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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2008-06-09 Community Planning and Development Commission MinutesTown of Reading 16 Lowell Street Reading, MA 01867-2683 Phone: 781-942-6612 Fax: 781-942-9071 Email: ckowalski@ci.reading.ma.us Community Planning and Development Commission CPDC MINUTES Meeting Dated: June Location: Selectmen's Members Present: Brant Ball, (NS), and John Weston (JW). 2008 s g Room, TownHall ` Time: 7 tyne; (BB), Chairman; David T-uttle(DT);- Secretary; Members Absent: John Sasso (JS) Associate Members Present: George Katsoufis (GK) PM icholas Safina Also Present: Carol Kowalski, Town Planner; Abigail McCabe, Staff Planner; George Zambouras,. Town Engineer; and Michael Schloth, Recording Secretary. Selectman Ben Tafoya Attorney Chris Latham, Latham, Latham, & Lamond; P.C., 643 Main Street Mr. Jack McQuilken, JM Associates, 325 Main Street, North Reading, MA Mr. Nick Nikolaou, V.P. Engineering, Danis Reading, LLC, One General Way There being a quorum the Chair called the meeting to order at 7:30 PM. Public Comment There was no comment from the public. Minor Modification: Sailor Tom's Way Attorney Chris Latham represented the applicant. Mr.Jack McQuilken, the applicant's engineer, also was present. Mr. Latham asked the Board to approve the following as minor modifications to the original Site Plan Decision: 1. Reduce the road length 2. Replace pump sewer system on lots A & B with gravity drains 3. Reduce the wide of the sidewalks from five feet (5' 0") to four feet (4' 0"). He added the applicant was also requesting the Board waive the sidewalk width requirements and that they had met with both the Town Engineer and the Conservation Administrator about these changes. Mr. McQuilken said the pump sewer system was no longer needed because the grade of the cul de sac has been raised approx. 1.5 feet. Page 1 of 6 CPDC Minutes of 6/9/08 The Town Engineer said the proposed modifications were acceptable. The Board asked what percentage of the lot would be impervious. Mr. McQuilken said 21.9%. DT moved the Board determine the changes to be a Minor Modification. NS seconded. Voted Minor Modification: 4:0:0. DT moved the Board approve the Minor Modification to the original Site Plan Decision for Sailor Tom's Way as shown in the plan dated 5/28/2008. JW seconded. Voted Approved: 4:0:0. DT moved the Board grant a waiver to the applicant to reduce the sidewalk width from 5'0" to 4'0 JW seconded. Voted Granted: 4:0:0. The Board signed the two copies of mylar plans. The Town Engineer took one copy. The other copy was given to Mr. McQuilken. Lot Release: Colonial Drive CK explained the lot is part of a subdivision completed in 1985 but this lot [ Lot 8C ] was overlooked and not specifically released at that time. The Town Engineer submitted a memo dated 6/9/2008 in which he states: [QUOTE] Based on review of Board of Survey records it appears that the exclusion of Lot 8C from any release documents was a typographical error or inadvertent omission. During the subdivision process the lot configuration was slightly altered and also included registered and unregistered parcels. This resulted in lot identifications as single numeric values and with suffixes of A, B & C. As all work within the subdivision was completed and the roadway was accepted by the Town as a public way it appears due to the multiple lot designations and registered/unregistered parcels the release of Lot 8C was an inadvertent omission. To clarify the record regarding Lot 8C I recommend that the CPDC formally vote to release Lot 8C from any of the restrictive covenants dated January 15, 1985 and recorded as Document 682207 with South Middlesex land Court that may still exist. [UNQUOTE] GZ added there is a Lot 8C today JW moved the Board release Colonial Drive's Lot 8C from the restrictive covenant recorded on 1/17/1985. NS seconded. Voted Released: 4:0:0. Page 2 of 6 CPDC Minutes of 6/9/08 CK explained the Board needs to sign and date Form "M" and either she or AM will have it notarized. The Board signed the form. Bond Reduction: Benjamin Lane The applicant was not present and no one appeared for the applicant. The Town Engineer submitted a memo dated 6/9/2008 in which he states the Engineering Division has reviewed the Bond Reduction Request and determined the value of work remaining for completion of improvements is $87,000.00 and therefore recommends the CPDC approve the release of $65,000.00 of the bond amount currently held and establish a new bond amount of $87,000.00. DT moved the Board release $65,000.00 of the bond amount of the Benjamin Lane subdivision to establish a new bond amount of $87,000.00. JW seconded. Voted Reduced: 4:0:0. The Chair signed the Bond Reduction. Minor Modification: 128 Marketplace, Market Basket Mr. Nick Nikolaou appeared for 128 Marketplace. BB recused himself. DT assumed the duties of the Chair. There have been complaints the first right after entering General Way from Walkers Brook Dr is too sharp and it layout too awkward. Some drivers have driven over the curb. The applicant proposes to revise the curbing. GZ said the plans dated June 6, 2008 were acceptable subject to the Fire Chief's approval. He noted the realignment would require the removal of one parking space. CK said the Fire Chief said the plans were acceptable. NS asked if the site still meets parking space requirements. Mr. Nikolaou said it does. NS asked if the number of parking spaces as well as the ratio of retail-use parking spaces to warehouse-use parking spaces is being tracked. GZ said the Building Inspector is tracking both. Mr. Nikolaou said every time they make a change they recalculate the parking space requirements for the Building Inspector. NS asked if there will still be a physical curb or painted line. Mr. Nikolaou said there would be painted yellow striping. NS moved the Board determine the revised curbing layout to be a Minor Modification. JW seconded. Voted Minor Modification: 3:0:1. BB abstained. BB returned and resumed his duties as Chair. Page 3 of 6 CPDC Minutes of 6/9/08 Planning Workshop: South Main Street Planning & Design Guidelines The consensus of the Board was to divide the business areas of South Main into two neighborhoods: South Street to Summer Avenue and Summer Avenue to Minot Street. Their rationale being that the two areas are naturally divided by the steep change in grade and the cluster of residential units between Summer Avenue and Cross Street. CK presented detailed maps of the neighborhoods created by GIS Administrator Kim Honetschlager. The Board had asked for the maps to be created to help them better to see the relationships among the location of current South Main commercial zoning, the parcels lining South Main Street, and the abutting residential parcels. Selectman Tafoya said it was the consensus of the Board of Selectmen to replicate the pedestrian- friendly streetscape of the Downtown along South Main. Today, there is too much asphalt on either side of the South Main corridor. Better sidewalks are needed with trees, tree lawns and benches. The Board decided some guidelines would be common to both neighborhoods (sidewalks, benches, lighting, landscape...) but others (building heights, setbacks...) may be specific to a particular section of South Main: South to Summer: The consensus was to move buildings closer to Main Street and place parking behind them (following the PUD-B overlay bylaw [4.9.7.4.2.b &.c]) Summer to Minot: The consensus was to consider a variety of access, setback, and parking layouts. GK recommended the Board first decide on what the character of South Main should be. He suggested considering other cross-sections, for example, reducing the number of lanes to three, adding a bike-lane... This led to a discussion of "Complete Streets" and how accommodating Mass Hiway would be to changing the cross-section of Main Street. DT noted the State's right-of-way is wider than the roadway and the State has an initiative favoring "Complete Streets". [Complete Streets have some or all of the following features. Sidewalks, bicycle lanes, wide shoulders, crossing islands, many well-placed, well-designed crosswalks, reduction of curb-cuts, street trees...] Selectman Tafoya asked if the State needed the extra width. CK said she would investigate how much of the right-of way the State might allow the Town to work with. Other items discussed: • Incentives to parcel owners to develop parcels with the town's vision in mind rather than a particular tenant's. • Widening one of the two side-yards of a parcel (shallower side setback) to encourage access to rear of buildings. • Shared parking. • Shared backyards: connecting rear parking lots of adjacent parcels. • Fewer curb-cuts. CK cautioned the Board some of what they are considering as design guidelines is not allowed under current zoning. The Board does not want to be in the position of presenting guidelines for designs Page 4 of 6 CPDC Minutes of 6/9/08 zoning does not allow. She suggested the Board may want to consider form-based zoning in some areas. Form-based zoning places controls on the physical form of a design rather than on land-use. The consensus of the Board was they should have guidelines in place first. CK suggested proceeding with guidelines and zoning changes along parallel tracks but emphasizing guidelines now. The Board agreed. Conclusions Regarding changing the cross-section of South Main Street, the consensus of the Board was it would be a long and involved process to reach an accommodation with Mass Hiway and further discussion along those lines should be postponed until design guidelines are in place. Regarding design guidelines, the Board decided their next step should be to work on language for pedestrian pathways, sidewalks, tree lawns, trees, benches., lighting, pavers, etc...The Board agreed they still need to discuss and reach a consensus on the issues of access, setbacks, and parking but to get started they decided they should focus on items with fewer zoning complications and an immediate visual impact. BB said he would email the Board his outline of what guidelines from other towns he liked. The Board directed CK to ask the Tree Warden specifics regarding tree lawns, tree grates, etc... CK said she would summarize the Board's design goals. BB asked CK to make further discussion of South Main Street's design guidelines an item on the next meeting's agenda [meeting of 6/23/08]. Review of Upcoming Zoning Board of Appeals Cases Cases on the ZBA's agenda for 6/19/2008. 19 Brook Street: Deck proposed within side setback. The consensus of the Board was they had no opinion on this case aside from asking the ZBA to show some consideration to the property's north abutter. One General Way: Design of pylon sign at intersection of General Way and Walkers Brook Drive. DT noted the applicant had modified the sign as per the CPDC's suggestions. The consensus of the Board was to send a memo to the ZBA stating the CPDC had already commented on this item. Continuation of 361 Franklin Street: Demolition and re-build of a single-family on a non- conforming lot. NS noted he had already written a memo to the ZBA on this item. The memo stated the Board's opinion that the new house should be in scale with the neighboring houses. Sailor Tom's Way: Impervious cover issues. BB said no comment to the ZBA was necessary because the Board had approved the Minor Modification tonight. Administrative Items Page 5 of 6 CPDC Minutes of 6/9/08 CK said she had not yet made the requested changes to the Board's administrative rule that would grant her the authority to issue Signage Certificates of Appropriateness for minor changes to awnings. She said she would discuss the Board's changes with Town Counsel before the next meeting. If Town Counsel approves the changes, the Board could formally adopt the rule at the next meeting. DT moved to adjourn. JW seconded. Voted Adjourned: 4:0:0. The meeting adjourned at 9:30 PM. These minutes were prepared by Michael Schloth and are a faithful representation of the 6/9/2008 CPDC meeting. z4d A Recording Secretary Page 6 of 6