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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2009-03-23 Community Planning and Development Commission MinutesTown of Reading RECEIVED TOWN CLERK READI G, M ~ G. Email: ekowalski a ci.reading.ma.us 2010 JAN 21 A ego 05 Community Planning and Development Commission 6 16 Lowell Street Reading, MA 01867-2683 Phone: 781-942-6612 Fax: 781-942-9071 CPDC MINUTES Meeting Dated: Marc 23, 2009 Abigail McCabe (AM), Staff Planner; and Also Present: Carol Kowalski (CK), Town Planner; Michael Schloth, Recording Secretary. Location: Selectmen's Meeting Root 7l'own Hal Time: 7:30 PM Members Present: David Tutt e (D"T~£haiinmi; hola S~i(?d-S~~eeretary John Weston (JW), and Joseph Associate Members Present: George Katsoufis (GK) There being a quorum the Chair called the meeting to order at 7:30 PM. Public Comment A Ms. Nancy Taluto (sp?) asked the Board if they would sign her application for Justice of the Peace. 1 The Board declined to sign as no member knew her. She thanked the Board for its time. EDC Signage By-Law Amendment Update No one from the EDC was able to attend. CK: The existing signage by-laws are too long at thirteen pages. The EDC has taken on the task of making them shorter and clearer. As a start, they have reviewed the signage bylaws of other towns; interviewed Reading's Zoning Enforcement Officer, Glen Redmond; spoken with members of Reading's business community; and expects to receive further guidance from Town Counsel. In addition to clarifying and condensing the Signage By-laws, the EDC wants to be able to provide sign- design guidance to businesses i.e. what is and is not likely to be approved. Issues to address: • Illuminated signs: When should they be turned off? Why do business owners/signmakers have trouble understanding what "opaque" means? Has lighting technology advanced to the point where some of our bylaws are obsolete? (e.g. LEDs) • Awnings: • What constitutes a Sign Awning? • What is the allowed Sign Area of a Sign Awning?(e.g. should the awning as a whole be considered a sign? ` • Defunct Signs. • Sign Review: clarify when CPDC has jurisdiction over a site's signage. Page 1 of 3 CPDC Minutes of 3/23/2009 CK said she would take what the EDC has done to date and put together some draft language for the Board to review. The Board noted there has been no indication from the EDC that there was a need for an increase in the allowed size of signs. Certificate of Appropriateness: 32 Lincoln Street (Train Depot) Swiss Bakers Steve Brickett of Magellan Signs appeared for the applicant. Mr. Brickett: There are two wall signs. Both will be red and white - a Swiss motif - and non- illuminated. One will face up Haven Street and the other will face Lincoln Street. The building is on the Registry of Historical Places but there are no restrictions pertaining to the proposed signage because of this at either the local or Federal level. NS moved the Board approve the request for a Certificate of Appropriateness for the signs for Swiss Bakers at 32 Lincoln Street as shown in plans dated 3/2/2009. JW seconded. By a vote of 4:0:0 the Board voted to grant the Certificate of Appropriateness. Downtown 40R Smart Growth District CK: Feedback from the public meeting March 3'd at the Senior Center has been positive. The next step is to craft design guidelines. The consultant's want to know what should be the minimum lot size and lot coverage. The Board reviews the draft by-law and offers suggestions. • Remove work "Overlay" from title for the sake of the acronym. • Change periods at the end of sections to semicolons so there is no confusion over choices. • Under "Administrative Agency" (pg 12): should add scale or scope of cost so developers understand the approximate cost paid to the agency for its work pertaining to affordable units. Also, remove confusion as to who is the "approving authority" who designates the agency: is it the CPDC or the Board of Selectmen? • Under "Application Procedure (pg 12): add that it must be recorded with the Town Clerk to start the clock. • Clarify (pg 3) the formula to be used to determine which households are eligible for affordable units. • Clarify (pg. 6) allowed and prohibited uses. • Clarify (pg. 7) whether or not a building could consist of all residential units. The consensus of the Board was if such a use could not be used at all in the reduced 40R district, then the possibility should not be allowed in the by-law. There must be a mixed-use everywhere in the district. • Storefronts: must they be visible? • F.A.R and parking spaces: somehow equate the two. • Provide options for density bonuses. The consensus was this would require careful consideration as putting it in the by-law would make it available by-right and therefore may be perceived as Page 2of3 CPDC Minutes of 3/23/2009 promoting excessive density by Town Meeting. A suggestion was made to do away with the concept of bonuses and instead create a table specifying various "x" densities at corresponding "y" F.A.Rs and cap the FAR at 2.5. CK would ask the consultant's (Housing Partners Inc.) to attend the April 13, 2009 meeting to discuss the changes. Preparations for Annual Town Meeting Article 18: • The GIS Administrator has made maps showing where the different setbacks would be located (both the current 50 foot setback and the proposed 15 foot setback). CK will ask the administrator to snake the maps into a slideshow. The Board asked that the zoning districts be added too. • Need to address Town Engineer's concern that sight lines could be adversely affected by long rows of building set closer to the right-of-way. Ditto landscaping. • The second amendment of Article 18 refers to the wrong section: it should be Section 4.9.7.4.2.b. The second "4" had been dropped. • The shorter, cleaner version of Section 4.9.7.4.2.b will have to be presented as a change from the floor of Town Meeting. Article 19: The Board had no issues with the article as written. JP moved to adjourn. JW seconded. By a vote of 4:0:0, the Board adjourned the meeting at 10:20 PM. These minutes were prepared by Michael Schloth and submitted to the CPDC on May 11, 2009; these minutes were approved as amended by the CPDC on May 11, 2009. Signed as approved, Nicholas Safina, 5 Page 3 of 3