HomeMy WebLinkAbout1981-02-23 Planning Board MinutesMinutes of the Meeting of February 23, 1981.
The Chairman called the meeting to order at 7:40 PM in Room 19,
52 S------with B. Mitchel, E. Childress, J. Sturm and J--w'
present. There were approximately 10 people present from the
Johanna Drive area as well as the reporter, Tracey Dwyer, from
the Reading Chronicle.
The Board voted to consider the Comprehensive Permit item as
the first matter for discussion on the evening's agenda.
Comprehensive Permit - Horizon Homes
The Board reviewed a draft of a letter prepared by the Chairman
which is to be sent to the Board of Appeals. as per their request
at last Wednesday's Comp permit hearing.
With minor revisions, the Board approved distribution of the
letter to the Board of Appeals as well as Conservation Commission,
Board of Public Works, Board of Selectmen, United Church Homes,
Reading Housing Authority, Reading Chronicle, Building Inspector.
(INSERT LETTER OF 2/20/81).
The Board noted the following concerns not written in the letter
that the entire layout for Bay State Road is 24 feet wide, that
is not the paved area of the street,
- that BPW has stated that this street will have to be entirely
pwas anot aclrebuilt in ear if it was conformance
the a entire street or- .only t the t aorea~ rj
It
area of the street to the proposed driveway to the elderly
housing project.
that this project could be served by a main access off Haverhill
Street with the emergency access being Bay State Road (ZBL 4.5.2.9)
that there should be a minimum safety width for emergency vehicle
access to this development for both fair and foul weather-taking
the snow storage problem into consideration
- the impact of a 4 story flat roof construction. in this area
Zoning
Buffer strip The Board moved to reconsider their 1/26/81 vote
to submit the buffer strip article on Town Meeting Warrant. They
then discussed the sen revisions and unanimously voted to
j submit the following article on the 1981 Annual Town Meeting
Warrant:
Article To see if the Town will vote to amend the zoning
By-laws by deleting the existing 5.3.1.3. and
inserting in place thereof the following section:
5.3.1.3. As part of all new construction of any building,
parking lot, structure, or any extension or addition
thereto in a Business C or Industrial District and
where such construction abuts within one hundred
twenty-five (125) feet of any Residential District,
a buffer strip is to be established subject to the
following requirements
a) Said buffer strip shall have a twelve (12) foot
minimum depth and shall contain a curb to prevent
parking within the strip, a six (6) foot high
fence which shall be located a maximum of two (2)
feet from the abutting Residential/Business C and/
or Industrial lot line and shall contain an ever-
green hedge on the Business C and/or Industrial
side of the fence which is to be at least.three
(3) feet in height at the time of planting and
will provide a yearround dense visual screen and
attain a height of at least seven (7) feet within
five (5) years of planting;
b) Said buffer strip shall be constructed along the
full abutting length of any Residential District
lots so affected and lie entirely within the Busi-~(
ness C and/or Industrial District;
c) Said buffer strip screening, fencing and vegeta-
tion shall be maintained in good condition at all
times by the owners of the Business C and/or Indus-
trial property; and
d) Where a roadway separates an abutting Residential
district from a Business C and/or Industrial Dis-
trict, dimensional controls for said buffer strip
shall be implemented from the existing Business C
and/or Industrial lot line along the roadway.
or take any other action with respect thereto.
The Secretary was requested to mare the necessary corrections
and submit the Articles for the Annual Town Meeting Warrant
before the deadline of March 2, 1981 at 8 PM.
-
Non-User After discussion, the Board unanimously approved the
submission of the following article on the 1981 Annual Town
Meeting Warrant:
Article To see if the Town will vote to amend the zoning
By-laws by deleting the existing 6.3.2.4. and
inserting in place thereof.the following:
6.3.2.4. When a non-conforming use is not used fora
period of two (2) or more years, its non-
conforming status shall not be reestablished
and any future use shall be in conformance
with this By-law.
or take any other action with respect thereto.
Parking requirements for restaurants - After discussion, the
Board unanimously approved the submission of the following
article on the 1981 Annual Town Meeting Warrant;
Article To see if the Town will vote to amend the Zoning
By-laws by adding the following.requirements after
- those established for Retail Stores, Offices and
Consumer Service EstablisIments in Section 6.1.1.3
and under the following tables:
Principal Use Minimum Number of Minimum Numbe
r of
Off-Street Parking. Off-Street Lo
ading.
Spaces Required and Unloading
Space:
Required
Restaurants One Space for one space -
0-2000
each sixty (60)
square
square feet of
feet o:
dining area
floor
.
two spaces -
2001-41
square
of floc
area
three spaces-over 4
square
of flog
area
Annual Report - After a brief discussion, the Planning Board
unanimously approved the submission of the following as their
1980 Annual Report:
Activity of the Planning Board continued'at a brisk pace through'
1980. In addition to fulfilling its statutory duties, the Board
on numerou.s.ocoasions served in an advisory capacity to various
citizens' groups as well as to other Town boards and commissions.-
This report highlights some of the key accomplishments of the year,
and indicates the major areas in which effort is continuing toward
long-range goals.
The Board published an extensively revised edition of the
Zoning By-law text and map, including all revisions through
June 30, 1980. The text has been electronically stored
using the Reading Memorial High Schbol's new word-processing
equipment, in order to expedite future amendments. The map
consists of 35 sheets of 39 detailed maps, which will be up-
dated and annotated as the Town grows and changes.
The Planning Board consulted with the Board of Selectmen on
the establishment and appointment of the. seven-member Indus-
trial Development Commission, which will advise the Town in
matters relating to the most cost-effective future use of
Town-owned parcels such as the Dump, as well as the regula-
tion and encouragement of industrial growth.
The Board.acted as advisor to the West Side Citizens'
Committee which succeeded in-amending the Zoning By-law to
provide for a buffer strip between abutting Business C and
Residential districts (Article 51 of 1980 Annual Town_Meeting).
Improvement of public transportation continued to be an impor-
tant goal for the Board, which enlisted the expertise of the
Central Transportation Planning Staff (MAPC) to prepare a
report evaluating seven options. Their study encompassed
both the Depot area and the municipal incinerator site.
Though further action on the latter was deferred by Town
Meeting until competing uses are resolved, the Board will
continue to pursue this option as well as others relating
to Depot parking improvement or expansion.
After soliciting input from other Town Boards and local
businessmen and merchants, the Planning Board proposed con-
struction of a parking lot on Town.-owned land at Union and
Middle Street. This lot would have provided 42 parking
spaces, the intent of which was to relieve congestion in
the downtown parking district. In the light of Proposition
2 1/2, Town Meeting decided to indefinitely postpone consid-
eration of this proposal.
The Board advised a petitioner on the wording of a success-
ful By-law revision permitting canopies in front yards of
drive-up service facilities in Industrial Districts.
Subsequently, the Board advised the Board of Appeals where
an applicant sought relief in a Business District. The
Board made clear its and Town Meeting's intent that the
inclusion of canopies in front yards was to be limited to
Industrial Districts only and not to be allowed in Business
Districts.
Proposals for new construction and renovation in the. Town
continue to be monitored by the-Board. Some of the projects
studied were:
l) A new five-story office building in the Addison-
Wesley complex;
2) A nursing home on Salem Street near Gallahue Market;
3) Expansion of 128 Sales, Inc. into'a portion of the
Dump Site;
4) Proposals for provision of elderly housing. The
Planning Board has consulted with MAPC, Reading
Housing Authority, United Church Homes, League of
Women Voters, Board of. Selectmen and several Town
agencies in this regard;
5) Participated and advised the School Department as to
plans for coping with declining school enrollment and
resulting surplus schools;
6) Continued to study traffic safety including recommen-
dations in response to a proposed site for a new fire
station;
7) Pursued the ongoing issue of optimal utilization of
Town property.
The Board also monitored and intervened in proposed develop-
ments in abutting towns which might have adverse impact on
Reading. For example, the rezoning of Russell Farm for
t business use was withdrawn from consideration by the Woburn
City Council; and the Board requested a State study of West
Street traffic congestion and safety arising from growing
industrialization in Woburn and Wilmington,
The Reading and North Reading Planning Boards submitted an
application to MAPC for a sub-regional study. The scope of
this proposed project was to determine the effects of
increased industrial development in the North Reading Concord
r Street area and its impact on the Town of Reading wellfields,
which lie in dose proximity to this development
F `
f Respectfully submitted,
John Zorabedian, Jr., Chairman
Barry J. Mitchel, Clerk
Joseph C. Sturm
Ellen C. Childress
John Shaw
The Board asked that the next meeting's agenda include dis-
cussion of the schedule of fees and expenses for the Planning
Board.
The next meeting of the Board will be held on THURSDAY, MARCH
5, 1981. The next--meeting of the Comprehensive Permit hearings
will be WEDNESDAY, C--H-25, 1981 at 8 PM in the Community Center
Auditorium. ~
Upon a motion duly made and seconded, the Board unanimously voted
to adjourn at 10:10 PM.
R---
BJM