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2024-08-06 Parking and Traffic Commission minutes 1 CITY OF BEVERLY 2 PUBLIC MEETING MINUTES 3 4 BOARD OR COMMISSION: City of Beverly Parking and Traffic Commission 5 DATE: August 6, 2024 6 LOCATION: Beverly Police Station, Community Room 7 MEMBERS PRESENT: Chair Richard Benevento, Darlene Wynne, Michael 8 Collins, Sgt. Dana Nicholson, Jonathan Salt 9 10 MEMBERS ABSENT: Capt. Jacob Kreyling, Dayna Morton 11 STAFF PRESENT: 12 RECORDER: Kristan Patenaude 13 14 Benevento chairs and opens the meeting at 8:30 a.m. 15 16 1. Post Development Monitoring Study (Parking): Mission Boathouse— One Water 17 Street—Beverly Restaurant Associates LLC 18 19 Attorney Miranda Siemasko, Glovsky &Associates,representing Beverly Restaurant Group, 20 explained that the project's traffic engineer, Rebecca Brown from GPI, Inc.,had a conversation 21 with Benevento and Wynne to review the proposed parking count locations to satisfy the 22 Commission's request for a follow-up study. The counts were completed in the summer months 23 but have not yet been fully analyzed. The data will be presented at the September meeting. 24 25 Benevento stated that Mr. Bloom has not wanted to complete the study for whatever reasons. He 26 accepted his permit with certain conditions, such as a full-blown traffic impact and access study 27 including a parking study. The Commission waived the traffic study but requested the parking 28 study be done for the August meeting. He added that they were supposed to be here today to talk 29 about the data. If this study is not presented at the September meeting, the Commission reserves 30 its right to require a full-blown traffic impact and access study. 31 32 2. Recommendation to City Council: Amendment to Ordinance 270-41 Prohibited 33 Parking at All Times to include from the driveway at 54 Middlebury Lane 34 extending 18' eastward to Pete's Park—Ward 6 City Councilor Matthew St. Hilaire 35 36 City Councilor St. Hilaire explained that this request is related to an increased volume of people 37 coming and going in this area who are accessing Pete's Park. As the nearby resident accesses her 38 driveway, she is worried about safety issues. This is different from other nearby driveways based 39 on proximity to the Park and the crosswalk. 40 41 A speaker noted that they have not seen any issues in this area but instead believe this is local 42 residents not wanting parking for Pete's Park near their home. 43 44 Benevento asked if there is any difference between this and nearby driveways regarding sight 45 distance. St. Hilaire stated that the crosswalk and driveway are on a slope making sight distance 46 difficult. City of Beverly Parking and Traffic Commission August 6,2024 Meeting Minutes 47 48 Wynne asked for clarification if the request is regarding the owner's ability to pull out of the 49 driveway or people using the crosswalk. St. Hilaire answered it is a safety issue and stated that 50 pedestrians do not stay within the crosswalk in this area, adding to the concern. 51 52 The Commission agreed that it did not see a need to restrict parking at this time. There is not 53 enough information to approve the request. 54 55 Collins: Motion to take no action at this time. Salt seconds. Motion carries (5-0). 56 57 3. Review of Temporary Traffic Control Plan: Site Plan Review#165-24 —50 Balch 58 Street—Cummings Properties /Mike Aveni 59 60 Benevento recused himselffrom this item. 61 62 Mike Aveni, Cummings Properites, stated that the Commission reviewed and made a 63 recommendation to the Planning Board on this project in April. Subsequent to that, the project 64 received approval from the Planning Board to build a 59 unit subsidized elderly housing building 65 on the north side of the site. The recommendation letter included three conditions that needed to 66 be addressed in advance of construction. Condition#2 was that,prior to the beginning of 67 construction,the applicant shall present the Commission with a Temporary Traffic Control Plan 68 to be used during construction operations. This Plan was prepared in consultation with a traffic 69 engineer and submitted to the Commission. The foundation for the site may not begin until the 70 end of September, but the goal is to have all work wrapped up in approximately 12 months. The 71 Commission included a requirement that construction vehicles shall not use Balch Street during 72 the duration of construction and that all work within Balch Street occur before the start of school, 73 September 4th. Utility work is currently going on in the area and should be complete by the end 74 of the August. There are currently four vehicle entries at the site which will be reduced down to 75 three. In order to regulate the subcontractors, all of the contracts include language that prohibits 76 construction vehicle on Balch Street and the applicant will do its best to make sure that happens. 77 The site design shows designated construction vehicle parking and a materials lay down area. 78 79 Aveni stated that Condition#3 in the Commission's recommendation letter asked the applicant 80 to come back and share the pedestrian circulation throughout the site. The plan for this was 81 approved by the Planning Board and shows all the new sidewalks adjacent to the new 82 construction area and around the building. During construction, signs will be placed to indicate 83 that pedestrians must use the other sidewalk on Balch Street. The final condition regarding fire 84 truck access was resolved through the Planning Board process. 85 86 Wynne asked how confident the applicant team is that the bulk of the Balch Street work will be 87 completed by the start of school. Aveni stated that the confidence in this is 100%. 88 89 Wynne noted that Kreyling made comments during the Planning Board review process 90 suggesting that there be a condition that Balch Street be kept clear with regard to delivery times. 91 The applicant should keep deliveries to a minimum between drop off and pick up school times. 92 Aveni explained that all materials are proposed to be brought through Cummings Center before Page 2 of 7 City of Beverly Parking and Traffic Commission August 6,2024 Meeting Minutes 93 school starts. Use of Balch Street will be limited to opportunities before or after school hours for 94 small delivery trucks, with a goal of no contractors using Balch Street at all. 95 96 Wynne suggested access signage to make the area clearer. Aveni stated that construction fencing 97 will soon be installed which should make this clear, but additional signage can be installed as 98 well. 99 100 Nicholson asked if the applicant team could notify the Middle School regarding parents not 101 being able to park on this site during drop off and pick up. The applicant team agreed. 102 103 Nicholson: Motion to accept the Temporary Traffic Control Plan. Salt seconds. Motion 104 carries (5-0). 105 106 Benevento retook his seat. 107 108 4. Recommendation to Planning Board: Site Plan Review #167-24—478 Rantoul Street 109 —Conversion of existing 3-family residential building and construction of new 110 building into 250 sf of commercial use and 32 residential units in two buildings—478 ill Rantoul St. Realty Trust/Vincent Orlando 112 113 Attorney Tom Alexander, Alexander& Femino, explained that the Commission reviewed the 114 plans for this project in a somewhat larger version and voted to recommend it to the Planning 115 Board in December 2023. The project has since been redesigned and scaled down. The original 116 plan showed 37 new units, with the existing building out front including two residential units and 117 an approximately 250 sf commercial space. The new plan has been scaled down to include 30 118 new residential units, with the front building still including two residential units and 119 approximately 250 sf of commercial space. The front building is now proposed to be connected 120 to the rear building by way of an underground passageway and the lower level of the front 121 building will be used for storage for the residents. As a result of the downscaling, the applicant is 122 not seeking any zoning relief for the design. The applicant previously sought special permits for 123 aisle width and number of parking spaces. However,the redesign completely conforms to the 124 City of Beverly zoning regulations for parking layout and spaces so as a result the redesign is a 125 site plan review by right. 126 127 The traffic engineer, William Lyons, Fort Hill Companies, stated that past discussions focused 128 on two issues, one of which was the waivers and the parking deficiency, which is no longer an 129 issue. The other issue was the preparation of the traffic study and the construction management 130 plan. As the project has been reduced by seven units, this leads to a reduction in the overall site 131 generated trips of approximately 18%. The Commission previously expressed concern about the 132 results of the traffic study and any traffic related impacts. As a result of the project being 133 downscaled, any impacts have been reduced by roughly 18% and the previous traffic study 134 speaks for itself. 135 136 Benevento asked about the projected AM trips. The applicant team noted them to be 137 approximately 45. 138 Page 3 of 7 City of Beverly Parking and Traffic Commission August 6,2024 Meeting Minutes 139 Nicholson asked if all access will be through Rantoul Street, which the applicant team agreed 140 was the case. 141 142 Wynne stated that Kreyling wrote a letter to the Planning Board reiterating his concern related to 143 construction impacts and keeping traffic flowing. The letter also spoke to minimizing any delays 144 for emergency response and standard conditions related to EV charging, parking garage design 145 requirements, etc. Kreyling requested that any foliage be removed and maintained, allowing Fire 146 Department access from two sides of the building. A plan was submitted by the applicant 147 showing that apparatus can access the site from CVS. 148 149 Wynne asked about the number of parking spaces. The applicant team confirmed there are 35 150 parking spaces proposed. EV parking spaces are proposed outside to meet the garage 151 requirements. 152 153 Wynne noted that the Commission should review the construction management plan again before 154 construction occurs to make sure that construction impacts to Rantoul Street are kept low during 155 peak hours. 156 157 Wynne: Motion to recommend the Planning Board approve this project, subject to the 158 conditions that a Temporary Traffic Control Plan be submitted prior to the 159 beginning of construction showing minimal impacts to Rantoul Street during 160 construction and utility connections to occur on off hours. Salt seconds. Motion 161 carries (5-0). 162 163 5. Recommendation to Planning Board: Site Plan Review #166-24—355 Rantoul Street 164 (Pickled Onion)—Construction of new mixed-use building containing first floor 165 commercial space and eight(8) residential units above; parking to be provided off 166 site on land owned by the Applicant—Rantoul St Realty/Peter Kelly, Trustee 167 168 Attorney Tom Alexander, Alexander& Femino, stated that this is project will be on the same 169 footprint as the existing Pickled Onion. The first floor will continue to be a commercial space 170 similar to the Onion. There are proposed to be four floors above this, each having 2 two-bedroom 171 residential units. The parking for this will be across the street approximately 229' away from the 172 site. The lot to be used is a pre-existing parking lot which does not currently conform to present 173 zoning regulations. 174 175 The traffic engineer explained that the parking lot currently has 21 parking spaces, and 19 are 176 proposed, mostly perpendicular,which will be realigned. The existing curb cuts on Rantoul 177 Street will not be altered. The center aisles will remain, for the most part, exactly where they 178 currently exist. The main changes include adding three landscape islands and angling the parking 179 spaces along the left property line to facilitate the backing out of those spaces. The lot will be 180 one way to loop in and loop out. There will be 18' between the building and the center aisle, 181 except for the stair area at the rear end of the building, which is limited to 16.5'. The special 182 permit request is for aisle width and number of spaces. The proposal is to provide one space per 183 residential unit, but this District calls for two spaces per residential unit. The plan provides for Page 4 of 7 City of Beverly Parking and Traffic Commission August 6,2024 Meeting Minutes 184 nine commercial spaces which is significantly better than what is offered presently. The plan 185 includes eight residential, two-bedroom units. 186 187 Benevento noted that the issue on Rantoul Street is parking. There is rarely even one space 188 available on the street. There is a deficit for parking in this area. He asked where the marijuana 189 store parking is located. The traffic engineer explained that the marijuana store had a temporary 190 agreement with this owner to have their parking in this lot, but that has since expired. Wynne 191 stated that this needs to be resolved, as this is not what the store's lawyer has stated and they are 192 planning to open with the condition of using this parking lot. The traffic engineer stated that the 193 agreement is set to expire August 31St. Benevento explained that the marijuana store needed 194 parking and made an agreement with this owner to have parking on the site. The store is now set 195 to open and suddenly does not have parking. The applicant team explained that the temporary 196 agreement was made three years ago. Benevento stated that everyone is fighting over the same 197 parking in this area. This puts the City in a tight and difficult situation because it now has to 198 determine if the store cannot open because it does not have any parking. 199 200 Wynne noted that,per Section 2.2 of the lease, the term is automatically extended through 201 September 1, 2025, unless notice is given prior to July 1, 2024. She asked if the applicant team 202 gave this notice of termination prior to that date. Alexander stated that they did not. Wynne 203 stated that the term is then automatically extended. Alexander noted that with a 60-day notice, 204 the applicant team can still terminate. These stores do not require the amount of parking that was 205 originally needed. 206 207 Nicholson stated that he was unaware of the agreement with the store. This is a huge problem 208 that needs to be addressed. 209 210 Salt asked about the 19 spaces associated with the project. The traffic engineer stated that 19 are 211 proposed,plus a handicap space and loading zone space on the street in front of the Onion. There 212 are eight two-bedroom units proposed and three existing units that require parking. 213 214 The Commission discussed the potential use of the commercial space, as different uses will lead 215 to different parking requirements. There was discussion regarding tabling this item until the 216 applicant team can speak with the marijuana store. The Commission discussed an article written 217 about this property. 218 219 Wynne noted no traffic analysis was provided and asked if the Commission felt one is necessary 220 for this project. Benevento stated that he did not think a parking study was necessary. He added 221 for the 2,400-sf retail space,the applicant team should base a parking count on the highest 222 potential use for the space. Alexander stated that he does not this has been required in the past. 223 The parking count for the space should be generated using one space per 250 sf. Benevento 224 asked for a better idea of the proposed use. 225 226 Nicholson: Motion to continue this hearing to the next meeting so the applicant can address 227 the issue with the lease of parking spaces to the marijuana retailer and the 228 proposed use of the commercial space. Salt seconds. Motion carries (5-0). 229 Page 5 of 7 City of Beverly Parking and Traffic Commission August 6,2024 Meeting Minutes 230 6. Request from City Councilor: Safety concerns related to parking at Wellman Street 231 —Ward 2 City Councilor Danielle Spang 232 233 Danielle Spang explained that Wellman Street is 28'-29' wide with parking on both sides and 234 two-way traffic. There has been discussion regarding making this street one way or eliminating 235 parking on one side of the road. The Mayor would like to speak with abutters regarding these 236 proposals. There was a site visit last week with the Mayor's office engineer. There is existing 237 signage on one side of the street that states No Parking At Any Time. The proposal will likely be 238 to eliminate parking on one side of the street or the other. 239 240 Benevento stated that he found the road to be quite wide for a residential street. He noted that 241 once parking is restricted, this will apply to the residents as well. 242 243 Nicholson stated that he spoke with residents and understands the concerns. A fire truck could 244 not properly turn around on the street. The people parking on the street are mostly those working 245 at the nearby bars. The area is often packed with cars. He supports the proposal to restrict 246 parking on this street, but he does not agree with a one-way street, as it will not solve the parking 247 issue. 248 249 Nancy Marino, a resident of Wellman Street, expressed concern with the safety situation along 250 the road. She noted that all abutters have driveways, and she does not believe a parking 251 restriction will cause a problem for residents in this area. Most of the people parking along the 252 street are working nearby and looking to park for free. 253 254 Benevento stated that he would like to have a traffic study regarding this and surrounding streets 255 but agrees that a solution is needed for this area. 256 257 7. Approval of Minutes: 258 a. June 11,2024 259 260 None at this time. 261 262 8. Construction or Project Updates,if any 263 a. Temporary Traffic Control Plan: 4-6,8 Rantoul Street and portion of 10 264 Rantoul Street—Amara (f/k/a SW Rantoul Gateway)—Procopio Companies 265 266 Benevento noted that the road was reopened, and the applicant is now seeking temporary 267 closures for utility connections. 268 269 The applicant team explained that the Engineering Department asked to extend the 8"water line, 270 which was not part of the original project. In order to do this, a temporary road closure is 271 requested for approximately three weeks. A certain amount of fill will need to be brought to that 272 site. They requested to use the old Rowand Fisheries places as a staging area. The closure would 273 only be during work hours. Nicholson stated that he 100% does not believe this is a good idea. 274 Collins stated that the entire street will need to be closed for this temporary period. 275 Page 6 of 7 City of Beverly Parking and Traffic Commission August 6,2024 Meeting Minutes 276 The applicant team stated that there is also a public lot between Congress and Summit and the 277 alternate request would be for the public to park in this lot during the work hours, 7am-5pm. The 278 project is a total of 380'. Members did not approve the staging of materials in public parking 279 lots, as there are already parking constraints in the area. 280 281 Benevento suggested that the residents of this area be alerted as to this project and procedure. 282 283 The Commission agreed to propose temporary No Parking on Wellman Street during 284 construction hours, one or both sides to be determined. Work hours to be from 7am-5pm, with 285 storage of materials and equipment to be out of the street at the end of work hours. 286 287 9. Anything not known by the Chair prior to 48 hours before the meeting,if any, that 288 cannot wait until a future meeting 289 290 None at this time. 291 292 10. Adjourn 293 294 Nicholson: Motion to adjourn. Salt seconds. Motion carries (5-0). 295 296 Meeting adjourns at 10:35 a.m. Page 7 of 7