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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-08-25 Community Planning and Development Commission MinutesrR Town of Reading tttGEldtu Meeting Minutes rovvD! CL.CR", Frnw r35:/02 Board - Committee - commission - Council: Community Planning and Development Commission Date: 2025-08-25 Time: 7:00 PM Building: Town Hall Location: Hybrid Meeting - Zoom and Select Board Meeting Room Address: 16 Lowell Street Session: Open Session Purpose: Hybrid Meeting Version: Final Attendees: Members In person: Heather Clish, Chair; Hillary Mateev, Secretary; John Arena; Tom Armstrong; Guy Manganiello; Andrew McLaughlin Members Present on Zoom: Guy Manganiello Members Not Present: N/A Others Present in person: Andrew MacNichol, Community Development Director; Olivia Knightly, Senior Planner; Nancy Twomey; Nancy Doctor; Angela Binda; Jenny Katajamako, Lavalle Brensinger; Leigh Sherwood, Lavalle Brensinger; Jade Commings, Terra Inc.; Carla Nazarro, Killam School Building Committee; Chris, Brennan Consulting Present on Zoom: Rebecca Brown, GPI; Jenni Katajamaki, Lavalle Brensinger; Ian Schopf; Claudia Ponce de Leon, Samiotes; Greg Stapler; Leigh Sherwood, Lavalle Brensinger; Chris Haley, Select Board; Matt Kraunelis, Town Manager; Barbara Ferrari -Wolfe; Karen Janowski; Jayne Wellman, Assistant Town Manager; Eileen Manning; Dan Chen, BH+A; Tom Hayden Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Olivia Knightly Topics of Discussion: ReCAL Site Plan Review; Killam Elementary School Site Plan Review MEETING HELD IN THE SELECT BOARD ROOM AND REMOTELY VIA ZOOM Ms. Clish called the meeting to order at 7:05 PM and Mr. MacNichol provided an overview of the hybrid meeting procedures. Public Hearing Site Plan Review and Stormwater Permit for Killam Elementary School 333 Charles Street. Town of Reading Ms. Mateev read the public hearing legal notice into record. Carla Nazarro, Chair of the Killam School Building Committee, introduced the application and members of the design team. Jenny Katajamaki, Lavalle Brensinger, presented on the project and began by providing an overview of the project timellne to date. She stated that the project is funded by the Massachusetts School Building Authority, which is contributing about $44 million to the project and the town is contributing about $86 million. The design team joined the project in November 2023. She stated that throughout 2024 and the early part of 2025, a feasibility 0 Town of Reading Meeting Minutes study and schematic design process was conducted, where multiple design options were explored, and several community meetings were held to gather input and feedback. In May, a bond vote was held and passed with strong community support. Since then, the team has been working on detailed design and preparing bidding documents. Ms. Katajamaki said that Site work is expected to begin in January 2026, which includes fencing the site and starting earthwork and a construction contract is expected to be awarded in May 2026, with project completion projected for December 2027. Additional site work on the remaining half of the site will continue through the rest of 2028 into the fall. Ms. Katajamaki presented the site plans, stating that the proposed project is a three-story 123,000 gross square foot elementary school with access from Charles Street, there will be two playgrounds on site, a synthetic turf field, and a nature -based learning area. Leigh Sherwood, project manager from Lavelle Bresinger, the architectural firm on the project, reviewed the building materials with the board. He stated that there will be a combination of brick colors and materials and that nothing requires painting. Mr. Sherwood stated that the design breaks up the massing of a large building and further presented on the exterior facade of the building. He said that because the project is funded by the MSBA it will be an efficient building that complies with the special opt in stretch code. Ms. Katajamaki presented the floor plan to the board and the phased construction schedule Claudia Ponde de Leon, Samiotes Consultants, presented the existing school and site layout. She stated that the proposed new building will be located on the eastern side of the property to allow for the maintenance and continued use of the existing school building. Ms. Ponce de Leon said that a new entrance to the site will be a loop road accessing 151 parking spaces with 7 ADA spaces, one which is van accessible and one which is EV equipped. To the south of the proposed school will be a bus -only driveway for pickup and drop-off and to the north there will be an enclosed service area. Ms. Ponce de Leon presented on the proposed utilities for the site, including an 8-inch water main from Haverhill Street which will feed three proposed hydrants. Additionally, there will be a new transformer, generator, and sewer service connected to the municipal main in Haverhill Street. She stated that to manage stormwater they are proposing area drains and catch basins to collect runoff which will be treated for 60% phosphorus removal and 90% total suspended solids removal. lade Commings, landscape architect from Terra inc., presented on the outdoor programming spaces which includes a naturalized vegetative area along Charles Street with an outdoor play area, a multipurpose turf field, active playground for K-5 Children. Rebecca Brown, traffic engineer from GPI, presented on the traffic study findings. She stated that the estimated vehicles during peak traffic on site are 92 vehicles at peak morning drop-off hours and 115 vehicles on the surrounding streets. Ms. Brown said that traffic plans for the project Include improving pedestrian safety, alleviating off -site queuing and parking, improved access and egress, better accommodate K-5 and Pre-K while balancing the needs of the school and the neighborhood. She said that parking is currently allowed on both sides of Charles Street and will be allowed on one side of the street to improve safety and additional sidewalk and pedestrian flow throughout the site. Ms. Brown said that 206 spaces are required by the Reading Zoning Bylaw, however the applicant utilized the ITE parking demand to project anticipated parking on site, estimating 128 spaces needed. The total proposed parking area is 151 spaces on site, exceeding their projected demand. She stated that all on -street parking can be accommodated on one side of Charles Street. Mr. Armstrong asked if Pre-K kids walk to the cars on the street and Ms. Brown said that the parents would walk to the school to pick up their children. Town of Reading Meeting Minutes Ms. Clish asked about off -site improvements to facilitate safe and efficient loading and design and Mr. MacNichol stated that off -site improvements are separate from the school building and Town Meeting vote. Mr. Arena asked how many parking spaces will be accommodated off site if Charles Street is improved. Ms. Brown said that 40 striped parking spaces could be accommodated. Mr. Arena asked if the Charles Street parking improvements are bound to the building scope. Mr. MacNichol said that they are not and that the Town will plan and facilitate these improvements to be aligned with the school building schedule. Mr. Arena asked for the full estimate of students and Ms. Katajamaki stated that currently there are 435 and, in the future, there will be 635 students. She said that the students arrive at different times and the worst traffic conditions would be during afternoon pickup. Mr. McLauchlan asked if parking has been calculated using the projected student body and the design team confirmed yes and that this includes the planned Charles Street Improvements. They further discussed parking on site. Ms. Clish asked if the parking proposal is sufficient for staff and Ms. Ponce de Leon stated that in the central parking lot there will be 125 spaces and 26 spaces will be In the perimeter drive of the lot, with a total of 36 spaces for visitors, for a total of 151 spaces on site. Mr. McLauchlan asked what the parking conditions will be during the interim phase before the old school is demolished. Ms. Katajamaki presented the phased construction plan. She stated that from February 2028 through the end of school year there will be an agreement with the church down the street to accommodate parking for 70 staff, parents will pull onto the site from Haverhill Street and exit onto Charles Street. Mr. Arena asked if signalization of the intersection has been considered and Ms. Katajamaki stated that this condition is temporary and that they have spoken with the police department on traffic enforcement. She added that there will be no increase in traffic on Haverhill Street from the existing conditions. Mr. Arena asked where a gathering site would be in the event of an emergency. Ms. Katajamaki stated that they reviewed the site plans with the police and fire department and that the emergency gathering space would be in front of the school. Ms. Nazzaro said that the St. Athanasius site will also remain as an off -site gathering location. Mr. McLauchlan suggested that an agreement be drafted with the church for maintenance and the agreed upon number of parking spaces. Mr. Arena asked about the crash proof fence and Ms. Cummings said that they are working with a fence manufacturer to design the fence. She said that there will be a perimeter fence along Charles Street side and the north property perimeter. Ms. Clish asked if lighting for the turf field had been considered. Ms. Katajamaki said this was discussed with the recreation department and it was not recommended. Ms. Katajamaki presented the lighting plan for the site. The board further discussed the proposed parking, and Ms. Brown presented the off -site parking and street considerations. Ms. Clish asked about the sidewalk width and Mr. MacNichol stated that the existing sidewalks are 6 feet wide and that the town is looking to extend these up to 8 - 10 feet to create a shared use path. Mr. McLauchlan asked if parents could drop off on Haverhill Street and Ms. Katajamaki said that there is no gated access from Haverhill Street, but children can access the building from the south side of the school on Haverhill Street. Town of Reading 3 Meeting Minutes Ms. Clish asked if additional waivers are being requested and Mr. MacNichol confirmed height, chain link fence within the side setback, and an Environmental Impact Statement. Nancy Doctor, Pearl Street, asked how the public is going to be informed on the project and if audits will be presented. Matt Kraunelis, Town Manager, emphasized the importance of keeping the public informed throughout the process and that the MSBA has stringent requirements for public disclosure. Ms. Doctor asked how long the synthetic field will last. Ms. Cummings stated that it depends on many factors but after 10 to 15 years there is wear and tear. Ms. Clish asked how a turf field was decided and Ms. Cummings said that the recreation department encouraged synthetic turf for multi -use and improved conditions. Michael Holmes, 347 Charles Street, asked if there is enough room to making the right of way improvements without taking property from people. Ms. Brown said there would be no takings. Mr. Holmes asked if drainage would be an issue during construction. Ms. Ponce de Leon stated that they are proposing to improve overall stormwater drainage on site and that the field drain will be replaced and drain to the infiltration system, as well as additional catch basins around the site. Mr. Holmes asked about the elevation from the parking lot to his yard and Ms. Katajamaki said that regrading will be done and that no runoff will occur to his property, Ms. Ponce de Leon said that the drainage infrastructure will route stormwater to the infiltration system. Ms. Clish asked for details on the lighting plan. Ms. Ponce de Leon presented the plans. Mr. Armstrong asked for details on grading and Ms. Ponce de Leon said the proposed building grade is 90.5 and that they are balancing the site by bringing up the playing field areas and to be ADA compliant from Haverhill and Charles Street. Mr. Arena made a motion to close the public hearing. It was seconded by Mr. McLauchlan, and it was approved 5-0-0 (Manganiello, Mateev, Clish, McLauchlan, Arena). Ms. Mateev made a motion to accept the waiver for Section 4.6 of the Reading Zoning Bylaw, Site Plan Review Checklist Number 4, Environmental Impact Statement under the justification that the site is being reused for educational purposes, contains no wetland resource areas, and no other known environmental constraints. Mr. McLauchlan seconded the motion, and it was approved 5-0-0 (Manganiello, Mateev, Clish, McLauchlan, Arena). Ms. Mateev made a motion to accept the waiver for Section 9.1.1.7 of the Reading Zoning Bylaw for off-street parking, requesting a waiver for 55 spaces, under the justification that off -site right of way and on -street parking improvements are proposed. Mr. McLauchlan seconded the motion, and it was approved 5-0-0 (Manganiello, Mateev, Clish, McLauchlan, Armstrong, Arena). Mr. Arena asked how the town can memorialize the off-street improvements not proposed in this application. Mr. MacNichol stated that the design documents for off -site improvements are to be delivered. He added that the waiver is being requested under the justification that the improvements would be made. Ms. Mateev made a motion to accept the waiver for Section 6.3 of the Reading Zoning Bylaw, Table of Dimensional Controls for building height. The new school proposes a height of 55 feet and a reduced profile of 44 feet along Haverhill Town of Reading i Meeting Minutes Street. Mr. McLauchlan seconded the motion, and it was approved 5-0-0 (Manganiello, Mateev, Clish, McLauchlan, Arena). Ms. Mateev made a motion to accept the waiver for Section 6.5 of the Reading Zoning Bylaw, Landscape Standards. The applicant is requesting a waiver for the proposed chain link fence that is located in the side yard setback and around the WOW Center and Basketball court areas with landscaping provided along the lot lines. Mr. McLauchlan seconded the motion, and it was approved 5-0-0 (Manganiello, Mateev, Clish, McLauchlan, Arena). The Board reviewed the draft decision. Ms. Mateev made a motion to approve the Site Plan Review application and Stormwater Permit for the Killam Elementary School at 333 Charles Street, as amended. Mr. McLauchlan seconded the motion, and it was approved 5-0-0 (Manganiello, Mateev, Clish, McLauchlan, Arena). Public Hearing Site Plan Review and Subdivision Application for the Reading Center for Active Living (ReCAL) 0 Haverhill Street. Town of Reading Ms. Mateev read the legal notice into record. Mr. MacNichol discussed the applicability of the subdivision and right of way adoption. He stated that the parcel Includes an access easement used by the Reading Rifle and Revolver Club, but it Is not officially a public road and that the proposal involves officially laying out and adopting a public right-of-way that aligns with the existing easement. Mr. MacNichol added that toe process will go through the CPDC as a subdivision, which will then lead to the town formally adopting the road as a public way, rather than keeping it a private way. He added that the new public way will provide the necessary legal frontage for zoning compliance and ensure full public access. He said that although a paved road already exists, it is technically just an access easement for Reading Rifle and is not a recognized public way. Mr. Arena asked if the road would take the same path and Mr. MacNichol confirmed yes and said that the easement with Reading Rifle will be maintained because the public way will only extend along the frontage of the ReCAL site property. Steve Crusafilli, Landscape Architect from Activitas, presented existing conditions and proposed site plans to the board. He stated that the right of way would stay within the existing layout configuration but would be widened from 18 to 24 feet. In the ReCAL lot there are 89 parking spaces and accommodation for 2 EV Chargers. Pickleball parking is anticipated at the back of Burbank Arena with accessible connections. Mr. Crusafilli stated that a five-foot path is proposed for access around the building. He added that snow storage will be off site and removed from the parking lot. The Fire Department has full turning clearance around the parking lot. He further presented the civil and site plans. He stated that they are proposing two sub -surface drainage systems and that pickleball will have separate drainage from ReCAL because the projects are funded separately and are independent from one another. Mr. Arena asked why the pickleball courts are away from the site and Mark Novak, principal landscape architect from Activitas, said that the courts are post tension concrete and having them beneath the courts can cause surface failure. Mr. Crusafilli said that they are proposing to remove about 300 trees and proposing 53 new trees. He presented the photometric plans and preliminary signage for the site. Town of Reading 0 Meeting Minutes Joel Bardman stated that the building is a combination of shingles, board and batten, and ground face concrete block to protect building against snow and landscaping equipment. He said that the roof on the gymnasium is solar ready. Mr. Arena asked what the practical life of the materials are, and Mr. Bardman stated 50 years. Ms. Clish asked why the building does not contain solar and Mr. Bardman stated that the town is pursuing other grants and funding opportunities for future solar installations. Mr. McLauchlan added that the building code requires new buildings to be solar ready. Mr. Armstrong asked what the hours of the pickleball lighting are and Jenne Wood, recreation director, stated that the lighting would be turned off at 10 pm. Mr. Manganiello asked if the intention is to install solar power in the future and Mr. Bargman stated that they are in discussion with RMLD and the town is still exploring other options. Mr. Manganiello stated that the building will have a large electrical demand and asked if there are other options for energy efficiency. Joel stated there will be heat pumps and that it is a highly efficient project and gas is not available in this area. He said that the equipment is located on the roof and during emergencies the generator will power the whole building. The board opened for public comment Angela Binda stated that these projects are separate and asked about how finances will be kept separate. Ms. Binda asked if the town would know when bids would come in and asked if the pickleball bids would be going out in a staged form as presented to town meeting. She stated that there was discussion of LED lighting Instead of granite signage in front of ReCAL to advertise ongoing events, and asked about the parking requirements and asked why there are no requirements for athletic facilities. Ms. Clish asked if the current gravel lot proposed for pickleball will be paved and Mr. MacNichol said that there are no plans to pave, only curb cuts and crosswalks. Ms. Clish asked if a parking agreement had been prepared. Assistant Town Manager Jayne Wellman said that the town is working with the Burbank Arena Authority to amend the lease to accommodate a shared parking agreement so that overflow parking may be provided between both facilities with agreed upon times and coordination. Ms. Clish asked if there are adequate parking spaces for ReCAL and Pickleball and Mr. MacNichol said that there is a parking waiver request for 5 parking spaces at ReCAL. Mr. Manganiello said that they are overpopulating the site with the proposed building square footage and cutting short the necessities of the project. Ms. Clish asked if the agreement with Burbank would be mutually beneficial, and town Management confirmed yes, stating that most of ReCAL overflow with be for events will be during the day when the area parking lot is empty and that they would accommodate with coordination on the ReCAL site occasionally. Ms. Wellman added that snow will be removed off -site the first evening after a snowstorm occurs. Mr. McLauchlan said that the two projects are separate entities, and that he does not. believe the pickleball courts are ADA accessible and that there should at minimum be accessible access to the courts from the ReCAL parking lot. Mr. Arena asked how many square feet the building exceeds to warrant a parking waiver, and Mr. MacNichol said 1,500, but that recreational courts do not have a parking requirement in the bylaw. Ms. Clish said that the building is 5 parking spaces short and that this does not Include pickleball. 0 Town of Reading Meeting Minutes Mr. Bardman said that the peak usage times for each facility do not overlap. Previously, four parking spaces were removed to install a landscaped island, which allowed better placement of lighting fixtures to comply with Conservation Commission requests to prevent light from spilling Into the buffer zone. Mr. Bardman said that a new accessible entrance is being created in the upper corner of the site, which could accommodate two or more handicap parking spaces that connect directly to the crosswalk, providing accessible access into the pickleball area. Mr. Cusafilli said that they removed parking in front of the pickleball courts to remove additional pavement. Jenna Wood, Community Services Director, explained the programming on site and anticipated parking needs. Ms. Clish asked if use of neighboring sports facilities is being considered. Mr. Arena said that they probably cannot predict the parking and operational needs of both facilities. Mr. Manganiello asked if there is a programming schedule for the board to review and Ms. Wood said that there is a sample programming schedule. Mr. Arena asked what the maximum occupancy of the building is, and Mr. Bargman said 200 people, with average use of around 100, and said that other centers of a similar size have equivalent parking. Mr. McLaughlan said that with so many sports facilities in the same proximity there could be overflow parking and traffic. Ms. Wood said that they plan to create a pickleball membership program which can limit the amount of membership passes and non-residents can purchase passes. She said that there will be open play times for the community at large. Mr. Arena asked if they could condition the building size based on the available parking. Ms. Clish said that they can vote to not grant the waiver and that she would like to see the parking agreement with Burbank before voting. Mr. Manganiello said that this facility marginally passed at Town Meeting and that he wants the town to have access to the facility. Ms. Clish said that she was a member of the Symonds Way Exploratory Committee and that when this site was selected there were assumptions that the church parking lot across the street would be used, and that she doesn't want the lot to become the default overflow parking for the facility. Angela Binda asked how finances will be kept separate for each facility and the roadwork. Ms. Clish said that this question is beyond the purview of CPDC. Ms. Binda asked if residents would see when Bids go out or come in and if Pickleball will have staged bids levels. She proposed LED information signage to advertise events around town. She asked why there are no parking requirements for sports courts. Ms. Clish said that the town has never established them. Ms. Binda asked if there are ADA spaces for the sports courts and Ms. Clish said that there is intent to do some paving to create accessible spaces. She expressed concern for parking burden on St. Athanatius. Ms. Wellman said that all bids are publicly posted and that the pickleball courts would have alternatives in the bid package. Ms. Clish stated that there remains some uncertainty around the shared parking agreement with Burbank and pickleball and requested more details. Mr. McLauchlan agreed and added that the gravel lot if not accessible behind Burbank and overflow parking at the church is not Ideal. Marrianne, 44 State Lane, asked if bleachers would be in the gymnasium for spectators and that there would not be any spectators utilizing the parking lot. Mr. Bargman said that the gym is not designed for tournament use and is recreational and that portable two -tiered bleachers can be set up when needed. Ms. Clish asked for the comparable facilities to inform the proposed parking and Chris of Brennan Consulting, traffic consultant, stated that the intersection can handle the full traffic Town of Reading 0 Meeting Minutes impact. He added that the bylaw does not have sports recreation requirements for parking and that there is sufficient parking behind Burbank and agreed that a parking agreement would be necessary. The board continued to discuss parking calculations. Karen Janowski, 30 Azaleia Circe, asked how many parking spaces are in the back parking lot area. Ms. Clish said that Burbank may have an estimate. Ms. Mateev asked about the subdivision of the lot and what other boards have reviewed the plans, and Mr. MacNichol stated that Permanent Building Committee and the Conservation Commission. He stated that the application meets all principal dimensions, and that the parking waiver is the only waiver requested through the project. Mr. MacNichol said that the Conservation Commission is overseeing the stormwater permit. Ms. Clish said that signage would need to be reviewed. Mr. MacNichol said that a full sign permit application would come at a later date. Mr. MacNichol said that the subdivision layout will need to be accepted at town meeting as a public way. Ms. Mateev made a motion to continue the application for 0 Haverhill Street, the Reading Center for Active Living to September 81 2025 and it was seconded by Mr. McLauchlan. It was approved 5-0-0 (Manganiello, Mateev, Clish, McLauchlan, Arena). Adiournment Mr. McLauchlan made a motion to adjourn at 10:25 PM and it was seconded by Ms. Clish. It was approved 5-0-0 (Manganiello, Mateev, Clish, McLauchlan, Arena). Documents Reviewed at the Meeting: Killam Elementary School • Killam Traffic Impact Study 7-7-25 • Killam ES Site Plan Sheet 8-18-25 • Killam Stamped Site Plan Review Application 7-17-25 • Killam Level Three Floor Plan 7-7-25 • Killam Site Plan Review Booklet 7-7-25 • Klllam ES Compiled Plan Set 7-7-25 • Killam Elementary School - Stormwater Permit Booklet 7-7-25 • Killam ES -DRAFT SWPPP 7-7-25 • Killam Stamped Stormwater Permit Application 7-7-25 • Legal Notice - Community Planning and Development Commission 8-25-25 • DRAFTDecision_SPR_333Charles_8-25-25 ReCAL • SPR Application and Impact statement 7-7-25 • Stormwater_Report_Compiled 7-7-25 • Traffic_Impact Study 7-7-25 • Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan 7-7-25 • ReCAL SPR_Dwgs7-7-25 • Stamped Stormwater Application 7-17-25 • and M 7-7-25 • Site Plan Review Application 7-17-25 • Activitas Memorandum Planning Comments 8/13/25 • ReCAL Conservation Comments 8/13/25 • ReCAL Presentation 8/25/25 • DRAFTDecision_SPR_OHaverhill5t_8-25-25 Town of Reading Meeting Minutes • 8-25-25 Legal Notice - Community Planning and Development Commission - ReCal (PDF) • Subdivision - Form B Application ReCAL 8-19-25 • Definitive Subdivision Plan of Land 3-30-35 • Subdivision Way and Profile Plan 8-21-25 • Community Services Director CPDC Memo • ReCAL_Pickleball_Site_Plan 9-4-25 • CPDC parking update 9-4-25