the PRD is too cumbersome for the Applicant, and that the PUD is problematic because the thresholds are not geared to the correct size of project. Mr. Tuttle commented that the Town mostly sees infill development or subdivisions, and that the opportunities for PRD and PUD are few and far between. Ms. Mercier noted that the PRD may not be obsolete given the number of long, deep lots in Town. Ms. Dellos mentioned the need for specific deep lot zoning. Ms. Mercier reminded the Commission of their discussion of common driveways a few months ago. Mr. Weston asked whether the PUD and Parking bylaws are hampering growth. He asked whether the Commission should be looking at other things. Ms. Mercier took the opportunity to introduce Andrew Corona, the Town's new Economic Development Director. She explained that It Is important for the Commission to work with Andrew to ensure that zoning is not working counter to the Town's big picture goals. Mr. Corona introduced himself and briefly described his background. He explained that one of his focuses is on increasing tax revenue to provide services and enhance the quality of life for residents. He noted a few anecdotes from recent meetings with local developers, and suggested that sometimes zoning has unanticipated consequences. For example, mixed- use, parking, and affordability requirements can be tricky for project economics without significant Increases in density and height. He also noted that the residential real estate boom is driving the market in the Boston area, and that construction costs are rising and consumers are more sophisticated and selective about what they want. He concluded that he is happy to continue providing a private sector perspective to the Commission. Ms. Mercier displayed a 'Reading Vision 2020 Map' on the screen and noted that It was prepared for a meeting she, Jean and Andrew attended with State representatives. Ms. Delios explained that the meeting was to ask the State for funding for Infrastructure to support housing and economic development. The map is a useful tool because it really Page 1 3 shows the connectivity between the downtown, Walkers Brook Drive, and the Town's heavily utilized Commuter Rail station. She said the Town needs to think about where development makes the most sense, and to consider embracing a new, bold way of thinking. She asked, which came first, the zoning or the developer? Mr. Corona noted that market demand may not be the same as the Town's vision, so the Town should be proactive and pragmatic with zoning changes. Ms. Mercier asked the Commission if they want to consider flexible zoning or a Form Based Code, or some other strategy in the Walkers Brook area. Mr. Weston commented that zoning is a tool used to get to a certain development type, but that a vision is needed first. He opined that if big changes are needed, the Town cannot be too cautious. He stated that General Way is an enormous, underutilized site that could be fantastic for the right type of redevelopment that makes it a destination. Mr. Safina agreed that the area is ripe for vertical development. Ms. Goncalves-Dolan noted that many Transportation Management Agencies (TMAs) are out there to help with access and transit Issues. She stated that the investment market for residential is moving out to the suburbs, and suggested that Andrew approach smaller scale developers who may be more suited to working in Reading. Mr. Corona asked what the Commission would do with the Walkers Brook area if the assets were realized - if the DPW moved, and Fraen and Danis sold. He asked if they would prefer a master planned site or single tenant recruitment. Mr. Saflna inquired as to whether selling the DPW site would cover the cost of re-establishing it somewhere else in Town. Tony D'Arezzo of 130 ]ohn Street noted that the State has been looking at modifications to the Route 128 / Route 93 Interchange, and suggested that they might consider investing in a multi-modal transit center in the area. He opined that it could be good to establish a hub In the Walkers Brook area, relocate the depot, and pulltraffic off the highway into Town. Mr. Safina suggested that zoning could have a short-term Impact on the Selectmen's long- term goals for the future of the Town. Mr. Halsey responded that future development does not have to be decades away. The Town is endowed with cheap energy, a good location, and transportation options, and the State is interested in modernization and redevelopment that provide access to Boston. Some projects could start happening right now. He thanked the Commission for having this discussion. Mr. Berman commented that this is the first time the Town is really communicating with developers about what the Town wants and what is feasible. He noted that the DPW is on a prime piece of real estate very close to the downtown, and that zoning can help facilitate the Town's goals and provide a big opportunity for increasing the tax base. He concluded that this is the Town's last, best chance to delay asking the taxpayers for more money, and that economic development is a big priority for the Selectmen. Mr. Halsey added that the financial impacts of the Town's decisions should last 40-50 years, and zoning can help with this in the near-term. Mr. Weston shared an experience he had working as a consultant on a similar project. He emphasized the Importance of visioning and economic feasibility. He opined that in order to get it right, the Commission needs to think in a transformative way about the big picture, and to involve more than just boards and staff in the process. Mr. Tuttle commented that acknowledging the competition and the broader context outside of Town will be necessary. Mr. Safina referred to the claims made by developers that Town regulations make projects difficult If not Impossible to build, and he asked if it makes sense for the Town to put 408 on hold and allow for non-affordable projects. Page 14 Ms. Delios noted that the Town has applied for a 1-year safe harbor from 4013s, and could perhaps extend that to 2 years if additional units are built or permitted this year. She noted that one large 40B on Lakeview Avenue could get the Town to 10% for the 2020 census. She suggested that the map puts everything in a broad perspective, and that it is important to deconstruct the boundaries to think beyond the constraints of individual sites. Mr. Safina opined that the Town cannot undertake such an effort alone. He suggested that a list be made of people to engage who can help the Town move forward. Ms. Delios asked what it will take to get the right experts involved. Mr. Corona reiterated the importance of visioning and engagement. Mr. Weston stated that a vision or set of visions is needed first, and then the Town can see how those visions fit into Its bigger picture goals. Mr. Halsey reminded the Commission not to forget south Main Street, and suggested the Town see what help is available from the State. Mr. Tuttle opined that the Town should be aggressive, and pondered what the plan is for the expansion of the dual railroad track. He suggested that the Town talk to them about adding a station or platform near New Crossing Road, where the dual track already exists, Instead of extending it to the existing depot, which might not really make sense. Ms. Mercier offered to set up a working group to proceed with zoning and visioning for the Town's Priority Development Areas (PDAs). Mr. Berman commented on the high level of interest and participation in the Town's zoning forums and visioning sessions over the years. Mr. Arena stated that neighborhood meetings help build consensus, and that visuals are an important part of this. Mr. Weston suggested that the Commission pursue the zoning/visioning project, as well as guidelines for the Stormwater Bylaw and Site Plan Review Bylaw. He noted that having options ready when developers come to Town helps minimize their risk. Other Topics Minutes Mr. Tuttle moved to approve the January 90', 2017 minutes as amended. The motion was seconded by Ms. Goncalves-Dolan and approved with a 4-0-0 vote. Mr. Tuttle moved to approve the January 2P, 2017 minutes. The motion was seconded by Mr. Weston and approved with a 4-0-0 vote. Mr. Tuttle moved to adjoum at 9:45 p.m. The motion was seconded by Mr. Weston and approved with a 4-0-0 vote. Documents reviewed at the meeting: CPDC Agenda 2/27/17 CPDC Minutes 1/9/17 & 1/23/17 Reading Vision 2020 Map Zoning Update Chart 136 Haven Street& 0 Sanborn Street - 40R Plan Review Public Hearing &ANR: a) Legal Notice b) Request for Continuance, dated 2/22/17 c) Extension of Time, dated 2/27/17 d) Form A and Approval Not Required Plan, 136 Haven Street&0 Sanborn Street e) Memo from Community Development Director, dated 2/22/17 1260 & 1264 Definitive Subdivision - Continued Public Hearing: a) Letter to CPDC outlining revisions, dated 2/22/17 b) Revised Definitive Subdivision Plans, dated 2/15/17 c) Revised Draft Decision, dated 2/27/17 Page 15