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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1995-05-18 Zoning Board of Appeals Minutes-fio., ~ tt f~ ~ RE ip. , TOWN OF READING ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS MINUTES-MAY 18, 1995 MEMBERS PRESENT: ARDITH WIEWORKA JOHN COOTIE CHRISTOPHER VACCARO A MEETING OF THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS WAS HELD IN THE SELECTMEN'S MEETING ROOM OF THE TOWN HALL, 16 LOWELL STREET, READING, MA AT 7:00 P.M. THE SCHEDULED PUBLIC HEARING WAS ON THE PETITION OF JOHN W. CANN WHO WAS SEEKING A VARIANCE AND/OR SPECIAL PERMIT UNDER SECTIONS 4.2, 5.0, 5.1, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3.2 OF THE ZONING BY-LAWS IN ORDER TO REBUILD A NON-CONFORMING COMMERCIAL BUILDING DESTROYED BY FIRE ON THE PROPERTY LOCATED AT 34 SALEM STREET, READING, MA. MR. BRAD LATHAM, REPRESENTING THE HISTORY OF THE SITE, STATING THAT FOR AUTOMOTIVE PURPOSES. HE ALSO 15,960 SQUARE FEET OF LAND AND IS BUSINESS A ZONING DISTRICT AND PA 40 ZONING DISTRICT. APPLICANT, DISCUSSED THE THE SITE HAD BEEN USED STATED THAT THE SITE HAD LOCATED PARTIALLY IN THE RTIALLY IN THE APARTMENT- MR. LATHAM THEN STATED THAT MANY DECADES AGO THE LAND WAS LEVELED AND, THEREFORE, THERE IS A SIXTEEN FOOT RETAINING WALL ALONG THE NORTHERLY AND WESTERLY LOT LINES. HE ALSO DISCUSSED THAT LAST YEAR A MAJOR PORTION OF THE BUILDING WAS DAMAGED BY FIRE. MR. BILL JENNINGS THEN DISCUSSED WHAT THE APPLICANT PROPOSED TO. DO WITH THE PROPERTY. HE STATED THAT MR. CANN WOULD TAKE DOWN THE OTHER PORTION OF THE BUILDING AND CONSTRUCT A 2 STORY BUILDING WHICH WOULD BE 63 X 36. IT WOULD HAVE 5400 SQUARE FEET ON EACH FLOOR. THE FIRST FLOOR WOULD BE USED FOR RETAIL AND THE UPPER FLOOR FOR OFFICES. HE ALSO DISPLAYED A COLOR DRAWING OF THE PROPOSED BUILDING, DISCUSSING THAT THE PARKING WOULD BE IN FRONT OF THE BUILDING WITH LANDSCAPING. MR. LATHAM THEN DISCUSSED THAT THE BUILDING WOULD BE 36 FEET FARTHER BACK FROM SALEM STREET AND WOULD HAVE A SMALLER FOOTPRINT. HE ALSO DISPLAYED AN OVERHEAD VIEW OF THE SITE SHOWING THE BUILDING AND THE LANDSCAPING. HE THEN STATED THAT THEY WOULD BE LOOKING FOR A SPECIAL PERMIT. HE ALSO DISCUSSED A LETTER FROM THE CPDC INDICATING HAT THEY FOUND THIS PLAN TO BE ACCEPTABLE. HE ALSO STATED THAT THEY HAD GONE BEFORE THE BOARD OF HEALTH WHO FOUND THE yA,N 7, CCEPT' BLE. MR. LATHAM THEN DISCUSSED THAT THIS NEW PLAN WOULD ELIMINATE THE USE OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS AND ALSO THE NOISE THAT WOULD COME FROM AN AUTO-REPAIR SITE. HE THEN DISCUSSED THE HEIGHT OF THE BUILDING STATING THAT THE TOTAL HEIGHT OF THE BUILDING WOULD BE 28 FEET, WHICH WOULD ONLY BE 12 HIGHER THAN THE CURRENT BUILDING. HE ALSO SUBMITTED AHGTOS OF THE BUILDINGS TO THE RIGHT AND LEFT OF THE Lt?T. HE THEN DISCUSSEI THE PARKING WHICH CURRENTLY HAS 13 SPACES. BY MOVING THE BUILDING BACK THERE WOULD NOW BE 23 SPACES, 2 OF WHICH WOULD BE HANDICAP PARKING. HE ALSO DISCUSSER' TRAFFIC AND SAFE`L'Y AND SUBMI'T'TED JETTERS FROM ABUTTERS WITH OVERWHELMING SUPPORT. IN CONCLUSION , MR. LATHAM, ASKED FOR A SPECIAL PERMIT TO REBUILD THE STRUCTURE, PARKING, AND ALLOW THE USE TO GO FROM AUTO USE TO OFFICE AND RETAIL USE. MR. COOTE STATED THAT HE FELT THAT THE SITE WOULD ALSO EQ,'IRE A VARIANCE AS THEY WOULD NOT BE CONFORMING TO Z0, ING. MS. WIEWORKA STATED THAT SHE HAD SPOKEN TO TOWN COUNSEL ABOUT THE ISSUE OF A USE VARLANCE.HE STATED THAT HE WOULD REVIEW IT AND ISSUE AN OPINION. THE BOARD DISCUSSED THE USAGE ISSUE WITH MS. WIEWORKA STATING THAT SHE WOULD LIKE MORE DIRECTION FROM TOWN ';CUNSEL. IT WAS ALSO DISCUSSED THAT THE BUILDING INSPECTOR vUT D MAKE A DETERMINATION ON THE U,SACIEF tit-:STATED THAT HE STsLL i E1 TH'T BE REQUIRED FOR THE PARKING AND ALSO THE Sy 7 EA~„S . -MR. LATHAM STATED THAT HE W!r S DISCUSS THE REQUIREMENTS FOR A VARIAN TO HEAP: TOWN COUNSEL'S OPINION BEFORE DO A VARIANCE WOULD DIMENSIONAL PREPARED TO BUT WOULD PREFER INC SO. IT WAS D I S CUSSED THAT THE HEARING QH,:u-D BE CONTINUED ITS ORDER' TO GET TOWN COUNSEL'S OPINION OF THE ISSUE. T M 0 : MR . COOTE MOVED TO CONTINUE THE SUBJECT MATTER OF THIS HEARING UNTIL JUNE 8, 1395 TO ENABLE COUNSEL FOR THE 'ET?TIOIV'EE TO REVIEW WITH TOWN COUNSEL THE EXTENT TO WHICH VARIANCES ARE REQUIRED ON THIS PROPERTY. MR. VACCARO SECONDED AND THE MOTION PASSED WITH A VOTE OF 3-0. 'c*:;r-~~•Y,:C~kk~~~~~~k*~rk~~*~~C~:k~*:k~~;~:k.e::-x~;-~~~;k;~~~c~c~C:~t~*~~>:~c:z MR. COOTE THEN MOVED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF MARCH 2, y MS. WIEWORKA SECONDED AND THE MOTION PASSED WITH A z_ '3 L'OTE 07 -0-~ WITH MR. VA':CARO ABSTAIi ING, r~TS MADE _.'Y_. ,EG~itd;>v~ r7y~0URN, AND THE - 77% --N NTMOUSLY TO 0 S vC .:u v.tirl 1 .