Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2008-02-25 Community Planning and Development Commission MinutesTown of Reading 16 Lowell Street Reading, MA 01867-2683 Phone: 781-942-6612 Fax: 781-942-9071 Email: ckowalski@ci.reading.ma.us Community Planning and Development Commission CPDC MINUTES Meeting Dated: February 25, 2008 Location: Selectmen's Meeting Room, Town Hall Time: 7:30 PM Members Present: Brant Ballantyne, (BB), Chairman; David Tuttle (DT), Secretary; Nicholas Safina (NS), and John Weston (JW). Members Absent: John Sasso (JS) Also Present: Carol Kowalski, Town Planner; Abigale McCabe, Staff Planner; and Michael Schloth. There being a quorum the Chair called the meeting to order at 7:30 PM. Public Comments There was no comment from the public. Approval Not Required (ANR) 240 Van Norden Road The applicant was not present and no one appeared for the applicant. The plan calls for combining two non-conforming lots. The lot created will also be non-conforming but less non-conforming than the separate lots. The Town Planner said the applicant had submitted two mylars as required but only one was ready for endorsement by the Board. If the Town Engineer requires the second mylar be endorsed the Board could endorse it at their next meeting. She suggested the Board also endorse a paper copy. DT moved the Board endorse the ANR for 230 Van Norden Road. NS seconded. Voted to Endorse: 4:0:0. The Board Members signed the mylar and one paper copy. Signing of Tri-party Agreement Benjamin Lane Subdivision The Town Planner explained this was an agreement for a surety bond for the Benjamin Lane subdivision. Mr. Johnson, the developer of the subdivision; Belmont Savings Bank; and Reading's ~ °3 Town Counsel have each reviewed the agreement and declared it acceptable. The agreement now requires the signatures of the Board Members. Page 1 of 4 CPDC Minutes of 2/25/08 BB asked if the dollar amount had been determined by the Town Engineer. The Town Planner said it had. BB asked for comments from the Board. There were none. DT moved the Board approve the tri-party agreement under Form-K for the Benjamin Lane subdivision presented to the Board tonight. JW seconded. Voted Approved: 4:0:0. The Board Members signed the agreement. The Town Planner noted Mr. Johnson's and the Belmont Savings Bank's officer's signatures were each notarized and the Board's signatures too will require notarization. The recording secretary can state to a notary tomorrow that he witnessed the Board's signatures. Minutes JW moved the Board accept and approve the minutes of 2/11/2008 as amended. DT seconded. Voted Approved: 4:0:0. Zoning Workshop: Downtown 40R Smart Growth Design Guidelines Sustainability • The Board discussed Leadership in Energy and Design (LEED) certification and others. • The Town Planner noted National Development did not like the cost of going through the certification process. The Board agreed it is a big cost. • DT suggested requiring the developer only to evaluate and report using the standards as a guide. BB suggested requiring the developer meet the criteria to be certified without having to go through the cost of actually being certified. • NS pointed out if you require someone do the bookkeeping for a set of standards like LEED you might as well go after the goals even if you don't chase down all the points towards certification. • The Town Planner advised being cautious with the redevelopment of existing buildings to try to promote a marriage of the sustainable and the historic. The Town should not box itself in with standards that may adversely affect one or the other. • JW suggested breaking-out the standards under different categories: e.g. new development, new construction, residential.... Street types • BB noted there would probably not be a new street type added to the downtown but if there was it should not be a typical subdivision cross-section. The Town Planner agreed. • Various other street types were discussed: e.g. boulevard, travelway, pedestrian way... as well as the features of each: tree lawn or tree well, lane-width, appropriately-sized sidewalks, street- parking spaces... • NS said Lynnfield's 40R bylaw has much detail on street cross-sections. He said he would copy them and distribute them to the Board. Page 2 of 4 CPDC Minutes of 2/25/08 Parking The Town Planner said the request for proposals on the study of downtown parking may have already gone out. She added the downtown 40R and downtown parking studies would be on parallel tracks. The Board noted standards may have to address both parallel and angle-in parking as well as shared parking. Signage There are issues with applicants not understanding the current signage bylaws including how they are applied. BB thought it might be a good time to rewrite them. NS suggested looking into form-based codes and signage standards. The Town Planner suggested the application display illustrations of various signs approved by the Board. She also suggested the Board review the signage bylaws of Concord for an example of more straightforward and administratively simple language. Development Impact Statements These were briefly discussed. The Town Planners said reading does not use them because of the difficulty of determining the impact fees. BB said Wilmington, MA uses them. The Town Planner said she would contact Wilmington. Design Review Team (DRT), Site Plan Review, Design Review The Board suggested making DRTs a requirement. It was the Board's opinion most applicants would welcome the opinion of town staff. The Town Planner agreed DRTs are helpful to applicants but disagreed they should be made a requirement since the approach to different projects varies from applicant to applicant. JW asked if there was or would ever be a case where the Board could be surprised by an applicant's proposed use for a site. The Town Planner said if such a use was allowed by right then she would not have done her job properly since part of her job is to anticipate use changes. BB said the various milestones of a project should be clearly marked: DRT, Site Plan Review hearing, Action Dates, deadlines... NS noted the town of LaPlata, MD had language for a Design Review meeting. This is not the meeting legally required under OR bylaws but a separate review of how a project meets the design standards alone. The Town Planner said when a DRT is held it does not necessarily mean the project's application is ready or even submitted. A separate DRT committee could be created but could prove unwieldy. She suggested Design Review be made a part of the Site Plan Review. JW suggested a design review might consist of providing the applicant with a list of our design guidelines and asking the applicant to state how they are or are not meeting those guidelines. Next Planning Subcommittee Meeting Scheduled for Tuesday, 3/18/2008. Topics: Page 3 of 4 CPDC Minutes of 2/25/08 • Street types • Sustainability: the consensus of the Board was they would like see some kind of sustainability requirement in place. Administrative Review Decision Tracking The Town Planner said the Staff Planner is still working on the database. DT moved to adjourn. NS Seconded. Voted Approved: 4:0:0. The meeting adjourned at 9:10 PM. These minutes were prepared by Michael Schloth and submitted to the CPDC on March 24, 2008; these minutes were approved as amended by the CPDC on March 24, 2008. Signed as approved, David Tuttle, Secretary Date Page 4 of 4