Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010-07-26 Community Planning and Development Commission MinutesTown of Reading L. o CLFRK 16 Lowell Street T C Reading, MA 01867-2683 R PJ)ING' MASS. Phone: 781-942-6612 Fax: 781-942-9071 ^oii ~'USptN o~'1 G 1 P ''z, Email: jdelios@ci.reading.ma.us [ 52 Community Planning and Development Commission CPDC MINUTES Meeting Dated: July 26, 2010 Location: Selectmen's Meeting Room Time: 7:30 PM Members Present: John Weston (JW), Chairman; Joseph Patterson (JP), Secretary; David Tuttle (DT), and Nicholas Safina (NS) Also Present: Jean Delios (JD), Town Planner; and Michael Schloth (MS), Recording Secretary. Mr. Joe Calareso, Calareso's Farm Stand, 122 Main Street Mr. Matt Casey, patch.com Mr. Mac Cerullo, 29 Perkins Avenue Attorney Brad Latham of Latham Law Offices, LLC, 643 Main Street Attorney Julie Palmaccio, Cushing & Dolan, P.C. There being a quorum the Chair called the meeting to order at 7:30 PM. Public Comment None. Request for Bond Reduction & Deadline Extension Kylie Drive Subdivision Julie Palmaccio appeared for the applicant. The Town Planner presented a memo from the Town Engineer dated July 21, 2010 in which he recommends the bond be reduced by $59,659.00. She further noted that the Town Engineer had no issue with the applicant extending the deadline for completion of the subdivision. NS moved the Board reduce the bond for the Kylie Drive Subdivision by $59,659.00 to the new bond amount of $27, 060.00 and extend the completion deadline to 1213112010. DT seconded and the motion carried 4:0:0. Presentation and Discussion of Preliminary Plans 80-100 Main Street, Calareso's Farm Stand Joe Calareso, owner of Calareso's Farm Stand, was present as was his attorney Brad Latham. The Town Planner noted that this was a preliminary and informal discussion of conceptual plans to construct a greenhouse and retail store. The applicant has submitted site and elevation plans. On July 21, l a Design Review Team meeting was attended by the applicant and town staff. The project will require both a special permit - the site is in PUD-B - and a site plan review of some kind. Page 1 of 3 CPDC Minutes of 7/26/2010 Attorney Brad Latham summarized the history of the site and the applicant's plans. About two and a half years ago the Board approved a site plan review for plans to create a retail use which included a restaurant. The building footprint of Mr. Calareso's project is very similar to that proposed for the 2007 project and like that project all parking will be in the rear. Also, Mr. Calareso's project will use the same drainage (i.e. detention pond in rear) and access to Main Street as was proposed for the 2007 project. Mr. Latham reminded the Board that traffic was an issue of the 2007 project and noted that this project should not generate as much traffic. Formal applications for site plan review and special permits for modification to the PUD-B and for open storage will be submitted soon. Other points: • Three enclosed dumpsters would be located at the west side of the parking lot and on either side will be open storage for benches, tables, etc. • Lighting: no up-lighting and all pole lights will be reduced from four to two light sources. • Landscaping: the site will be properly screened from abutters and landscape islands will be added to the parking lot. • Four loading bays: three to the north and one to the south. • The greenhouse will not have walls. • Since the DRT meeting, they have decided to reduce the office space and increase the basement storage. • Parking Lot: the spaces will be wider than the minimum required width to better accommodate customers. • Overflow parking: an area beyond the parking lot will be graveled and used for customer parking during peak business times only (e.g. Christmas, Easter, Mothers Day). This area may be gated to keep it separate from the paved parking lot. • A freestanding sign would be located at the northeast corner next to the driveway. They hope to be allowed both a freestanding and a wall sign. • There will be no vehicular access to South Street. • Mr. Calareso went door-to-door to inform abutters - business and residential - of his plans and to solicit their opinions. His proposal was well received by all. The Board liked Mr. Calareso's preliminary proposal and noted the following. Particular attention should be given to screening the south loading dock. • An architectural feature for the southeast corner should be considered. • Regarding drainage, the new gravel parking lot would have to be added to the calculations. Mr. Latham said the gravel mix would be selected so as not to pack hard. There would be no sheet flow. • An exact accounting of the change in parking spaces from the 2007 plans should be submitted. • A bicycle rack should be considered. No action was taken by the Board. Request for Extension of Public Hearing 30 Haven Street, Oaktree Development The Town Planner reported that Oaktree Development has requested an extension on the action date of their site plan review. The public hearing opened in May. Oaktree needs more time to produce the materials the Board directed it to submit. By law, the Board has 120 days to render its decision which Page 2 of 3 CPDC Minutes of 7/26/2010 means a decision would have to be rendered by August. The consensus of the Board was an additional sixty days should be enough. This would push the action date to the CPDC's first meeting in October (10/4/2010). DT moved the Board grant an extension to the action date of the public hearing for the site plan review of 30 Haven Street of 60 days beyond the statutory 120 days. NS seconded and the motion carried 4: 0: 0. Other Business Approval of the minutes of 6/14/2010 and 7/12/ 2010 DT moved the Board approve the minutes of 6/14/2010 as amended. NS seconded and the motion carried 4:0:0. DT moved the Board approve the minutes of 7/12/2010 as amended. JP seconded and the motion carried 4:0:0. ZBA Case Review Case #10-05: 369 Main Street Jiffy Lube Case #10-10: 1349 Main Street Elite Karate Both cases concern requests for zoning variances to allow nonconforming signage. The consensus of the Board was to recommend that neither variance be granted because 1) Town Counsel had previously commented that it is inappropriate to grant variances for signage and 2) it is a goal of the CPDC to prevent sign proliferation. Also, the Board was not sure if changeable signs are allowed under the by- laws (one of the signs in question at 369 Main Street is changeable). The Town Planner said she would review the by-laws on changeable signs and draft the Board's recommendation. She added that she would email the draft to the Board and cautioned that comments on the draft should be sent to her alone. Other points raised during the Board's discussion of the two cases' sign issues were: the different signage needs of impulse versus destination uses, and if a Master Signage plan allows a number "x" signs on a building, does it matter if all of the signs are for one tenant even if that number is greater than the number of signs allowed under zoning? Updates Sign Violations The Town Planner reported that tomorrow between 6:00 and 7:00 p.m. she, the Staff Planner, and the Board of Selectmen will be touring the sites of the inventoried non-conforming signs. The Board of Selectmen will then discuss what to do about these signs during its meeting. DT moved to adjourn. JP seconded and the motion was carried 4:0:0. The meeting adjourned at 9:05 p.m. These minutes were prepared by Michael Schloth and submitted to the CPDC on August 9, 2010; these minutes were~oved as amended by the CPDC on August 9, 2010. Signed on, Page 3 of 3