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2001-07-24CITY OF BEVERLY MASSACHUSETTS PUBLIC MEETING MINUTES BOARD OR COMMISSION: Parking and Traffic Commission SUBCOMMITTEE: DATE: July 24, 2001 LOCATION: Third floor conference room, City Hall MEMBERS PRESENT: Brace Palmer, Dennis Tarsook, Tina Cassidy, Susan Mueller (Chamber of Commerce) MEMBERS ABSENT: Robert Mead OTHERS PRESENT: RECORDER: Tina Cassidy Cassidy calls the meeting of the Parking and Traffic Commission to order at 10:00 a.m. and explains that the committee must review two site plan approval applications that have bccn submitted to the Planning Board. The first site plan is for the Johnny Appleseed's warehouse off Tozer Road / Hill Street. The applicants are proposing an 88,000 sq. ft addition to the existing warehouse; about 4,400 square feet of the new addition will be used as office space and the remainder will be additional warehouse space. Cassidy asks about the 18' wide aisle at the southern end of the new addition. Applicant John Drislane and Palmer state that the aisle is there at the request of the Fire Department, which wanted to insure emergency access to as many sides of the building as possible. It will only be used by fire and emergency vehicles and not by commercial or employee vehicles. Tarsook and Palmer suggest that the lane be marked 'No Parking - Fire Lane' or with similar words, since the Fire Department will officially designate this driveway as an emergency fire lane. The signs may be posted on the building or be free-standing. Cassidy notes that the driveway opening from the parking lot to Hill Street is about 35' wide; the zoning ordinance, specifies a maximum driveway opening of 25'. She recommends that the applicants confer with the Building Inspector to see if the wider driveway opening is allowed. Tarsook and Palmer support the wider driveway, since it will facilitate safer truck access to the establishment. Drislane promises to check with the Building Inspector, and will modify the plans before the hearing if necessary. Palmer notes that he has requested that another pedestrian doorway be added to the back of the building (along the railroad tracks). The applicant has agreed to add the extra door. Cassidy asks if there are any other issues or questions on the plan. There are none. Parking and Traffic Commission minutes July 24, 2001 meeting Page two Next on the agenda is a review of a site plan for 253 Rantoul Street / 48 Federal Street. Attorney Mark Glovsky, representing the development team, explains that the plan is nearly the same proposal as one that was approved by the City ten years ago. The proposal involves the construction of an addition to the existing building On Rantoul Street that will house 18 one bedroom apartments. The residential section of the building will be connected to the existing commercial building; there is some surface parking on site already which will be augmented by additional parking in the residential addition. Applicant Molly Brady notes that new retaining walls will be added along two property lines to insure safe conditions after construction. Cassidy notes that there are several questions relative to the size of parking spaces and aisle widths. She notes that the existing parking spaces on the site do not meet the City's requirements in that they are not 9' wide and 18' long. She also notes that the existing traffic aisle servicing the parking lot is less than the 24' minimum width required by zoning. Glovsky states that the lot should be considered a pre-existing, non-conforming condition. He will discuss the matter with the building inspector and seek a written opinion from him in time for the public hearing next week. Cassidy adds that the parking spaces proposed for the building's interior similarly do not meet the requirements of zoning. She notes several interior spaces that are less than 9' in width, and one that is less than 18' in length. The traffic aisle is only 18' wide when 24' is required for two-way traffic, and the opening to the garage is only 16' wide. Al Martins, representing the applicants, states that the architect believes the design meets all building code requirements. Cassidy notes that the zoning ordinance is a separate document. Glovsky states that he will ask the Building Inspector to determine whether the parking requirements of the zoning ordinance apply to the interior parking area. Cassidy suggests getting that determination as soon as possible, in the event the plan has to be modified. Palmer questions the method of access to the southern side of the building. Glovsky answers that the same issue was discussed a decade ago when the first apartment project was proposed. At the time, the captain of fire prevention required a walkway that could be used by fire vehicles in an emergency. Palmer asks how much distance there will be between the new retaining wall and the building. Brady answers between ten and twelve feet; one portion of the facade has a two-foot bump out to break up the monotony of the long wall. Palmer notes that in one letter from the former captain, he asked for a minimum of 13' of clearance. Following a brief discussion, the applicants agree to remove the two- Parking and Traffic Commission minutes July 24, 2001 meeting Page three foot bump-out from the plan and to shift the building such that there is at least 13' of clearance between the wall and the building for the first half of the building measured from Federal Street. Palmer notes that he will formally designate the walkway area as a fire lane, and it will need to be posted as such. Brady states that they will revise the landscaping plan to eliminate the two trees that were proposed to be planted near Federal Street. They will propose something that is lower growing, in the event a fire truck ever has to use the walkway in an emergency and drive over the landscaping. Cassidy asks if there are any other questions or issues to be raised on this filing. There are none. The meeting is adjourned at 10:45 a.m.