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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1984-09-10 Planning Board Minutesnutes of the Meeting of September 10, 1984 Tb, ieeting was called to order at 7:05 P.M.in Room 19, 52 Sanborn Street (the Co, .pity Center) with Board members J. Wood, J. Shaw and D. Devine present. Mr. Mitchel arrived later in the meeting. Correspondence Mail was reviewed. Chairman Rich has spoken with IDC Chairman Dan Ensminger about his proposal to store on computer file the vital statistics and information on Industrial land in the John Street area and to further expand the file to include listing of residential (one and multi-family uses), apartments, etc. This information would be available for access by_alldepartments. Mr_.Ensminger asks for the--Planning--Board'-s--support--to--the Board of Assessors and the Town Treasurer. The Board unanimously voted to support this endeavor and Chairman Rich will so inform both the Assessors and Treasurer. Mr. Ensminger has also promised to send a letter to EOCD from the IDC in support of grant money and technical assistance to study the impacts of development of this land on traffic, the environment and neighboring residences. Office Consolidation The Planning Board's office will be moved tomorrow per order from the Selectmen's office. Chairman Rich has spoken with Selectmen O'Brien regarding the anticipated move and the Administrative Assistant's role in combining offices (Conservation, Building Inspector and Planning Board) in the old Library building. Chairman O'Brien as, red Chairman Rich that what was agreed to in open session in a previous meeting w, the Planning Board will be what is expected when the move is completed. Ms. Plansky presented a letter to the Board wherein she states that, according to Building Inspector and Conservation Commission per John Agnew, duties that the full time person will not be able to cover will be performed by the Planning Board's staff position. When the final contract was presented to the rank and file of the Union, a letter from the Selectmen to AFSCME states that the offices will "share duties" and "otherwise cover". After review and discussion by the Board members, the Board unanimously voted to send a letter to the Union President and a copy to the Board of Selectmen which will state: "The position of the Planning Board is that the Administrative Assistant, paid from the Planning Board budget, will work only for the Planning Board. There has never been any understanding by the Planning Board, and the Planning Board does not accept the position that the Planning Board's Administrative Assistant will be part of the clerical staff to "share duties". The only exception to doing work for other than the Planning Board will be only to answer the phone when the other staff members for the other boards are absent." Wingate Development - Sussex Apartments (TOWNHOUSES), Salem/Pleasant Street Zoning Change allowing Townhouses in 5-10 District At 7:45 P.M.. Mr. Bob Connor of Wingate Corporation and 0. Bradley Latham, Esq., attorney for the company, met with the Board to present a brief preliminary overview of le proposed townhouse/condominium development for this area. Attorney Latham presented a map of the area for the Board's review and highlighted the following: 7/0 _z- The land has frontage on Salem Street (Farelli property, which is under a P&S agreement), frontage on Pleasant Street extension and Smith Avenue; - unique parcel of land in that it has a large, high, dry parcel of land surrounded by Wetlands (spur road can be obtained from Salem Street via Farrelli property); - in order to give the Town the necessary controls over this area, a Special Permit/Townhouse process in S-10 District will be proposed for inclusion into the Zoning By-laws; - Town will be able to regulate development within the area after Town Meeting has given its approval (unlike a zoning change for the area, which will allow development to capacity--under- thezoning provided); - process includes development of Townhouse complex after a public hearing by the Board of Appeals with input from all other Boards; must contain no less than 20 acres; will require a density control; open space will be preserved; will have less of an impact on traffic than development of single family homes built to density. Mr. Connor then spoke of Wingate Corporation's interest in the land. It is a very protected and isolated area with good access to Route 129 and 128 (I-95) via Salem Street. They had made application to MHFA under the SHARP program. MHFA then sent out requests for information to the Town, before Wingate could properly inform and apprise the various Town departments of the proposed development. Wingate had cc, - dered 3 alternatives for developing this land: 1) - MHFA tax-exempt housing; 2) ising covenant with the Town (similar to that in Winchester); and 3) - a rezoning article. Section 8 housing would have helped the Town to meet their mixed income family housing need under AHOP guidelines, but would not give the tax revenue a privately-owned townhouse/condominium complex would provide, thus giving Reading citizens a needed tax relief in the form of more tax revenue; The housing agreement, as per Winchester-Wingate current contract, proved to be time-consuming and thus costly to the developer and was dropped from consideration. The rezoning proposal could have asked to consider granting a Townhouse allowance under current zoning. This zoning change would not have given the Town the needed controls to protect the neighboring residents from traffic and congestion, etc. The current rezoning proposal is a Special Permit process (similar to that allowed for nursing homes). The Town benefits by having attractive, compatible housing, needed tax revenue (anticipated to be approximately $250,000/year), a preserved Wetlands area and the controls to apply other restrictions as needed. Current status is that the Adams/Gentile land is under agreement to Wingate. The Farrelli land is under agreement to Gentile. The proposed layout would be to have the main access road via Salem Street. The Pleasant Street extension would be used only for emergency vehicles. They will plan on building 132 units (7 units per acre) with a conforming roadway into the property and then a 24' roadway with a sidewalk on 1 side. Sale price for each unit will be $115,000 and up. Impact on traffic, water ar, ",ewer is usually greater with a single family development than with a townhouse development. The Board expressed some serious concerns with a project of this size in that area. Among the problems noted by the Board to the proponent's proposal was: maintain Pleasant Street for emergency access only; * level of density of project as proposed was very high; * the usefulness to the Town of the green area; have they considered using this land for parks/recreation for other townspeople as well as by the condominium owners; * the maintenance of the roadways - road from Salem Street would be an accepted town road and thus the town would do the snow removal and maintenance; the proposed private road would have to be privately contracted for snow removal, maintenance, etc. Rubbish disposal would also be privately contracted; * traffic impacts on the small, residential streets in the area. When Route 128 jams with traffic, Salem Street becomes the cut-through. The added impact of traffic exiting from such a large development could have an enormously negative impact to the safety of vehicular and pedestrian traffic in this highly congested area. Want to see that the traffic from the development does not feed into the small, residential streets in the area. * water supply - the Town is now facing a water management crisis because of the proposed North Reading development and its adverse impacts on the Town's only active wellfields. The water adequacy for such a large development is a question that will have to be researched and solutions sought; * Sewer problems - this area of Town has notoriously had major problems with discharge. A study of the impacts from such a development on the current sewer capacity will have to be made; and * Impacts of needed services: Police, Fire and Schools. "(~i Mr oonnor nd Mr L tham noted the Board's concerns. Hopeful~z -they 4 4 Le &b ''o preparanr is e f r this Fall Town Meeting. If this is not possible, they will then consider it for next Spring. They promised to keep the Board informed as to their progress in this development. At 8:45 P.M., the Board thanked Mr. Connor and Mr. Latham for their presentation and then voted to continue discussion on the listed agenda items. Zoning Issues The Board is considering a Site Plan Review process to be written into the Zoning By-laws. Upon a motion duly made and seconded, the Board unanimously voted to place an article on the Fall Town Meeting Warrant which will call for "a site plan review process to be performed by the Board of Survey with input from the Conservation Commission, Building Inspector, Board of Health and Planning Board for any Special Permit, variance or any new subdivision, or any previously accepted subdivision prior to 1978, or any development in either the Business or Industrial district that has more than 10 parking spaces, - or take any other action with respect thereto." The Planning Board will send a letter to the other Town departments noting that we are considering placing such an article on the warrant. Board also noted that approval from Town Counsel on wording would have to be obtained. The Administrative Assistant was asked to contact Mr. Cohen and also inquire if these regulations could be written into the current Board of Survey Rules and Regulations and if it was possible for the Planning Board to propose such wording to their regs. Tf,,',Joard then considered further action on Cluster Developments. Upon a motion duly made and seconded, the Board unanimously voted to defer further action on this matter until a later date, after Town Meeting. Mr. Mitchel is still researching zoning on towers and windmills and will continue. Board will consider a report to Town Meeting on their position as regards the u . -euse of the Community Center after discussing the "restriction" to the land with Town Counsel. Zoning Board of Appeals A petition by John Gallo, et ux, to erect a 3 car garage with 2 apartments above on a lot which has been recently approved by the Board of Survey and subdivided from the original parcel of land on Lowell/Highland Streets was heard by the Board of Appeals. The petitioners asked to be allowed to build a 2 family house over a 3 car garage. Currently there is a barn/garage which is non-conforming (too close to the lot line). The new dwelling will meet all dimensional controls for this district. The Zoning Bord of Appeals denied this petition as multi-famly use was not permitted within the current zoning. After the denial by the ZBA, Selectmen Chairman O'Brien called Chairman Rich to ask to have Mr. Gallo appear before the Planning Board to seek a repetitive petition in this matter. Ms. O'Brien stated that Mr. Gallo)a-as not aware that he was able to "withdraw his petition without prejudice", even though he was represented by counsel at this hearing. Ms. Rich agreed that she would speak to the Board about considering hearing Mr. Gallo on this matter. The Board unanimously voted to alllow Mr. Gallo to appear before them at their next meeting for a 20 minute presentation. Chairman Rich then reviewed the other petitions heard by the Board of Appeals and their outcome. She felt that it was necessary for the Board to attend these hearings in order to protect the town's zoning. Tax 'title land Upon a motion duly made and seconded, the Board unanimously voted to send a letter to the Board of Selectmen asking them to more clearly define (to the best of their ability) to the prospective buyers of tax title land any problems and/or encumberances with the land sold under tax title. Minutes The Board deferred this item until a subsequent meeting. Meeting Schedule The Board reviewed their personal schedules and have tentatively arranged a schedule for Planning Board meetings to be held on Wednesdays, except during Town Meeting, which will then be a Monday or Thursday meeting. Board Membership Mr. Shaw stated his intention of resigning from the Board due to pressing business and personal matters, effective the first of October, 1984. A letter of resignation will be presented to the Board at a later meeting. Executive Session Al --embers being present, the Board voted to adjourn to Executive Session to review the litigation pending re: Criterion Road. At 10:25 P.M., it was unanimously voted, Mr. Shaw abstaining, to retire to executive session and not return to public session. Respectfully submitted, T_L_ - - _A ill___1_