HomeMy WebLinkAbout2006-08-08 Board of Selectmen HandoutTOWN MANAGER'S REPORT
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
• The Habitat for Humanity ground breaking took place Saturday. They are going to request the
ability to work on some Sundays to build one of the homes that has a sponsor, and a 16 week
delivery schedule.
• The Town has met its first deadline on the MWRA buy-in - filing a MEPA Notice of Project
Change.
• The Addison Wesley Working Group (AWWG) is meeting tomorrow night to hear a
presentation by WS Weiner Development group on their response. to the AWWG's vision
statement. The Board continues to receive correspondence on this matter. One letter from
Molly Thornton is in your packet this evening. She expresses concern that the Town Manager
is "on the fence" and the Town Planner is "in favor" of the development. Let me assure you
that both the Town Manager and the Town Planner are neither in favor or opposed to this
project - we are both doing our jobs which are to process this proposal to its conclusion, and
then to move forward with whatever decision the community makes.
• The Downtown Parking task force second meeting is scheduled for August 14. he Lo-op
Bank is hosting a separate by invitation neighborhood meeting regarding the parcel of land
they purchased on Sanborn Street.
• RCTV and Creative Arts for Kids will be making a presentation to the Board of Selectmen on
September 12 about a concept for joint space in the community.
• Street signs sale;
• Depot advertising - setting up a meeting with the COO - hopefully within the next week or so.
• Housing Forum - September 28
• Board of Selectmen "Walk and Talk" in the Birch Meadow area September 16
• Upcoming Board of Selectmen meeting agendas:
August 22; 2006
Hearing
Appointment - Cultural Council
Parking regulations on Pearl Street between Belmont
and Thorndike
Hearing Fee for solicitors
Review 128/193 position
Review Action Starua. k_p. t
September 5,200 6
Office Hours - Tafoya
Conservation
September 12, 2006
Creative Arts - RCTV plans
(9/16/2006 - "Walk and Talk" -Birch Meadow area,
.
(September 19a 2006. State Primary Election
September 26, 2006
Close Warrant for STM
Appointment to Mystic Valley Elder Services Board
- regulations on trailers - amending Traffic Rules and
Regulations; stop regulations on County Road at
Hearing Lothrop Road
Review Goals status
Resew ~l ction, Statu,
, - Blousing Foruri,
September 28 2006
Environmental Monitor May 10, 2005
rx Mass.Gov logo
MEPA Home Paae
,Mass.Gov
dome Page
MEPA
August 8, 2006
Volume 66 Issue 7
The Environmental Mo
a.publicatic
Massachusetts Executive Office of Environment-c
Mitt Romney
Stephen R. Pritchard
The Environmental Monitor provides information on projects under review by the Massachusetts Environmental
Act (MEPA) office, recent MEPA decisions of the Secretary of Environmental Affairs, and public notices from
environmental agencies. Please note that the links on this page require the use of Adobe Acrobat Reader, whict
available free of charge at httD://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readsteD.htmi.
General Announcements
Proiects Submitted July 18-31. 2006
Environmental Notification Forms
Environmental Impact Reports
Notices of Proiect Chanae
Secretary's Certificates July 18-31. 2006
Environmental Notification Forms
Environmental Impact Reports.
Notices of Proiect Chanae
Records of Decision
Genera! Announcements
DEP Makes Changes to Regional Boundaries
Other Proiects Under Review
Environmental Notification Forms
Environmental Impact Reports
Notices of Proiect Chanae
Public Notices
Notices of Availability
Department of Environmental Protection Notic,
Other Notices
Submittina Public Notices
Please note that the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection
(MassDEP) has reassigned 21 municipalities from one regional office to another.
These changes in the coverage areas for each MassDEP regional office can be
found at:
http://mass.gov/dep/regionalboundarychanges.htm
When circulating copies of environmental review documents, please make sure that S
http://www.mass.gov/envir/mepa/secondlevelpages/currentissue.htm 8/8/2006
Page 1 of 10
,State ,State Online ` L'
Government Services I
Massachusetts Environmental Policy
Executive Office of Environmental, Affairs, 100 Cambridge S
Mitt Romney, Governor I Kerry Healey, Lt. Governor I Stephen R. Pr
Environmental Monitor May 10, 2005
EOEA Project Name Location
No.
North
North
8173 Attleborough
Attleborough
Square, Phase II
11525 Long-Term CSO
Springfield
Control Plan
Admission to the
Massachusetts
12514 Water Resources
Reading
Authority
Waterworks
System
Page 4 of 10
Comments For Copies MEPA Anal
Due
Robert Kraus (508) Aisling
08-28-06 747-4200 Eglington (E
626-1024
08-28-06 Joseph Superneau William Gac
(413) 787-6256 (617) 626-1
Michael Nicholas
09-07-06 Cunningham (617) Zavolas
498-4773 (617) 626-
1030
Other Projects Under Review
Environmental Notification Forms
EOEA Project Name Location Comments For Copies MEPA
No. Due Analyst
Proposed Dune
Stabilization and Harwich Beth Hays (508) William
13814 Beach 08-15-06 255-6511 Gage (61'
Nourishment 626-1025
Stewart's Creek Martha Craig William
13815 Restoration Barnstable 08-09-06 Rheinhardt Gage (61'
(508) 743-0390 626-1025
Carolyn William
13826 Westwood Station Westwood 08-25-06 Sweeney (508) Gage (61'
903-2378 626-1025
Acton Anne
Comprehensive Bob Rafferty Canaday
13828 Water Resources Acton 8-15-06
Manaaement Plan (978) 557-8150 1035 626
(CWRMP) 1035
Stoneham Holly
Crossina Retail Doug Vigneau Johnson
13836 and Office Stoneham 8-09-06 (617)896-4519 (617) 626
Redevelopment 1023
Project
I 1 1 f
http://www.mass.gov/envir/mepa/secondlevelpages/currentissue.htm 8/8/2006
Page 1 of 1
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Hechenbleikner, Peter
From: Ellen Doucette [ecdoucette@brackettlucas.com]
Sent: Monday, August 07, 2006 11:52 AM
To: Hechenbleikner, Peter
Subject: Re: ACAC
Peter,
I agree with you. The definition of employee as used in c.268A, the conflict of interest law, is deliberately broad
and all encompassing to ensure integrity in public government. Although I was not involved in the drafting of the
new dog bylaw, from its context it is my opinion that the intent that the prohibition against having town employees
serve was to allay any public concerns that the ACAC would be a "one-sided" board and that it should be
comprised of disinterested or neutral parties. Appointing town employees to a board, and appointing members of
the community to a board who only then be considered "employees" for purposes of the conflict of interest law,
are two different scenarios.
Ellen
Original Message
From: Hechenbleikner. Peter
To: Ellen Doucette (ecdoucette(o).brackettlucas.com)
Sent: Thursday, August 03, 2006 9:13 AM
Subject: ACAC
The Board of Selectmen is anticipating appointment of an Animal Control Appeals Committee on Tuesday. The
Bylaw states that the members will not be employees. The question was raised that an "employee" according
to the Ethics Commission includes volunteers, and because of that definition, can existing volunteers also not
serve on the ACAC. My read is that the Ethics Commission definition of employee is for their purposes, but not
for all purposes, and the intent is not to have paid employees on the ACAC.
What is your opinion?
Pete.
8/8/2006
TOWN OF READING
16 Lowell Street
Reading, MA 01867-2683
Phone: (781) 942-6612
Fax: (781) 942-9070
Email: creilly@ci.reading.ma.us
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
CERTIFICATE OF ACTION
COMM] JNITY PLAT 1 MN r ItILL
N
T COM] vIISSION
Site Pl t Re.r er
Project: 178 Main Street, Mobil
To the Town Clerk:
This is to certify, at a meeting of the Reading Community Planning and Development
Commission (CPDC) on June 19, 2006, on by a motion duly made and seconded, it was voted:
"We, the CPDC, as requested by Mobil Oil Corporation, under the provisions of Section
4.3.3 of the Zoning By-Laws of the Town of Reading, to consider the contemplated site
plan review waiver request for property addressed at 178 Main Street (Assessors Map
12, Lot 16) as shown on the plans entitled "Site and Signage Plan"(indexed C-1 & A-
1-A-4), dated March 30, 2006, prepared and stamped by Ayoub Engineering; do hereby
vote (3-0) to approve said site plan, subject to the following Findings and Conditions:
CONDITIONS
This approval is subject to the following Conditions:
Prior to the Issuance of a Building Permit:
1. The site must come into conformance with previous site plan review decisions. This
shall include the replacement of trees where removed, and all landscaping as
required by the previously approved site plan on file as of 1991.
2. The proposed free standing sign shall be a maximum height of 15' high, and the
design shall provide an opaque background subject to the approval of the Building
Inspector. The existing conditions shall also be brought into compliance with all
applicable zoning by-laws.
Signed as to the accuracy of the vote:
Chris Reilly
Town Planner
g
Q\ Documents and Settings\phechenbieikner.TOWN\Loca1 Settings\Temporary Internet Files\OLKIAB\178 Main Street final 61906.doc
Page 1 of 2
Hechenbleikner, Peter
From: Molly Thornton [molly thornton@yahoo.com]
Sent: Monday, August 07, 2006 9:25 PM
To: Reading - Selectmen
Subject: Home Again - 291 South
Dear Selectmen:
Two months ago I returned to Reading, my hometown, a town where I spent the first 20 years
of my life. I live at 291 South Street with my husband and three small children.
My house is behind the Addison Wesley property. I have the largest frontage to this property of
all the abutters. My property is surrounded on three sides and the impact of any development
will directly affect my quality of life.
I was aware that the property would be developed some day but I certainly did not expect a
knock on my front door last Friday by W/S Development.
Mr. Richard Askin a wolf in sheep's clothes? I hope not. He attempted to put to rest some of
my fears.
He informed me the traffic proposal that makes the most sense would be to send cars left on to
rt. 28 from South Street, that I wouldn't be able to take a right and enter into Stoneham or
access 128 and 93.
Presently South Street cannot even support sidewalks because it is not wide enough. How can
it support more traffic that would be generated by shoppers?
The emergency access road is parallel to my driveway which means that traffic would be
entering and exiting the mall next to my house. Enforcing use except for emergencies would
be impossible unless it were locked and how can a road be locked if there were to be a true
emergency?
Presently I hear the football players and cheerleaders practicing. I can hear them loud and
clear from 200 feet away. I love that sound, having an open field behind my house that the
town can use for baseball games and other sporting events. Why would I support a shopping
mall behind my house?
The noise then would not be kids preparing for sporting events but rather cars, trucks and
people directly on the other side of my fence. The noise would not be during seasonal
evenings but would be seven days a week, from early morning until late at night.
What about the lighting that would shine behind my home? How about the dumpsters for each
of the 50+ stores? How about the noise from the air conditioning units?
Initially, I was relieved that the mall would be only one or two stories tall but I hadn't realized
that parking would be above ground, over the stores. Why would I want exhaust fumes blowing
my way?
8/8/2006
Page 2 of 2
Mr. Askin informed me that the vegetation behind my house would be "improved." How can
you improve 200-year-old pine trees that are 100 feet high?
I was informed that there would be residences, for example, where one of these grand pines
stand. Residences? "Yes, the town wants the residences." -
What about the tot playground behind my home and other homes on South and Curtis Streets?
Why would we want to clear a forest to make way for a playground for shoppers?
Where will the wildlife go? Into our backyards of course.
I can truly say that I was shocked that many of you seated as decision makers in this town are
for this project. I'm not surprised that Mr. Town Manager is on the fence because he "has to
get along with his neighbors." But I'm upset that Mr. Town Planner, who does not even live in
Reading, is in support of the "mall."
I cannot imagine why this quiet, suburban town, after the monstrosities of Archstone and
Jordan's Furniture, would want a shopping mall. Why not focus on improving downtown rather
than risk putting local shops out of business and creating a traffic nightmare, not to mention
ruining the quality of life for those of us next to the development? How much tax savings would
this really be to each household?
I invite each of you, individually or collectively, to visit my home and walk the perimeter so that
you can truly understand how awful this proposal would be for me.
Thank you for your time.
Molly Thornton
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8/8/2006