HomeMy WebLinkAbout2008-07-28 Community Planning and Development Commission MinutesTown of Reading
16 Lowell Street
Reading, MA 01.867-2683
Phone: 781-942-6612
Fax: 781-942-9071
Email: ekowalski&i.reading.ma.us
Community Planning and Development Commission
CPDC MINUTES
Meeting Dated: July
Location: Selectmen's
Members Present: David Tu-.
(BB); John Sasso (JS), and J
2008
Room.,jown Hal Time:
(DT),xChairman;°Nichola$ Salina (NS), Secretary;
7:130 PM
Ballantyne,
Also Present: Carol Kowalski (CK), Town Planner; George Zambouras (ZB), Town Engineer;
Abigail McCabe (AM), Staff Planner; and Michael Schloth, Recording Secretary.
Mr. Gary Buonarosa, 287 Lowell Street
Attorney Brad Latham of Latham, Latham, & Lamond, P.C., 643 Main Street
Attorney Chris Latham of Latham, Latham, & Lamond, P.C., 643 Main Street
Mr. Gus Niewenhous, Esq., Chairman Board of Trustees, Austin Preparatory School
Mr. Ryan LaRoche, Reading Chronicle ,
There being a quorum the Chair called the meeting to order at 7:40 PM.
Public Comment
There were no comments from the public.
Minutes
BB moved the Board approve the minutes of 7/14/2008 as amended.
NS seconded.
Motion Approved: 3:0:0.
The site plan review of 287 Lowell St. was the next agenda item but as there were only three
members seated the Board asked the applicant if he would prefer the Board postpone the review until
later to give absent members time to arrive. The applicant agreed.
Review of Upcoming Zoning Board of Appeals Cases
Case #08-09: Construction of free-standing sign at General Way and Walkers Brook Drive.
The Board had already given the ZBA their opinion on this case and had nothing to add. The Board
asked the Town Planner to investigate why this case had not yet been decided by the ZBA.
Case #08-16: Seeking variance (or modification of previous decision) to construct single family
house on West St. lot (Map 96, Lot 7).
The Board had no issues with this case.
Page 1 of 7
CPDC Minutes of 7/28/08
Case #08-17: Seeking variance or special permit to construct an addition within the property's side
setback. The Board noted the house already is within the side setback but the addition would
encroach further on the side property line. The Board recommended ZBA suggest the applicant
reduce the size of the addition so as to be no more non-conforming than the house. Specifically, the
addition's dimensions should be reduced to 10.0 ft x 12.0 ft from 10.5 ft x 12.0 ft.
JW arrived and took his seat with the Board.
Site Plan Review: 287 Lowell Street
The applicant and owner Mr. Gary Buonarosa was in attendance as was his attorney Chris Latham.
NS read the legal notice.
Mr. Latham summarized the project:
The applicant was before the Board because the location has a mixed-use: a convenient store on the
first floor and residential uses on the second floor; but the proposed changes are overwhelmingly
residential: a new residential 3rd floor. Some changes also must be made to the store to bring it up to
code primarily the addition of handicap bathrooms. The owner lives there now and will continue to
live there. The applicant expects the project to have no negative impacts on the town.
Other:
• Applicant has received relief from both the Conservation Commission and the ZBA.
• Plan to be followed will be the one dated 8/24/2007. The later plan (dated 1/8/2008) was to
answer ZBA questions on parking spaces and other details.
• All changes fall within the existing structure's footprint. A prior plan showed the upper floors
cantilevered to the rear but that has been eliminated from the current plan.
• Building will be higher (33' 6" from 24' 0") but still within regulations.
• Exterior: New windows, doors, and trim. Want to paint light gray with dark gray trim.
• Applicant hoped either to be allowed to use existing signage, lighting, and utilities or be allowed
to come back at a later date for minor modifications.
• Applicant requests the drainage and traffic studies be waived:
• Drainage: have received relief from Conservation Commission
• Drip trench has been approved.
• Traffic: Site will be more residential than it is today: store seating to be reduced by approx.
one third.
Town Engineer's Memo
GZ said all his points had been addressed:
• Drainage: no increase in impervious cover. All that could be done on the site has already been
requested by the Conservation Commission.
• Traffic: site should have less impact on traffic than before.
• Handicapped ramp: already exists.
Conservation Administrator's Memo
• Permanent markers need to be added to site to delineate the "no mow" area. The applicant said
this would be done.
• The conservation administrator asked it be noted that the ZBA's decision misunderstood some of
the Conservation Commission's Order of Conditions. In particular, the ZBA stated an infiltration
Page 2 of 7
CPDC Minutes of 7/28/08
system would not be feasible for this site but the Conservation Commission had said there was
not enough data to say one way or another if an infiltration system would be feasible.
Mr. Latham said he did not see the relevance of the latter point given that the variance had been
issued. DT said it was clear from the memo that the point was not a barrier to approval but was meant
more as a correction of the public record.
JS arrived and took his seat with the Board.
Board's Comments and Questions:
DT noted the Board has consistently required dumpsters be enclosed by a fence of materials
compatible with the main building. The applicant was willing to place a fence around the dumpster
provided the Conservation Commission approved it.
BB asked how the site was lit. Mr. Buonarosa said the RMLD's (Reading Municipal Light
Department) street light provides enough light.
NS suggested recessing the lights under the building's front cantilever.
NS asked if parking meets zoning. GZ said it does. DT noted the parking spaces are on town land and
asked the Town Engineer if the town was ok with this. GZ said the existing configuration was the
result of an agreement between the applicant and the town at the time of the Lowell St.
reconfiguration. BB asked the applicant if he understood he would have to provide adequate parking
if a future reconfiguration were to take those parking spaces away. Mr. Buonarosa said he
understood. Mr. Latham said this project helps in that regard because of the reduction in store seating.
BB asked if there would be a garage and if the "cook sign" would be removed. The applicant said
there would be no garage and the sign would be removed.
Mixed-use
There followed a discussion on how much the building should blend with the residential
neighborhood and how much the store should be emphasized.
The consensus of the Board was the lot, being both a corner lot and lower than the surrounding lots,
could handle the structure's increase in height, but some differentiation between the residential and
commercial portions should be made because:
• Blending the store too much into the background may be detrimental to the success of the
business
• Differentiating the fagade between residence and business would help lessen the McMansion
effect of the extra height.
The applicant said he would like to do more to differentiate the residential from the commercial uses
but he is restrained by costs. The Board suggested different colors or shades of paint may be all that
is needed.
BB asked how long construction would keep the store closed. Mr. Buonarosa said he hoped no longer
than two weeks
Public Comment
Ryan LaRoche, reporter for the Reading Chronicle, asked what work would be done to the store.
Page 3 of 7
CPDC Minutes of 7/28/08
Mr. Buonarosa said two handicapped-access bathrooms would be built as per code requirements.
Supporting walls would be reinforced to handle the new 3'd floor. A portion of the 1St floor would be
converted to a storage room.
The Board recommended the hearing be continued to give the Planning Dept time to draft a decision
adding findings and conditions:
• Findings:
• The Board recommends the front overhang be used as a location for future signage.
• Conditions:
Dumpster enclosure
Future minor modifications to signage and lighting
Removal of fluorescent lighting.
BB moved the Board continue the public hearing on the site plan review of 287 Lowell Street to the
CPDC meeting of Monday, August 11, 2008 at 7:30pm.
JW seconded.
Motion Approved: 5:0:0.
The Board asked the Town Planner to deliver a copy of the draft decision to the applicant prior to the
August 11, 2008 meeting.
Site Plan Review Waiver Request: 101 Willow Street
Austin Preparatory School
Mr. Gus Niewenhous, Chairman of Austin Preparatory School's Board of Trustees, was present. Also
present and representing the applicant was Attorney Brad Latham.
Mr. Latham summarized the project:
The applicant is looking to add parking spaces about the site to better accommodate the existing
population of the school both staff and students. In particular, they want to lessen parking on the
entrance road but not eliminate it: parking would be allowed there on special occasions. The site now
has 226 parking spaces. They would like to add a net 48 spaces (57 new spaces but 9 would make use
of existing spaces) for a new total of 274 parking spaces on the site.
Other:
• Of the students, only Juniors and Seniors are allowed to bring cars to school.
• Fire Dept. concerns:
• May not be enough space next to the B-Wing spaces. The applicant will use more space as
necessary.
• SE corner of A-Wing may not have enough of a radius to accommodate new fire trucks.
The applicant will work with the Fire Dept on this issue.
• Town Engineer concerns:
• Increased runoff may need drainage adjustments. The applicant will work with the Town
Engineer.
• The school hopes to get started as soon as possible because they need the new spaces in place
before the start of the new school year. With that in mind, the applicant asks the Board to please
waive the site plan review if the applicant can satisfy the Town Engineer's concerns with
drainage; and the Fire Department's concerns regarding tuning radii etc.
Page 4 of 7
CPDC Minutes of 7/28/08
Town Engineer's comments.
GZ said the site could handle the increased impervious cover with minor site improvements such as
trenching. Mr. Niewenhous suggested not adding curbing in certain areas to allow runoff to flow
freely into the surrounding grounds.
Conservation Administrator's memo.
The memo expressed the administrator's concern with the extent of the pavement expansion and
argued for a drainage analysis. BB asked if the new construction is within the wetlands buffer. Mr.
Latham said it was not. GZ said some runoff would discharge to the wetlands eventually.
Board's Comments and Questions.
NS noted a dumpster in the NW corner of the site would be located close to a hydrant. Mr.
Niewenhous said that dumpster would not be moved there but would be left where it is now: out of
the traveled way adjacent to the concrete pad of the Air Conditioning units.
The Town Planner asked if any trees would have to be removed.
Mr. Niewenhous said a total of two trees would be removed and two relocated. One tree is close to
falling down on its own, another a willow - the Fire Dept. may require be taken down. There is a
memorial tree that will be moved.
Public Comment
Ryan LaRoche, reporter for the Reading Chronicle, asked:
• Would handicapped parking spaces be added? Mr. Niewenhous said none of the new spaces
would be handicap spaces but they do already have handicapped parking.
• Could you clarify what happened to the other 9 parking spaces? Mr. Latham said the 9 are
existing spaces that are to be eliminated to make room for the new spaces.
BB moved the Board approve the request for a waiver of a site plan review for 101 Willow Street,
Austin Preparatory School.
JS seconded.
Motion Approved: 5:0:0.
BB moved the Board approve the waiver, of a site plan review for 101 Willow Street, Austin
Preparatory School, with the following conditions.
• All drainage analysis and construction details shall be approved by the Town Engineer prior to
construction.
• Curb radii throughout the site shall be subject to the Fire Department's approval.
NS seconded.
JS made the following friendly amendment.
The applicant may move the parking spaces now located at the southwest corner of the plans (Wing-
A) from the outside radius of the corner to the inside radius to comply with Fire Department
requirements.
BB seconded.
Motion Approved: 5:0:0.
JS suggested the decision list all memos from Town Staff. The Board agreed.
Page 5 of 7
CPDC Minutes of 7/28/08
Zoning Workshop
The Board discussed the items they would like to present to Fall Town Meeting.
• Minor signage bylaw changes.
• Clean-up of various bylaw organizational (i.e. numbering) errata.
• New "Lot Coverage" definition.
• Report on the Board's vision for South Main Street including design guidelines.
South Main Repo
CK said she was told by the Town Manager that Town Meeting's moderator would not take reports
on anything but pending articles. NS suggested the Board could still distribute a report at Town
Meeting.
Lot Coverage
BB said he reviewed a number of other towns' definitions of Lot Coverage and many used the same
phrase: "covered by buildings" with no mention of "principle buildings" as in Reading's definition.
The Board felt the more general phrase should be used in Reading's definition too but expressed
concern over how the change might make currently conforming lots non-conforming. The Board
requested the assistance of the town's GIS administrator to create a map showing which properties -
residential particularly would be made non-conforming by the new definition and by how much.
To lessen the change's impact, the Board discussed the possibility of increasing the "percentage of
the total lot covered" in the residential zoning districts from the current 25% to something higher.
Bylaw Errata.
The Board asked the Town Planner to review proposed errata.
Sinae
Sign Area
Most of the Board's discussion on signage was taken up by the clarification of the definition of
"Sign Area". Although wall signs were mentioned, the discussion focused on freestanding signs.
Reference was made to the freestanding sign proposed for the corner of One General Way and
Walkers Brook Drive. As written, a freestanding sign could meet sign area requirements and yet
be attached to a much larger supporting structure. The main issue was how to account for the area
of a sign's supporting structure.
BB suggested defining all of the area of a sign outside of the geometrical shape that contains the
sign's letters and/or graphics as the supporting structure of the sign and defining the allowed size
of the supporting structure's area as a percentage of the geometrical shape's area.
The Board also suggested simply fixing the size a freestanding sign's supporting structure after
noting the bylaws have already fixed all freestanding signs' sign areas at either 50 sq. ft (for
single tenant sites) or 75 sq. ft. (for multiple tenant sites).
On the question of whether the sign area of a multi-tenant, free-standing sign should be equal to
the area of each individual sign or the area of the geometrical shape containing all individual
signs, the consensus was to use the geometrical shape containing all individual signs.
The Town Planner said she would discuss these suggestions with the Building Inspector.
Definition of "opaque signs"
Page 6 of 7
CPDC Minutes of 7/28/08
The Building Inspector had asked for clarification of the definition of opaque signs because over
time some signs which may have been installed as opaque were now not. The consensus of the
Board was the issue was not to find a better definition for "opaque" but to provide language for
signs that have deteriorated. The Board decided such language should be placed under the signage
bylaw section addressing defunct signs.
Other Items: Site Lighting vs. Security Lighting
The Town Planner reported Town Counsel said turning off site lighting includes turning off sign
lighting between midnight and 6:00 AM too. JS suggested adding language stating sign lighting is not
security lighting.
NS moved to adjourn.
JS seconded.
Motion Approved: 5:0:0.
The meeting adjourned at 10:25 PM.
These minutes were prepared by Michael Schloth and submitted to the CPDC on August 11, 2008;
these minutes were approved as amended by the CPDC on August 11, 2008.
Signed as approved,
Nicholas Safina, Sic
Date
Page 7 of 7