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1999-12-14City of Beverly, Massachusetts Public Meeting Minutes Board: Subcommittee: Date: Place: Board members present: Board members absent: Others present: Recorder: Planning Board December 14, 1999 Beverly City Hall Chairperson Richard Dinkin, Vice Chairperson Bill Delaney, Ellen Flannery, Elizabeth McGlynn, Barry Sullivan, Pater Thomas, John Thomson, Robert Rink Joanne Dunn City Engineer Frank Killilea, City Planner Tina Cassidy Tina Cassidy Chairperson Dinkin calls the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. and asks Cassidy to present the first ANR. 1. Subdivision Annroval Not Reauired Plans a. Sam Fonzo Drive/Trask Street Cassidy explains that Fonzo Realty Trust has filed this plan to create one new industrial lot and two residential lots. The industrial lot has frontage on Sam Fonzo Drive and the residential lots have frontage on Trask Streat. Dinkin asks if the plan meats the Board's requirements for the ANR plans. Cassidy states that it does. Delaney: motion to endorse this plan as one not requiring approval under the Subdivision Control Law, seconded by Flannery. All members in favor, motion carries. b. Grover Street/Independence Circle Cassidy explains that this ANR creates two residential lots, one with frontage on Grover Street and one with frontage on Independence Circle. Dinkin asks if the plan meats the Board's requirements for ANR plans. Cassidy answers yes. Delaney: motion to endorse this plan as one not requiring approval under the Subdivision Control Law, seconded by. Flannery. All members in favor, motion carries. Planning Board Minutes December 14, 1999 Page 2 2. Ice House Lane Subdivision Cassidy explains that Michael McNiff, the developer of the two remaining lots on Ice House Lane, has requested that the Board accept the as-built plans that have been submitted for this project and release the remaining bond money posted for this project. She reads a letter of request from the developer and a letter from City Engineer Frank Killilea recommending acceptance of the as-built plans and a release of the remaining bond money (see file). Delaney: motion to accept the as-built plans for the Ice House Lane subdivision, seconded by Sullivan. All members in favor, motion carries. Delaney: motion to release all remaining bond monies posted to guarantee completion of the Ice House Lane subdivision, seconded by Sullivan. All members in favor, motion carries. 3. The Planters Subdivision Cassidy explains that the developers of this subdivision have requested a release of all remaining bond monies posted for this subdivision. Cassidy reads their letter of request and a letter from City Engineer Frank Killilea indicating that all remalhing work in this subdivision, including the construction of the tot lot, has been satisfactorily completed and the acceptance and as-built plans are acceptable (see file). Ddaney: motion to accept the as-buih and acceptance plans for the Planters subdivision seconded by Thomson. All members in favor, motion carries. Delaney: motion to release all remaining bond monies for the Planters subdivision, seconded by Flannery. All members in favor, motion carries. 4. Thackerev Way Subdivision Cassidy explains that the developers of this subdivision have requested that the as-built and acceptance plans that have been submitted be accepted, and that the remaining bond money posted to guarantee completion of this subdivision be released. She reads letter from City Engineer Frank Killilea recommending that the plans be accepted and all remaining bond money released to the developer. Ddaney: motion to accept the as-built and acceptance plans for the Thackerey Way subdivision, seconded by Sullivan. All members in favor, motion carries.. Planning Board Minutes December 14, 1999 Page 3 Delaney: motion to release the remaining bond money posted for the Thackerey Way subdivision, seconded by Sullivan. All members in favor, motion carries. Thomson: motion to recommend to the City Council that all streets in the Planters subdivision and Thackerey Way be accepted as City streets, seconded by Delaney. All members in favor, motion carries. 5. Virlinia Avenue Extension Subdivision Cassidy explains that the Board asked the developer of this Ryal Side subdivision to submit a timetable for completion of this project. Cassidy reads the timetable submitted by Mr. Curtis Jones (see file) and a letter from City Engineer Frank Killilea indicating the reasonableness of the timeline (see file). Delaney: motion to accept the construction completion timetable submitted for this subdivision, seconded by Thomson. All members in favor, motion carries. Dinkin indicates that the next public hearing is scheduled to begin at 7:50 p.m. Delaney: motion to recess for public hearing, seconded by Thomson. All members in favor, motion carries. Public Hearinl! {continued): Meetinl Place Circle Definitive Subdivision Plan Dinkin asks Cassidy to reread the public hearing notice, which she does. She explains that at the last meeting, members requested that staff investigate the possibility of hiring an independent consultant to review drainage problems in the vicinity of this project. She states that Frank Killilea discussed the request with the finn of CDM. CDM has submittad a letter to Cassidy ou~ining the scope of work and professional fee which she reads (see file). Dinkin asks whether CDM has indicated a timeline for completion of the study. Killilea states that a draft report should be available by the end of January. Dinkin asks Killilea if he concurs with the proposed scope of work. Killilea answers yes. Dinkin asks Cassidy if there are sufficient funds available to pay for the study. Cassidy answers yes. Thomson states that CDM should definitely conduct a visit to the properties involved in the study. Delaney states that the Board should avail itself of this opportunity. Planning Board Minutes December 14, 1999 Page 4 Dinkin asks the owner' s engineer Tom Neve to respond. Neve states that he has reviewed CDM's letter and agrees with the proposed scope of work. He asks the Board to consider addressing the dead-end waiver request and the issue of access for lot #8 this evening. Dinkin informs Neve that he should participate fully in the study CDM does and feel free to provide them with as much information as possible. At~er a brief discussion, members concur that the hearing should remain open until the CDM study is completed and that they are unwilling to formally vote on either the waiver or access issue tonight. However, they agree to provide a "sense of the Board" on both matters. Thomson states that it is his opinion that in exchange for a waiver of this magnitude, the City should receive some public benefit. He states that Neve's offer to assist the City with drainage work in this area is meaningful. He also states that he does not have a significant problem with the access issue for lot #8. Delaney, Flannery, Sullivan and Rink express similar sentiments. Thomas is particularly concerned about the drainage problems in the area. Neve states that he and the owner want to work with the City, but ash the Board to acknowledge that the plan as designed meets the Board' s requirements with respect to the drainage design. He adds that he understands that off-site problems may become the Board' s problems, and is glad CDM will be reviewing areas downstream of the property. He asks for a moment to consult with his clients. Dinkin recesses the Board to 8:23 p.m., at which time he calls the heating to order. Neve provides the Board with an extension of time for Board action on this filing to February 16, 2000. Ddaney: motion to accept the extension of time for the Meeting Place Circle subdivision to February 16, 2000, seconded by Sullivan. All members in favor, motion carries. Dinkin recesses the heating to February 15, 2000 at 7:30 p.m. 7. Hawk Hill Estates Preliminary Subdivision Plan Cassidy explains that since the last Planning Board meeting in November, the City Council has referred the question of acquiring some of the property involved in this subdivision to the City's Open Space and Recreation Committee. A portion of the Dallas property is classified by the City' s assessors as Chapter 61 property, and as such the City has the first option to purchase it. Jeff Rhuda, representing Symes Associates, points out the three lots to be retained by the Dallas', the parcel owned by Alleen L'Abbe and the two parcels subject to the right of first refusal. Thomas asks the Planning Board Minutes December 14, 1999 Page 5 engineer to explain the drainage paRems in the vicinity of this project. Richard Williams from Hayes Engineering, Inc. explains that some of the drainage will flow across Essex Street and some will drain toward Willow Pond. Delaney asks Rhuda to list the waivers being requested. Rhuda states that the applicant is seeking a reduction of the minimum centerline radius requirement, pavement width, tangents between reverse curves, one sidewalk instead of two and sloped granite curbing instead of vertical. Thomson asks if the proposed pavement width is less than the existing pavement width on Yankee Way. Willisins answers yes, and that they would taper the pavement over a 100 foot distance. He adds they want the pavement and sidewalk waivers to reduce nmofffrom the site. Rhuda adds that the waivers would result in 20,000 sq. ft. less of pavement. Dinkin asks if the wetlands have been flagged. Willisins states that some have been. Thomson asks why the plan shows a stub-out to the YMCA's property. Rhuda explains that the YMCA had fights to a cart path through the property, and the stub-out was a negotiated settlement of the extinguishmerit of those fights. He adds that the YMCA has no plans to develop that property. Thomson asks if the width of the stub-out could be decreased to the same width as the existing cart path. Rhuda answers that he supposes it could be. Dinkin expresses his reservation with the sidewalk waiver, stating that people will tend to encroach into the fight-of-way with lawns and create future problems. Delaney asks if Symes Associates will be willing to work with CDM on the drainage study. Rhuda answers yes. Thomson asks for clarification on the timetable for completing drainage studies for this project. Rhuda answers that the developer wants to be out of the preliminary plan stage and wants the issue of possible City acquisition to be settled first. Rhuda asks the Board if they can provide a sense of the Board on the waiver requests. Dinkin states that he can't recall ever voting to waive a sidewalk in a subdivision of this size. The Board asks Killilea for his opinion on the reverse curve and tangent waiver requests. Killilea responds that he doesn't see either of them being major issues. Dinkin asks if there are any further comments or questions - there are none. Delaney: motion to approve the Hawk Hill Estates preliminary subdivision plan, seconded by Flannery. Thomson states that he would be looking for a less dense subdivision in exchange for the waivers at the definitive stage. All members in favor, motion carries. planning Board Minutes December 14, 1999 Page 6 Dinkin asks if there is any other business for the Board to discuss this evening. Thomas: motion to adjourn, seconded by Delaney. All members in favor, motion carries. The meeting is adjourned at 9:15 p.m.