Loading...
2023-3-7 Parking and Traffic Commission minutes CITY OF BEVERLY PUBLIC MEETING MINUTES BOARD: Parking and Traffic Commission SUBCOMMITTEE: None LOCATION: Beverly City Hall Council Chambers DATE: March 7, 2023 BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Chair Richard Benevento (Chair), Darlene Wynne (Vice Chair), Captain Michael Collins, George Binns, Jonathan Salt, Dayna Morton, Captain Jake Kreyling BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT: Sergeant Michael Henebury OTHERS PRESENT: RECORDER: Naomi Moca Benevento chairs and opens the meeting at 8:30 a.m. Pursuant to Chapter 107 of the Acts of 2022, Section 3, this meeting of the Beverly Parking& Traffic Commission was conducted in person. 1. Recommendation to Planning Board: Site Plan Review 9161-23 —451 Essex Street—Fazio Enterprises, Inc. Bob Griffin of Griffin Engineering and Miranda Siemasko of Glovsky and Glovsky are present on behalf of the owners. Siemasko states that the proposal is currently before the Planning Board for site plan review, and is a mixed-use project in Centerville,which complies with all applicable zoning requirements. Siemasko states that the parking complies with requirements, with two surplus residential spaces. Griffin presents the project site on Essex Street, which is adjacent to Exxon station and Dunkin Donuts. Griffin states that there is an intermittent stream behind the property and Bordering Vegetated Wetlands (BVW), in addition to a 25-foot No-Disturb Zone. There will be parking spaces off Essex Street serving the five residential rental units. Each apartment unit will contain three bedrooms. There is an enclosed trash area, and the site grade slopes downward and contains an underground infiltration system. Griffin states that the retail space is not set up for food services and will likely be offices of some kind. There is a setup for bike parking. Griffin states that the project will be spaced appropriately apart from the Dunkin Donuts and the Exxon station. Griffin states that a traffic study predicts 65 trips per day, of which half are residential, and half are commercial. Griffin states he does not have any traffic study measuring traffic currently, but observes that Essex Street is a route that moves very well. City of Beverly Parking and Traffic Commission March 7,2023 Meeting Minutes Page 2 of 5 The Commission discusses the site distance from the road. Griffin states that the City's recent curb cut with sidewalk improvements have improved the site distance. The Commission discusses the plantings closest to the gas station potentially impacting drivers' sight line to the road. Griffin states there are low perennials and annuals planned that will not impact sight lines. The Commission discusses the line of sight looking southward and if the hill impacts sightlines, who is in charge of the trees on the sidewalk before the guard rail, and whether the trees will need to be removed. Salt recommends two-point contact style bike racks so that bikes stand upright. The Commission discusses the height of the perennials, which is 24 to 36 centimeters. Kreyling expresses satisfaction with the fire safety compliance of the site. Wynne states that if the retail space were to be designed for a restaurant, a special permit would be required, and that it is not zoned for fast food. The Commission discusses that a drive-through style service is not appropriate for the site. Wynne: Motion to recommend to the Planning Board for approval of Site Plan Review#161-23 —451 Essex Street, subject to the following conditions: 1) plantings may not impact visibility from this site or adjacent sites 2)the Commission recommends using bike racks that are two-point contact, and 3) a drive through establishment may not be part of this nor any future project. Binns seconds. Motion carries (7-0). 2. Approval of Minutes: March 1,2022 and June 7,2022 Members review and offer edits to the March 1, 2022 and June 7, 2022 draft meeting minutes. Binns: Motion to accept the March 1, 2022 and June 7, 2022 meeting minutes as amended. Chair Benevento seconds the motion. Kreyling abstains. Motion carries (6-0-1). 3. Review and Discussion: Temporary Traffic Control Plan—Southwest Rantoul Gateway - 426, 928, & #28R Cabot Street and#4-10 Rantoul Street—Beverly Crossing LLC Kristen Poulin, Director of Development of Gateway Beverly Crossing, David Roache, Director of Development of Procopio Companies, Tyler Palermo, Development Project Manager of Procopio Companies, and Aaron Ravenelle, Project Executive of Procopio Companies are present. Ravenelle states that he represents the contractor that will be performing the construction work on the project, which will start with abatement and then total takedown of all buildings along the front edge of the property, with the intention of fencing the entirety of the site. Ravenelle states that, where necessary,jersey barriers topped with four-foot fencing will be installed. Ravenelle states that once all demolition and preliminary site work is done,the company will then establish the entrances and exits for the project in its final condition. Ravenelle states that deliveries will City of Beverly Parking and Traffic Commission March 7,2023 Meeting Minutes Page 3 of 5 be mainly tractor-trailers, and since the turn into the site is very tight, there will be an off-street pull-off area for larger vehicles, and that the crosswalk will remain open. The Commission discusses that based on the experience with projects in high-traffic areas such this one and the Beverly Depot construction,while the Commission wants the project to be successful, it cannot be"on the backs" of commuters going about their daily routines. Chair Benevento comments that in the case of the Depot II project, the owner deflected blame or responsibility for the decision to close the road onto the police traffic detail, and thus states he is not comfortable with the pull-off and laydown area off Cabot Street. Ravenelle illustrates the safe access walking route to the Anchor Pub, which entails crossing four lanes of traffic. Ravenelle states that the utmost effort will be made to provide clear,protected access to non-construction areas, and that the intention is that during the majority of the work, the materials and crane will remain onsite. The Commission discusses the inability of the project to have sidewalks protected by roofing due to material deliveries and due to the type of construction. Chair Benevento expresses his personal credibility issues with the developer, referring to the parking and traffic issues that developed at the Depot H project. Roache states that there is always the right to shut down the project if the terms of permitting are not followed. Collins asks what the timeline is for each phase. Roache states that what is being presented is the initial phase. Ravenelle states that four of the buildings are right on the road, and thus it would be preferable, for safety reasons, to excavate the sidewalk. Roache states that wood frame buildings come down quickly, typically one day per building, which will happen with the collaboration of the police traffic detail, during the daytime only. Roache states that there is a parking lot on site to manage materials, and that only after that step will the project move on to the excavation phase. Chair Benevento asks about the offloading of materials, and Roache states the vehicles will use the first—in, right-out exit. Ravenelle states the site slopes uphill and has a retaining wall, and thus a portion of sidewalk will need to be removed, then replaced. Collins comments that even when the project is fully vertical and no longer offloading material, there will likely still be phases that necessitate closing the sidewalk, such as sheet rock installation, caulking windows, and painting. Collins observes the difficulties of the site considering the popularity of the Anchor and the recent opening of the Mission Boathouse restaurant. Collins points out the potential perception of having newly renovated the intersection, only to then change the route to accommodate this construction. Poulin comments that the route remaining consistent throughout construction may be helpful. Ravenelle states that while it is impossible to guarantee zero traffic impact, it is the applicant's goal to remain safe at all times. Chair Benevento reminds the Commission and applicant that no lane closures at all was part of the terms that were discussed initially. Chair Benevento refers to City of Beverly Parking and Traffic Commission March 7,2023 Meeting Minutes Page 4 of 5 the Depot 11 project's boundaries continuing to move outwards, and states that the Commission will not tolerate that happening in this case. The Commission discusses what the staging/backlog location is for trucks that are waiting for entry onto the site,the fact that there will need to be collaboration with neighboring properties, and that Goldberg owns all the property with the exception of Salon Willington. Palermo states that as a resident of the neighborhood,he plans to be present onsite on a consistent basis. Roache and Palermo pledge to be onsite and monitor the project daily, and to take ownership of the parking and traffic plan as much as possible. 9:24 a.m. Kreyling departs The Commission discusses that pedestrians and bikes will share the sidewalk, that no narrowing of the lane width, which is currently 11 feet, is permitted, and that any encroachment roadside of the curb line is off limits. Ravenelle states that the company will provide a schedule and the delivery density of each phase of the project. The Commission discusses that delivery times should be no earlier than 9 a.m. Chair Benevento gives the example of the road closure at 8 a.m. at the Depot H project when commuters were trying to get to the train not being an acceptable. Salt comments that using Goat Hill Lane, as a lower-traffic street, may be a good option to ease traffic. Rebecca Brown of Greenman-Pedersen, Inc. states that the pedestrian lights at the intersection are concurrent in the case that a pedestrian presses the button. The Commission discusses the number of construction workers, at the peak of the project, who will need to be onsite. Ravenelle states that 40-50 construction workers, maximum,will be onsite at different phases,with limited onsite parking. Roache and Ravenelle agree that there is a need to identify offsite parking for construction employees. Roache states that he will first approach the MBTA for help establishing parking for construction workers. Wynne states the more predictability, the better for the public, and comments that it is beneficial to establish a way to communicate changes to traffic and pedestrian patterns to the public. Palermo states that there is a plan to communicate and build relationships with the residents of the area, as the company has done for other projects. 4. General or New Business a. Kristen Poulin, Director of Development of Gateway Beverly Crossing, and Rebecca Brown of Greenman-Pedersen, Inc. are present. The Commission discusses the stop bars at Court Street, Pleasant Street, and Park Street. The Commission recommends adding stop signs to each stop bar at Court Street, Pleasant Street, and Park Street. Adjournment City of Beverly Parking and Traffic Commission March 7,2023 Meeting Minutes Page 5 of 5 Meeting ends at 10:07 a.m. The next regular meeting of the Parking and Traffic Commission is scheduled for April 4, 2023.