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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-02-09 Community Planning and Development Commission MinutesrR Town of Reading Meeting Minutes Board - Committee - Commission - Council: Community Planning and Development Commission Date: 2026-02-09 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: Draft Attendees: Members In person: Heather Clish, Chair; Tom Armstrong, Associate; Members Present on Zoom: Hillary Mateev, Secretary; Andrew McLauchlan Members Not Present: John Arena; Guy Manganiello Others Present in person: Jack Sullivan; Andrew MacNichol, Community Development Director; Olivia Knightly, Senior Planner; Katie Gabriello, Director of Operations; Jayne Wellman, Assistant Town Manager; Carlton Quinn; Saverio Fulciniti; Jesse Schoemer; Stefano Basso Present on Zoom: Steven Frederickson; Peg Tannian; Joe Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Olivia Knightly Topics of Discussion; Small Lane Definitive Subdivision; 281 Main Street MEETING HELD IN THE SELECT BOARD ROOM AND REMOTELY VIA ZOOM Ms. Mateev called the meeting to order at 7:04 PM and Mr. MacNichol provided an overview of the hybrid meeting procedures. Public Hearing, Small Lane Definitive Subdivision Application Mr. Armstrong made a motion to approve the withdrawal of the definitive subdivision application. Zt was seconded by Mr. McLauchlan and it was approved 4-0-0 (McLaughlan; Mateev; Clish; Armstrong). Public Hearing. Site Plan Review / SDecial Permit for Mixed Use Application. 281 Main Street, 281 Reading LLC Mr. Armstrong read the legal notice into the public record. Ms. Mateev recused herself from the agenda item. Jesse Schoemer, the applicant's legal counsel, provided a presentation to the board. He introduced members of the project team, applicant Saverio Fulciniti, architect Stefano Basso of SV Design, and Carlton Quinn of Allen and Major Associates, Stephan Zaets of Vanasse and Associates. He stated that the proposed building is 24 residential units with 3 affordable units and 2,400 square feet of retail space on the ground Floor. He further 1 Town of Reading 0 Meeting Minutes presented the site plan and stated that the site remains in Flux as they work to address issues of fire access with the fire department. Mr. Schoemer stated that the applicant is requesting a waiver of section 5.6.7.2 for the commercial component of the building. Mr. Schoemer stated that the applicant is requesting relief from the commercial requirement of 25% and is proposing to relocate the current Bay State Physical Therapy business, located at 281 Main Street across the street from the 260 Main Street Strada building under construction, which will allow the business to operate consistently and move into an upgraded space. Ms. Clish asked about the elevator providing adaptive accessibility. Mr. Schoemer stated that the elevator allows all other units to become accessible in the future if needed. Mr. Schoemer further presented the existing conditions of the site and stated that the project team has attended a Development Review Team meeting with the town. He stated that the fire department would like to see improved access and turnaround on site for the fire engines, and presented a revised turnaround plan. The rear of the site will be a covered podium parking area and there will be a total of 9 net new trees on site. He added that 300/0 of the parking spaces will be compact. Mr. Armstrong asked if the justification for the commercial waiver is to include ground floor residential units and Mr. Schoemer stated that they are seeking a waiver but all residential is to be provided on the upper floor of the building and that the parking podium takes up a significant portion of the ground floor area. Ms. Clish stated that the intention of the bylaw is to provide 25% of commercial space and that this proposal does not meet this requirement. Mr. Schoemer stated that they will be retaining the existing tenant, Bay State Physical Therapy, across the street in the Strada building, which is adapted for their needs and relieves them of having to wait for the new building to be constructed. Ms. Clish stated that the opportunity for the tenant to stay in town is dependent on another building being constructed and does not have anything to do with the amount of commercial space provided in the proposed building. Ms. Clish asked how the proposed commercial spaces compare to the existing square footage of the building and Mr. Fulciniti stated that the first floor occupied by Bay State is about 1,800 square feet, and that they are looking to expand and the new location will be 3,000 sf. Mr. McLauchlan asked if the reduction of commercial space is due to the ability to have parking and not to maintain Bay State at the Strada. Mr. Fulciniti stated that they maintain the existing lot identity, he added that there are 38 existing spaces and there area a proposed 39 parking spaces and loading area. Carlton Quinn of Allen and Major Associates Inc., the applicants engineer, presented the site and civil plans. Mr. Armstrong asked about the sites flooding history and Mr. Quinn Stated that there is no FEMA Floodplain present and that the site sits upland from the stream. Ms. Clish asked about the 100' riverfront area and Mr. Quinn clarified that they cannot add additional impervious areas within this area, so the edge of the current parking area is the same edge as the proposed parking area. Mr. Armstrong asked about the parking provided on site and Mr. Quinn stated they exceed the parking requirements by one space and exceed the loading space requirements. They have also provided a 26-foot drive aisle to accommodate the fire department. Town of Reading 0 Meeting Minutes Mr. MacNichol asked about the Zone A Wellhead designation and Mr. Quin stated that the Zone A would be applicable to surface drinking water and that he would have to look into this. Mr. Armstrong asked how much impervious space is being added in comparison to the existing site and Mr. Quinn presented the drainage plan for the site, with TSS removal, recharge, and a reduction in the discharge volume. He added that this should help Flooding situations downstream of the property as they are holding more stormwater back than the existing conditions. Ms. Clish asked about the outdoor cafe amenity space proposed, and Mr. Fulciniti stated that the outdoor seating is an effort to engage the streetscape and trying to maximize commercial space. The board reviewed the details of the site plan and amenities. Ms. Clish asked about EV charging spaces on site and Mr. Fulciniti stated that they are providing 2 EV spaces and are running a conduit for additional lines in the future. Mr. Quin stated that 20% of spaces should be EV ready and Ms. Clish said that this seemed limited and inquired why all spaces cannot be EV ready, except for the spaces under the podium. Mr. Fulciniti said that they would be able to make the spaces EV ready. Ms. Clish stated that they are proposing good commercial space but that the waiver justification does not align. She added that if they are going to give a waiver then this should be described in a different way. Mr. Fulciniti said that this business would have likely left because there is not any viable class A retail space, and they would not have been able to close and return after construction. He added that they found a creative way to interpret the zoning and found an outcome for existing and new businesses. Mr. McLauchlan said that the commercial space waiver is to maintain parking for residential and commercial space. Mr. Fulciniti disagreed and said that the waiver is to improve the design, and they are maintaining the same amount of parking. Ms. Clish said that they are still expanding their total residential area and that parking is provided to accommodate new residents. Laurel Brit Webb, owner of 271 Main Street Pet Companions Bed and Biscuit stated that on average there are 35 dogs at the facility every day and that there are dogs on the premises 24-7 and 365 days a year. They are open from 6:00 am to 8:00 pm and have dogs inside and outside multiple times a day, and barking occurs. She stated support for the project, but that there are considerations, and that demolition and building will impact the dogs, and that there will be future impacts to the commercial tenants and residents because of the barking. She wanted the community to be aware of the impact. Ken, Pinevale Ave resident, asked about the parking at the current building, which has 38 parking spaces and whether they are full sized. He said the new development will have 30% compact spaces and Ms. Clish stated that this proposal meets the compact parking requirements for the property. Mr. Fulciniti stated that parking will be assigned by unit and that residents will be informed whether they are assigned a standard or compact parking space. Ken asked if this project would have been permitted prior to the passing of the MBTA Communities Act and Ms. Clish stated that it would have been allowed under the district zoning as adopted in 2019. Mr. Armstrong made a motion to continue the application to March 9, 2026, and it was seconded by Ms. Clish. It was approved 3-0-0 (McLauchlan, C/fsh, Armstrong) �• Of R� Town of Reading Meeting Minutes Ileasant Street Center Land Use Discussion Assistant Town Manager, Jayne Wellman, and Director of Operations, Katie Gabriello, provided a presentation on the potential future uses of the Pleasant Street Center. The board asked clarifying questions and had a brief discussion. Ms. Mateev stated that it would be a shame to lose municipal property and that maintaining that as part of the community stock is important and that she would encourage rental of the building for a non-profit. Mr. McLauchlan and Ms. Clish voiced in agreement. The board continued to ask clarifying questions. Mr. MacNichol stated that the building does not meet multi -family use requirements and that there are very limited commercial uses allowed. Ms. Clish further expressed support for affordable housing, but said the building is unique and should have a unique purpose such as performing arts or studio space. Ms. Mateev stated that public support has been expressed for a teen center. Eastern Gatewav Thoughts and Preliminary Discussion Mr. MacNichol introduced Michael Wang, Project Architect and Consultant from Form and Place. Mr. Wang provided a presentation of the Eastern Gateway District process to date and on the process and timeline to work toward zoning adoption. The board asked clarifying questions and had a brief discussion Mr. McLaughlan asked if hotels and motels would be allowed and Mr. MacNichol stated that they could be allowed as a permitted use where larger buildings are deemed appropriate. Ms. Clish stated that ultimately the board is aiming to bring a zoning proposal to November Town Meeting. Mr. MacNichol stated that none of the current designs Include hotels but that it is a use group that the board could look to allow. Mr. Wang said that this is a type of use that might be well served fronting along Walkers Brook Drive. Ms. Clish added that this will go through a public process as well. Ms. Mateev emphasized that this is a zoning proposal and not a building or development proposal. She asked if the proposal uses existing parcel lines and Mr. Wang stated that several examples show existing parcels while others show combined parcels. He added that there are other considerations that could impact parcelization, but that they can work to make sure that the bylaw works for smaller scale development or aggregated parcels as well as larger parcels like One General Way. Mr. MacNichol said that the intention of the examples is to show density examples on different sized parcels. Ms. Mateev further asked about existing parcel lines on site. Mr. Wang stated that parcelization cannot be controlled but that we can ensure that the bylaw works well for small and large parcels. Mr. Armstrong stated that he would not want to see redevelopment occur piecemeal and to encourage other parcels to redevelop in tandem. The board continued to have a discussion about the variety of parcel uses and ownership in the district, and prospective development opportunities that the zoning could facilitate. Ms. Clish asked about integrating open space throughout the district. Mr. Wang stated that different parcel sizes and shapes are conducive to open space, and that a percentage could be required and incentives can encourage open space development. Mr. MacNichol added that different parcels can accommodate different types of open space. aTown of Reading Mr. McLauchlan said that due to proximity to Walkers Brook the area should allow standalone hotels. Mr. MacNichol said that staff can put together some bylaw considerations and an outreach component. Ms. Clish said that a robust outreach effort should be done. Mr. McLauchlan asked if current landowners would be allowed to develop based on previous zoning or if this would be restricted to new zoning. Mr. MacNichol said that until zoning is changed, they can use the existing zoning, and that the existing zoning may still be utilized if new zoning is written as an overlay. Mr. MacNichol stated that he would provide a timeline for zoning drafting and review. He asked the board to establish confidence in whether every lot is allowed to redevelop or if minimum lot sized should be established, along with other zoning considerations for the district. Mr. McLauchlan stated that there will be questions at town meeting and Ms. Clish said some form of an update at town meeting may be advised. Public Hearing. Subdivision Rules and Reaulations Amendments Mr. Armstrong read the legal notice into record. Mr. MacNichol stated that the town has been reviewing reading's subdivision application fees in comparison to other towns who have established higher fees. He said the town has been reviewing the total amount of staff hours required and costs associated with review applications. He said that some applications require less review than others and therefore require less in fees. Mr. MacNichol stated that fee updates have been proposed in Section 3.6 of the subdivision regulations. He summarized the fee structures, updating ANR plans from $100 to $200 with an additional $50 for each additional lot over three lots. $1,500 for preliminary and definitive applications, which anticipate a base cost, plus additional costs for more lots. Mr. Armstrong made a motion to continue the public hearing to March 9, 2026. It was seconded by Mr. McLaughlan, and it was approved 4-0-0 (Manganiello, Mateev, Clish, McLauchlan). Adieournment Mr. Armstrong made a motion to adjourn at 9:55 PM and it was seconded by Ms. Clish. It was approved 4-0-0 (Manganiello, Mateev, Clish, McLauchlan). Documents Reviewed at the Meetina: 281 Main Street, Site Plan Review • Public Hearing Notice, 2-9-26 • Site Plan Review Application, 1-14-26 • Applicant PowerPoint Presentation, 2-9-26 • Architectural Plan Set, 11-25-25 • Bay State Physical Therapy Letter, 11-26-25 • Civil Plan Set, 11-24-25 • Civil Drainage Report, 11-24-25 • Montage Application Narrative, 1-1-26 • Transportation Impact Assessment, dated 10-21-26 • Revised Site Plans, 2-26-26 • Revised Civil Site Plan 2-27-26 Town of Reading 0 Meeting Minutes Subdivision Rule and Regulations Amendments • Public Hearing Notice 2-9-26 • Section 3 Subdivision Fee Regulations Tracked Changes, 2-9-26