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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1998-11-19 Board of Selectmen Minutes Board of Selectmen Meeting November 19, 1998 The meeting convened at 7:40 p.m. in the Audio Visual Room, Reading Municipal Light Department, 230 Ash Street, Reading, Massachusetts. Present were Chairman Bruce MacDonald, Vice Chairman Sally Hoyt, Secretary Matthew Nestor, Selectman Camille Anthony, Assistant Town Manager Russell Dean(Town Manager Peter Hechenbleikner arrived late), Paula Schena and the following list of interested parties: Joyce Kirk, Heather and Doug Neary, Larry Walsh, Bill Brown, Fred Van Magness, Bethann Matathia, Lisa Smith, Dominic Tango, Gail Wood, Joe Westerman, Nancy Eaton, Alan Bissett, Peter Simms, John Coote, Bill O'Halloran. Discussion/Action Items Public Input — Reading Business Park Proposals - Chairman Bruce MacDonald noted that this was an informal meeting to get public input on the Reading Business Park proposals. Assistant Town Manager Russell Dean noted that 10 proposals were received and the Business Park Advisory Committee referred four of them to the Board of Selectmen. Lincoln Properties -- Lincoln Properties proposes to put luxury apartments/hotel/office space on the site. Gail Wood noted that the Water and Sewer Advisory Committee wants a water study to get underway to look at supply and distribution; i.e., storage. Fred Van Magness had concerns that the Town doesn't have an adequate water supply right now. Dominic Tango indicated that this proposal brings 300 more housing units to the Town and that Reading needs the housing. Bill Brown asked about the ripple down effect. Nancy Eaton asked for the daily gallonage. Dickinson Russell Dean noted that Dickinson proposes to put a Home Depot/cinema/office/Applebee's Restaurant on the site. They would pay the Town $2 million and the cost of capping the landfill. This proposal has the lowest water use and generates the highest amount of traffic. Camille Anthony had concerns regarding the trucking. Bruce MacDonald asked about tax revenues. Russell Dean noted that Lincoln would generate S 1.5 million, Dickinson would generate $1.12 million, Cozporex would generate $1.78 million and Leach would generate $1.3-51.5 million. Board of Selectmen Meeting—November 19, 1998—Page 2 Bill Brown asked if there was a hotel tax and it was noted that there was. Dominic Tango had concerns regarding traffic and how the Dickinson proposal would affect the community. Joe Westerman of 17 Avon Street asked if the traffic count was for 24 hours or time of operation. Russell Dean responded 24 hours. Corporex Russell Dean noted that Coiporex is proposing to put a Five Season County Club/hotel/office on. the site. The proposal would create 1000 jobs, they would lease the land from the Town for $100,000 per year plus taxes and they would cap the landfill. Russell Dean noted that the water use and traffic generated falls in the middle. Nancy Eaton asked how many units would be in the hotel. It was noted that the hotel would have 250 units. Russell Dean noted that Corporex has done a major development in Kentucky and that Corporex owns the concept of the country club. Fred Van Magness asked if the Board of Selectmen looked at the issue of liability regarding lawsuits because they will be leasing. Russell Dean noted that the liability will always be there so it is not a major issue. Dominic Tango asked what the traffic count is for the Corporex proposal. It was noted that the traffic count is 6640 per day. Leach Russell Dean noted that Leach proposes to put hotel/office/retail on the site. They will pay the Town $10 million and the Town will cap the landfill. Gail Wood asked how much each proposal was offering for off-site development. Russell Dean noted that Lincoln will pay $200,000, Dickinson will pay $1 million, Leach will pay $3 million and Corporex will pay $200,000. Nancy Eaton noted that all three proposals will be using land that has not been delineated. Bill Brown noted that small hardware stores can survive with a Home Depot in Town if they sharpen their pencils. He feels that Dickinson is the best buy for the Town. Bill O'Halloran noted that there are four or five Home Depots within 15 minutes from Reading and that they were saturating the area. He likes the Corporex proposal. The Hilton Hotel and health facility fits the image of Reading. The apartment proposal looks good. Leach is too vague. Board of Selectmen Meeting—November 19 1998—Page 3 Dominic Tango feels that Home Depot will drive businesses out at some point, and that the Town has to look at the overall picture. Fred Van Magness noted that he had visited the Corporex facility in Kentucky and it is a Class A club. He noted that the Dickinson proposal brings a lot of potential problems with traffic. He feels as though Corporex is number one. Gail Wood noted that Home Depot will not put business people out of business but there are traffic concerns. She noted that there is a severe sewer problem in that area in the rainy season and offsite costs can be significant. All problems are solvable but will cost money. Douglas Neaiy of 155 Village Street and a neighbor to the landfill noted that there is a serious sewerage problem in that area and asked how the buildings would affect the water table. His backyard floods in heavy rains. Traffic is also a major concern. Joe Westerman feels that people won't go to little stores if we have a Home Depot. He also feels that the traffic concerns will migrate. He thinks that Corporex is the best. Alan Bissett, owner of Johnson Hardware, is concerned about having a Home Depot in Town. He is against any retail that will affect his business. Bethann Matathia of 10 Stonewell Road had concerns about the Leach proposal. She feels they were misleading and withholding information. She likes the other three proposals. She loves to shop at Home Depot, and feels that it is no more of a threat than Monahan Lumber in North Reading. Fred Van Magness noted that if Home Depot is not built here, it will be somewhere close by. He feels Leach shouldn't have had the chance to redefine their proposal. He feels the Town should engage Counsel experienced in big time real estate. He congratulated the Board of Selectmen, the Reading Business Park Advisory Committee and Russell Dean for the entire process. Joyce Kirk of 151 Village Street and an immediate neighbor noted that the restaurants and hotels would need liquor licenses, and that this is an adult use area and asked if there was concern about this. The Town Manager indicated that there was not because barrooms are not allowed in Reading. Joyce Kirk was concerned about hearing the trucks at night and asked if the trucks would use Route 128 or cut through the neighborhoods. She doesn't want to look at a Home Depot or a Cinema and she would like to see aesthetics. Peter Simms, a merchant and member of the Downtown Steering Committee, noted that his personal opinion is that Corporex is the best deal. John Coote, a member of the Business Park Advisory Committee, noted that the buildings should be stand alone buildings. If the businesses don't survive, then the buildings can be torn down. Board of Selectmen Meeting—November 19, 1998—Pa ee44 Matt Nestor requested to have Ted Cohen look at the 21E liability, and to determine whether it is better to lease or to own. Camille Anthony noted that she got a phone call from a resident who worked on the Leach Strafford site, and he felt the other three developers didn't know what they were getting into. Bruce MacDonald asked what if the other developers have under estimated. The Town Manager indicated that they have to look at the quality of their team. The Board discussed the procedure that they would use for ranking the proposals next week. On motion by Hoyt seconded by Anthony, the Board voted to adjourn their meeting of November 19, 1998 at 10:30 p.m. The motion was approved by a vote of 4-0-0. Respectfully submitted, Sec r t ry i