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2014-07-10Economic and Community Development Council Notes from meeting of July 10, 2014 Council members present: Michael Cahill; Aaron Clausen; Michael Collins; William Howard; Michael O'Brien; Charlene St. Jean. Others present: Rodney Emery; Thomas Grant; Denise Deschamps. Thomas Grant had been asked to attend the meeting by Mayor Cahill. Mr. Grant may join the Economic and Community Development Council (ECDC). Brimbal Avenue /Connector Road Redesign The most recently drawn plans for the Brimbal Avenue /connector road redesign were presented to the ECDC members for discussion. Rod Emery, of Jacobs Engineering, was asked to attend the ECDC meeting to respond to any questions about the design process and the design itself. It was noted that since the ECDC members had last discussed the design two notable design changes have been proposed. First, a landscape edge along the westbound side of Brimbal Avenue has been proposed. This landscape edge would prepare the surface for future expansion if needed when Phase II of the project is implemented. It is important to remember that the roadway /connector redesign has taken into account a future increase in travel volume resulting from additional development along Brimbal Avenue and Route 128. In the interim the "edge" would allow for widened sidewalks that would be shared by both pedestrians and bicyclists. It is rather uncommon, outside of Boston, to see a path that accommodates both pedestrians and bicyclists. Currently, the curb line is undefined along this section of Brimbal Avenue with a number of businesses using City -owned property for parking or other purposes. Second, the CEA Groups' driveway on Brimbal Avenue has been aligned with the driveways of the property owners on the opposite side of Brimbal Avenue. The City continues to have conversations with management of the Vittori Rocci Post and the owner of 133 Brimbal Avenue re their access onto Brimbal Avenue in light of the nearby round -a -bout being proposed. Owners of both properties have expressed some concern about the safety of taking a left turn out of their properties after the round -a -bout is constructed. The point has been made that a "left -out" of their properties currently poses a safety hazard. A nearby round -a -bout would potentially encourage motorists to take a right out of these properties and go around the round -a -bout to reverse direction. The ECDC members revisited the advantages, particularly the traffic- calming impact, of a round -a -bout as opposed to a rotary. It was noted that Whole Foods is so enamored with round -a -bouts that they will forego their policy of requiring traffic signals at their entrance given their close proximity to a round -a -bout. The currently proposed location of CEA's driveway on Brimbal Avenue cannot be changed because it needs to be situated as close as is possible to the center of their parking area. The City provided a rendering of CEA's site plan, in draft form. CEA Group has yet to bring their plan before the Planning Board but they intend to do so this Fall. The City was awarded $5 million in 2013 to complete Phase I. As of this time, including the design changes which have occurred over the last few months, the project remains well within the $5 million budget. The costs associated with the project may increase with any additional design changes and blasting. The 25% design drawings have been completed. However, in order to meet construction deadlines the project does need to be put out to bid this Fall. Construction will begin and be completed in year 2015. A public meeting is scheduled for July 24 at 6 PM. It will take place at the . Although the City is not required to schedule a public hearing since the City is building the road, not the Commonwealth, the City wants to inform the public about the new design and the time line at this meeting. Concerns remain amongst residents regarding the traffic delays caused by the trains exiting /entering the North Beverly and Montserrat Commuter Rail Stations. The City has met with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (DOT) regarding these concerns and will continue to work to find a solution. Phase II of the Brimbal Avenue /Connector Road Redesign Project continues to be discussed. The Mayor has spoken with Secretary Bialecki of the Executive Office of Housing and Economic development (EOHED) about this next phase. Secretary Bialecki has encouraged Mayor Cahill to apply for MassWorks funding this year. The City also hopes to get Phase II added to the TIP (Transportation Improvement Program) issued by DOT. Unfortunately, TIP funding is difficult to access and usually requires at least a 5 -8 year wait. Proposed Changes to ECDC Ordinance Council members were asked to review the proposed changes to the City ordinance defining the ECDC's mission and membership profiles. It was suggested by several Council members that the proposed mission statement be shortened. Aaron Clausen will make the suggested revisions and submit to the Mayor and ECDC for a final review before formally requesting the Beverly City Council vote to adopt the changes. EDSAT Report The ECDC revisited the EDSAT Report. Some discussion regarding the EDSAT Report had taken place during the last ECDC meeting on June 12, 2014. Questions related to methodology were mentioned including a question as to the identity of the communities to which Beverly's responses to the EDSAT questionnaire were compared in the report. The ECDC then focused on the Report findings that were the most useful. The Report emphasized the need to market Beverly and implement procedures that would facilitate future development. The Report specifically noted that the Appeals process is inefficient. Aaron Clausen noted that the Appeals process is a legal process that we cannot affect. Action the City could take would be (1) streamlining the review process; (2) informing and educating both the Planning Board and the public as to the legal parameters of the Appeals process and what they can expect to get out of the process. Other action steps have already been taken including the creation of a Design Review Team. It meets once a month and began meeting two months ago. Several developers have already participated in these meetings. The City has also creating a brochure that is intended to assist those who would like to start a business in Beverly. The brochure will be shared with members of the ECDC. The on -line permitting process will also help to improve efficiency once it is fully operational for all relevant departments. Changes to the City's website are also being planned with some already having been implemented that reduce clutter on the site and emphasize responses to common requests. At this point in time the City does not have funding to completely redesign the website. The Economic Development web page on the City's website was change significantly. Work is in progress to define the content framework for the web page. This will be shared with ECDC members at a future meeting in order to seek their feedback. The economic development web page as well as materials will emphasize quality of life issues and other aspects of life in Beverly that will promote the City. The City plans to ask Professor Bluestone, who was ultimately responsible for the EDSAT Report, to discuss next steps. The meeting adjourned.