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2023-10-3 Parking and Traffic Commission minutes City of Beverly Parking and Traffic Commission October 3,2023 Meeting Minutes Page 1 of 5 CITY OF BEVERLY PUBLIC MEETING MINUTES BOARD: Parking and Traffic Commission LOCATION: City Hall, 3rd floor Council Chambers DATE: October 3, 2023 BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Chair Richard Benevento, Vice Chair Darlene Wynne, Captain Jake Kreyling, City Commissioner Michael Collins, Jonathan Salt BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT: Dayna Morton, Sergeant Dana Nicholson OTHERS PRESENT: RECORDER: Naomi Moca Welcome and Call to Order Benevento chairs and opens the meeting at 8:37 a.m. Welcome and Call to Order 1. Recommendation to City Council: Order No. 183-2023 Residential Only parking on Fish Flake Hill—Ward 2 City Councilor Estelle Rand The Commission provided a letter to the City Council regarding this matter on September 14, 2023 with no recommendation and continued the discussion to the September meeting, which was ultimately canceled. Wynne noted that the end date of Councilor Rand's temporary request was October 2, 2023 and therefore the request is no longer valid. Wynne adds that there are a number of items the Mission Boathouse restaurant is still putting into place in regards to traffic and parking management. The Commission discusses its concerns about the request for a temporary residential only parking plan, such as the City's limited ability to enforce Resident Only parking, lack of data in regards to parking supply, and the probable spillover of parked vehicles in other neighborhoods as a result. Collins: Motion to recommend that the City Council deny the request in Order No. 183-2023 Residential Only parking on Fish Flake Hill. Kreyling seconds. Motion carries (5-0). 2. Pre-submission review of Site Plan and Traffic Study—478 Rantoul Street—Vincent Orlando Present for the project include the applicant Vincent Orlando, Traffic Engineer William Lyons, Fort Hill Companies, and Attorney Tom Alexander, Alexander& Femino. Alexander summarizes that the site is 1/z an acre in size with an existing 3 story residential structure. The proposal includes keeping the existing structure with 2 residential units on the upper floors and a commercial unit on the first floor and adding a new 44-unit residential building with associated Page 1 of 5 City of Beverly Parking and Traffic Commission October 3,2023 Meeting Minutes Page 2 of 5 parking. The site plan review and special permit application have not yet gone before the Planning Board. Alexander states there will be 38 parking spaces total on the site and thus a special permit is being requested for relief from the required parking. Alexander states that the application provides less than one parking space per unit, which he justifies is acceptable due to the projects proximity to the Beverly Depot train station. Lyons states that the traffic study compiled data on traffic impact and access. The site is anticipated to generate 17 daily trips at peak times, which is approximately one car every four minutes. The study showed a slight degradation in the northbound lane of Rantoul Street and a small adjustment to the light cycle times should mitigate that. The Commission discusses that the traffic signal timing is likely to resolve the anticipated slowdown. The Commission reviews the site map and street views of the site and 480 Rantoul Street. Alexander clarifies that the commercial units will not be drive-through in nature. A minimum of 48 parking spaces are required for the project under the zoning. The proposal calls for 39 parking spaces, including the one on-street parking space, making the total number fall short by 9 spaces. The parking ratio is .83 parking spaces per unit. Wynne notes this property is not within the Depot Parking Overlay District allowing reduced parking at one space per unit. The Commission discusses that the rebuilding of Route IA, with the exception of the Elliott Street and Rantoul Street intersection,has markedly improved the traffic flow in the area. At times there can be a large volume of southbound traffic, which is typically backed up beyond Burger King. Alexander references studies indicating that less than one parking space is sufficient per residential unit. Wynne clarifies that the Planning Department analyzes this every few years and the most recent study that found that the ratio of cars per unit in downtown multi- family buildings, based on vehicle registrations, was approximately 0.98 cars per unit. The Commission discusses that there is already an existing parking deficit in the area, as demonstrated by the request at a recent meeting to change the parking in front of 480 Rantoul Street to 15-minute spaces. At that time, the Traffic Sergeant presented data that every car parked in front of 480 Rantoul Street belongs to a resident of 480 Rantoul Street. This project also benefited from a Special Permit for parking relief. There is already an issue with parked cars spilling over to the surrounding neighborhoods. Salt observes that the bicycling infrastructure at the Gloucester Crossing area flows adequately, despite being a somewhat complex intersection. Collins states that the City Engineering Department has monthly meetings with the MBTA to discuss the Gloucester Crossing intersection. Wynne asks about bicycle parking and notes that the study says there are not bicycle lanes in the vicinity of the project,when there is a bike lane in front of the property. Lyons notes that the traffic study did not look at bicycle infrastructure. Kreyling states that there has been significant Fire Department discussion regarding the access to the building,which led to eliminating one parking space already to provide sufficient ambulance Page 2 of 5 City of Beverly Parking and Traffic Commission October 3,2023 Meeting Minutes Page 3 of 5 turnaround space. He adds that the plan does not allow for a fire vehicle to access the property at all. Commission members discuss that construction management and its impacts on traffic and pedestrians is a concern. The Commission notes that the building occupies nearly the entire site. Kreyling adds that the site is unique because there is no 360-degree access; the emergency access is shared with vehicular access. The Commission discusses that it may be appropriate for the project to be downsized somewhat as it does not accommodate the required parking. As the design stands, all parking spaces are located under the building,with the exception of six parallel parking spaces outdoors. Alexander explains that the retaining wall was incorporated into the design due to the Conservation Commission's request to mitigate stormwater runoff. Collins notes that there is a significant issue with flooding in the adjacent site despite there being a large drain. Kreyling states that some of the adjacent trailers hold hazardous waste, while others hold furniture and items associated with the range of businesses on the site. He also adds that he has been working with the Kaminski property to the west of the site to address the storage of hazardous materials in trailers on the site; these trailers would have be required to be a certain distance from a residential property if this project is built. The parking underneath the building is carport-style/columnar parking, not an enclosed garage. The Fire Department is working with the applicant to modify the sprinkler system due to the fire concern with vehicles being parked under the building. There will be two electric vehicle spaces located outside the building. Kreyling mentions a similar design at the 6 Rantoul Street project where they employed a modified fire suppression system. Alexander clarifies that the project has 44 residential units and one commercial unit. Wynne asks whether any on-street parking spaces need to be moved for sightline purposes. They discussed the limitations to access in the case of an emergency at the extreme end or the center of the building. Kreyling states that there needs to be access from the adjacent sites because fire trucks will not be supported by the pervious pavement. Kreyling explains that as presented, the only vehicle access to the building is from the Rantoul Street side. There could be access from the CVS parking lot,provided the trees are removed. Salt asks what measures the applicant is taking to encourage non-auto travel and usage of bicycles. Lyons states that the applicant will make adjustments to the plan for bicycles. The Commission agrees to provide the applicant with the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP)recommendations for bicycle storage and accommodations. The Commission observes that bike storage rooms tend to quickly become storage for strollers and golf carts leading to storage items spilling out into stairwells. Page 3 of 5 City of Beverly Parking and Traffic Commission October 3,2023 Meeting Minutes Page 4 of 5 Kreyling states that the Fire Department has requested measurements demonstrating that construction traffic will be able to clear the turnaround. Alexander states that the dumpster will be serviced by a truck that accesses the site straight in and back out again. Members opine that the project is overall too big for the site and that a special permit for the reduction in parking may not be appropriate. Wynne advises the applicant to speak with Director of Municipal Inspections Jim Butler regarding the interpretation of the zoning ordinance for the uses proposed on the site. Alexander states that the parking spaces measure 9 feet by 18 feet,the drive aisle is 22 feet wide, and the drive entrance is 13 feet wide. The applicant considered razing the three-family building to provide better access to parking, but opted not to because preserving the streetscape and displacing the residents that already live there were a concern. Collins: Motion to continue to the November 14, 2023 meeting. Salt seconds. Motion carries (5-0). 3. Approval of Minutes: a. August 1,2023 The members review the August 1, 2023 draft meeting minutes. Salt: Motion to accept the August 1, 2023 meeting minutes as written. Kreyling seconds. Motion carries (5-0). 4. General or New Business a. DPS and Police construction status update: SW Rantoul Gateway construction activity and impacts,if any Collins states that the existing building was demolished and the jersey barriers were pulled back in after demolition. It is expected that the project will have to dig into the street for sewer, water, and gas, as expected. There is a handhole for junction box access on the property with conduits leading into the foundation. b. Anything not known by the Chair prior to 48 hours before the meeting,if any, that cannot wait until a future meeting. The Commission discusses the concerns of residents of the neighborhood surrounding the intersection of Nelson Avenue and Wirling Drive. Residents have requested a stop sign, a dangerous intersection sign, or a symbolic sign as a warning or alert to drivers. The members discuss that two new houses were recently built in the area and that since the street was paved recently, it may seem easier for vehicles to make use of the street as a pass through. The Commission observes that drivers who speed also may tend to disregard potholes, pedestrians, and signs. The members discuss that there is no data or measurable issue that needs solving; furthermore, there are hundreds of other intersections like this one in the City. The Commission reviewed this intersection in December 2022. Page 4 of 5 City of Beverly Parking and Traffic Commission October 3,2023 Meeting Minutes Page 5 of 5 Benevento reads the email from Ward 5 Councilor Kathleen Feldman into the record. Materials added to the record: • Email to Director Wynne from Ward 5 Councilor Kathleen Feldman dated October 2, 2023. The members discuss that it is not possible to solve a problem that does not have a documented history of backups or accidents, and discuss the definition of a problem versus residents not liking vehicles driving in their neighborhood. Vice Chair Wynne clarifies that these types of problems are not in the purview of the Commission since it does not have the authority to tell the Department of Public Works (DPW)what to do and does not have a budget. The members will continue to offer their combined knowledge and can make recommendations. The members agree the City benefits from hearing from residents regarding signs that need to be repaired or updated. Collins agrees to go to the neighborhood to observe the intersections of concern. Salt observes that as a cyclist,intersections like this one can be tricky to navigate. 5. Adjournment Wynne: Motion to adjourn. Salt seconds. Motion carries unopposed. Meeting adjourns at 9:38 a.m. The next regular meeting of the Parking and Traffic Commission is scheduled for Tuesday, November 14, 2023. Page 5 of 5