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2007-01-11 CITY OF BEVERLY PUBLIC MEETING MINUTES BOARD OR COMMISSION: SUBCOMMITTEE: DATE: LOCATION: MEMBERS PRESENT: Parking and Traffic Commission MEMBERS ABSENT: OTHERS PRESENT: January 11, 2007 Conference Room B, City Hall Wayne Francis, Chris Negrotti, Richard LeFave, Richard Hutchinson, Tina Cassidy, Sue Mueller Bo b Mead Attorney Mark Glovsky, Lee Dellicker and Tom Manetta (Windover Development) Tina Cassidy RECORDER: Cassidy opens the meeting at 1:00 p.m. by eXplaining that the developers of Depot Square have filed a request to modify the special permit and site plan previously approved by the Planning Board for this project. The Parking and Traffic Commission is charged with providing a recommendation to the Planning Board on the revised plans. Attorney Mark Glovsky, representing the developers, explains the nature of the modifications that have been made to the approved plans. Some of the changes were changes to the fa<;ade of the building, and so those are outside the scope of the Parking and Traffic Commission's review. There were, however, several parking and traffic-related modifications that were made as well. He explains that the design of the underground parking garage was flawed from the beginning; while the originally-approved plan showed 89 spaces, in fact those could not be provided due to structural and other design issues. Instead, 54 spaces will be provided in the garage, and the Zoning Board of Appeals granted a variance to allow them to provide that number in the garage, and 20 spaces in the adjacent parking lot the developer owns. That parking lot, which is leased to the City presently, will be reconfigured to increase the number of spaces so that the number of spaces leased to the City will increase, even with 20 of the spaces being reserved for the condominium's residents. Lee Dellicker then provides an overview of the other changes, which include the installation of a sidewalk on the east site of Court Street and reconfiguration of the parking spaces and travel aisles in the parking garage. Additionally, the developers removed the sidewalk on the south side of Pleasant Street and replaced it with landscaping. However, that sidewalk was not (and would not have been) ADA compliant. Instead, the developers reconstructed the sidewalk on the north side of Pleasant Street, and that is handicapped compliant. They also repaved and re-crowned a portion of Pleasant Street, installed a storm drain to correct an existing drainage problem, and reconstructed a City sewer manhole at their own expense. Cassidy asks the members if they have any questions or issues. Negrotti states that there is an existing City ordinance that prohibits parking on the north side of this section of Pleasant Street and suggests that that ordinance should be changed to prohibit parking on the south Parking and Traffic Commission minutes Page 1 of3 January 11,2007 meeting side of the street instead, adjacent to the new landscaping strip. He also says that the "no parking" signs that were in place were taken down and need to be replaced, on the appropriate side of the street. LeFave asks for confirmation about the number of parking spaces that will be provided in the garage. Dellicker says 54, with an additional 20 spaces in the adjacent parking lot. Francis states that there should be parking only on one side of the street to ensure that fire trucks can safely navigate the roadway. He also says that he supports flipping the parking prohibition to the south side of the road because the building's fire connection is located on that side of the building and would be readily accessible in an emergency and not blocked by parked vehicles. LeFave expresses concern about the location of the handicapped parking spaces in relation to the sidewalks. Glovsky explains that the new sidewalk on the east side of Court Street is ADA compliant, but the existing sidewalk on the west side is only 2' wide. Cassidy notes that the narrower sidewalk is also interrupted by a driveway and delivery opening. LeFave says he wants to provide a safe pathway for handicapped individuals to get to the sidewalk. Glovsky offers that the developer could create a striped walkway across the parking lot between the handicapped spaces and the sidewalk. Cassidy suggests that the Commission recommend this improvement as a condition of approval of the modified site plan. Glovsky asks that such a condition be qualified to be in place only so long as the handicapped spaces exist in that location; the developers hope to build another project on the parking lot site in the future, and the location of the handicapped spaces may change as a result of that work. Cassidy asks if there are any other questions or issues from the members. There are none. She informs the members that there was some discussion at a City Council meeting some weeks ago about how to deal with the new landscaping strip. Options mentioned at that meeting included granting an easement to the developer or selling that portion of the right of way to the developer. Cassidy asks the Commission if it wants to address this issue in its deliberations. She states her personal opinion that the City should retain ownership of the strip, rather than deed it to the developer. By retaining ownership, the City would retain the ability to make public improvements along Pleasant Street in the future should the City wish to do so. Members concur. Cassidy sums up the Commission's recommendation, which will be to approve the requested plan modifications subject to the following two conditions: 1. That the City ordinance which currently prohibits parking on the north side of this section of Pleasant Street be changed to prohibit parking on the south side of this section of Pleasant Street instead, and that the developer be required to erect "No Parking" signs on the south side of Pleasant Street once the ordinance is changed; and Parking and Traffic Commission minutes Page2of3 January 11,2007 meeting 2. That pavement markings be added to the adjacent off-street parking lot to create a striped walkway across the lot, stretching from the location of the handicapped parking spaces in the lot to the sidewalk on the eastern side of Court Street; and that this condition be required for as long as the handicapped parking spaces are sited in their proposed location. Additionally, the recommendation letter will outline the Commission's thoughts on ownership of the landscaping strip within the public right of way. She also says that she will send copies of the letter to each member. There being no other business, the meeting is adjourned at 1:55 p.m. Parking and Traffic Commission minutes Page 3 of 3 January 11,2007 meeting