BELLINGHAM
PLANNING BOARD
5 COMMON STREET
BELLINGHAM,
MASSACHUSETTS 02019
(508) 966-0991; FAX (508) 966-2317
August
24, 2006
Meeting Minutes
·
Present
at the meeting:
Brian J. Sutherland (BJS)
Chair
Glenn C. Wojcik (GCW),
Vice Chair
David Brown (DB) Secretary
Thomas J. Guerin (TJG),
Roland R. Laprade (RRL),
Stephen Bartha (SB)
Other
officials: Stacey J. Wetstein, (SJW)
Town Planner
Amy Cook, (AC), Commission on
Disabilities
Mary Chaves, (MC) Coordinator
BJS
opened the meeting at 7:00 PM.
(prepared by: Mary Chaves)
RRL Motion to sign
minutes of August
10, 2006.
DB: Second.
Vote: 5-0, Approved
RRL: Motion to sign vouchers
DB: Second
Vote: 5-0, Approved
Bellingham Commons II Informal Discussion
Mark Beaudry of
Meridian Associates and George Levine, applicant, appeared to review their
upcoming submission
They reminded the
Board that their previous application had been withdrawn due to loss of Board
members to vote on their special permit.
They have redesigned
the egress points after recommendations from the Board and peer review
consultant, MDM.
There is no longer access close to the Volta Oil site and the intersection at Maple
Street. The 24000 square foot building will remain
where it was previously sited and the proposed restaurant is in relatively the
same spot as well. The driveway has been
moved across from the Conroy warehouse.
They have widened the driveway to allow left and right turn lanes out of
the property... They wanted to make sure the Board had no issue with the
direction they were taking before finalizing their plans.
TJG stated he felt
that the plan seemed to address the Board’s previous objections regarding
exiting the property and queuing. He did
have an issue on how vehicles coming from Franklin
will enter. Mr. Beaudry stated they
would widen the road and put a left turn lane in with the approval of Mass
Highway. DB questioned the location of the driveway in
reference to Conroy’s driveway BJS
told applicant he felt the issues were addressed. He asked about potential traffic once the
back lot was developed. Mr. Beaudry
replied that this would be a self-storage facility with minimal traffic.
Mr. Beaudry requested
that the Board allow him to resubmit the project without a new traffic
study. BJS
stated that he should make sure that the flow of traffic through and in and out
of the site be addressed.
GW suggested he felt
their previous mitigation proposal was low and did not address the traffic
impact at the town center.
Goddard School Informal discussion
Michael Myers
appeared on behalf of the Maggiore Companies and the Goddard
School. He did not have a plan on hand but wanted to
ask the Board for permission to reorient the monument sign more toward Mechanic
Street so that it will be
in from of the parking lot, not the school.
BJS
asked about impact on sight line. It was
determined that since the sign was 20 feet off the road it would not impact the
line of sight The Board had no objection to his repositioning the sign but asked
him to check with the safety office, Sgt Rolls.
Mr. Myers also asked
that the front gate of the surround around the dumpster be changed to a PVC
fence with screening to prevent damage during waster removal. BJS
suggest he look at a site in town that had worked for the condominium project
and may work for them as well. The Board
decided that as long as the area was secured and screed there was no objection
to changing the gate material.
EMC Definitive Subdivision, Maple Street
Attorney Chris Toomey
.Dan Feeney of Beals and Thomas, Dave Streeter of EMC
appeared before the Board for EMC. BJS
asked Dan to review the project history for Stephen Bartha, the newest member
of the Board. Dan gave a synopsis of the
history of EMC
and the property from the time it was considered as a campus to the present
He pointed out the
previously proposed roadway on Maple
Street and showed revised
plan for Maple Street
to accommodate the residents most affected by the subdivision. A new Maple
Street was proposed which would
divert traffic away from the front of the homes across from the subdivision and
through the middle of the subdivision.
There were access points of this new roadway to allow residents to get
to the old section of Maple Street.
Dan made a suggestion that they go to the Board of Selectmen and ask that the
portion of High Street from the new Maple
Street roadway to the
existing Maple Street
roadway be closed off, forcing vehicles on High Street to access Maple
Street through the new
roadway.
He also reviewed
which residences would access the new maple street and the existing Maple
Street. Both roads would remain accessible until the
Town accepted the new roadway. EMC
would then have the access to the old roadway closed off.
Steven Hall of High
Street was concerned that the new plan did nothing to alleviate the traffic on
High Street. The Board advised him that there was little they could do to widen
High Street near the subdivision, as the Army Corps of Engineers would not
allow changes to the bridge.
Anne Meehan of Maple Street complained that she lived next to the site and would not be
able to take a right from her driveway with the subdivision due to traffic
conditions. The Board spent some time
trying to explain how the new roadways would
work and how the residents across
the roadway would benefit. They also
explained that EMC had
the legal right to develop their property under the laws of Massachusetts and the town.
SJW asked the applicant to consider what options they can
suggest to help alleviate traffic safety issues on High Street
The Board
mentiuoned the comments from the DPW and
Dan Feeney had not had an opportunity to
review them as yet. They will address
these comments at the next public hearing.
Dan Feeney further stated that they are
using the traffic information submitted dutring the MEPA process and should
they exceed the use stated, will resubmit another traffic study.
The scencic roadway proposal is not ready
but they will submit soon and hold the public hearings concurrently.
SJW advised the applicant to swnd their new submission to Graves
Engineering the peer review consultant.
TJG:Motion to continue public hearing for EMC
Definitive Subdivision to October 12, 2006 at 7:15 PM.
GCW:: Second.
Vote: 5-0, Approved.
TJG:
Motion to accept extension fo decision deadline for EMC
Definitive Subdivision to November 10, 2006.
GCW: Second
Vote: 5-0, Approved
Woodbury Rodge Definitirve Subdivision and Major Residential
Special Permit
Michael Moonan of Weston and Sampson
appeared for the applicant, David LaChance.
He reviewed the changes to the plans based on the peer review comments
and waiver requests granted or denied by the Board.
SJW advised the Board that there are a few outstanding
issues. Mr. Moonan had several items he
wanted to review with the Board..
Comment #27. A 12” pipe running under the
road to grade grassy area, The
regulations call for 2 feet of cover. They have proposed one foot of cover, but
with a Class V pipe that can withstand
6000 psi. The enginners , including the
peer review, stated that one foot of cover is sufficient when using a Class V
pipe. Class III is
the standard pipe used and does require two feet of cover. The pipe is to keep
the water on site an direct to the water quality swale
RRL
Motion to grant a waiver to this requirement with the conditiion
that the Class V pipe is notated on the
plans at station 12, plan GR 1
DB: Second
Vote: 5-0, Approved
K values on profile comment #32- They have
designed roadway to make people drive slowly, but they will post a 15 MPH
spped limit on the loop road and 20 MPH on
the straight part of the roadway
Comment # 55, The bottom of basin is only 1 foot above mean
high water instead of 2 feet. They would
like to keep it at existing grade. The
Board agreed that if it workied at exisiting grade it will work at 1 foot as
well.
RRL suggested SJW get
communiication from Peer review to confirm that this will work for
clarificataion and grant waiver based on
that confirmation.
DB: Second.
Vote: 5-0, Approved.
Mr. Moonan advised the Board that they had
met with the Conservation Coimmission last night and the hearing was left open pending
comments by the Planning Board to see
ifd there will be any major revisions to the plans. The next meeting is September
13, 2006.
SJW advised the Board that some preliminary drawings were
presented for the Boards to review. They
are looking to achieve architechural integrity
and vary the layouts.
RRL:
Motion to continue public hearing for Woodbury RIsge Definitive Subdivision
and Major Residential Special Permit to September
14, 2006 at 7:10 PM.
DB: Second.
Vote: 5-0, Approved.
Planners Report
SJW briefed the Board
that Tim Jones has withdrawn their request for a public hearing for a special town meeting
for a multi family district. When they
get their signatures for a special town meeting they will resubmit their
request for a special town meeting.
RRL stated that they did not get on the
warrant for the Octiber Town Meeting
which would not require signatures.
No one was sure of the reasoning for this. SJW
further advised that the multi family bylaw was not going to be heard as there
is no special town meeting.. RRL asked
why it was not on the Octiber Town meeting agenda and SJW
replied that it would be either held beofer the May Town meting ot a special town meeting regarding the multi family
zoning project.
MC asked the Board is they would be
intersted in a seminar to educate the Board, developers and engineers on Smart
Growth methodologies. RRL and SJW
suggested a smeniar style dimilar to the Historic Preservation seminar and
invite several speaksers and other
town’s planners and other Town Boards.
SJW advised the Board that she had heard from Town Counsel
regarding the Guild of St. Agnes roadway and it was deteremined it was not a
public roadway and the fact that it has been used over the years does still not
make it a public access. RRL suggested
the have a meeting with the property owener and developer to discuss the
situation there as the property is dangerous to access from their existing
driveway.
RRL:
Motion to adjourn.
DB: Second.
Vote: 5-0, Approved.
Minutes Accepted on: _____________________ __________________________
(Prepared
by: Mary Chaves)
___________________________________ ________________________________
Roland R. Laprade Brian
J. Sutherland
___________________________________ ________________________________
David Brown Glenn
Wojcik
__________________________________________
Thomas J. Guerin