2005-02-15
City of Beverly, Massachusetts
Public Meeting Minutes
BOARD: Planning Board
TOPIC: Regular Meeting
DATE: February 15, 2005
PLACE: Council Chambers, Beverly City Hall
BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Chairperson, Richard Dinkin; Joanne Dunn; Ellen
Flannery; Jason Silva; Donald Walter
OTHERS PRESENT: Leah Zambernardi, Assistant Planning Director
RECORDER: Jeannine Dion (by tape)
The regular meeting of the Beverly Planning Board is called to order.
Chapman’s Corner Estates – Definitive Subdivision Plan
Dinkin states that the applicant for Chapman’s Corner Estates – Definitive Subdivision
Plan has asked that the hearing be continued until the regular March meeting and has
provided a request for an extension of time. That extension of time is the time that is
allowed for the Planning Board to render a disposition. Dinkin states the hearing will not
be opened tonight and asks for a motion to accept the applicant’s request for a waiver of
time to March 2005.
Flannery moves to accept the applicant’s request for a waiver of time to March 2005,
seconded by Walter. All members are in favor. Motion carries.
Dinkin tables the hearing until March 15, 2005 at 7:30 p.m., the public hearing to be held
in Council Chambers, City Hall.
Cummings Center Garage
Zambernardi states the Cummings Center was scheduled to be heard for both the review
of the access driveway and for the discussion and decision on the 6-story hotel, however,
last week one of the voting members on this petition called and said she could make this
meeting. There would only be four eligible voting members for tonight’s meeting. Gerard
McSweeney agreed to wait until the March meeting for the discussion of both.
Dinkin states the public hearing has been closed and the matter will be tabled until March
l5, 2005.
Planning Board Minutes
February 15, 2005
Page 2
City of Beverly Affordable Housing Plan – Planning Board Review, Comment and
Eventual Adoption
Zambernardi states under Executive Order 418 (EO418), municipalities in Massachusetts
could apply for $30,000 to fund creation of a Community Development Plan. EO418 also
stipulated that communities that already had Master Plans in place, which met certain
criteria, could apply for “Equivalency Status” under EO418 and use the funds toward
implementation of the Master Plan. As Beverly completed its Master Plan in 2002, the
City applied and received partial equivalency status as it met some of the criteria for a
Community Development Plan.
The City was allocated $30,000 to hire a consultant to complete the Housing and
Economic Development components of the Master Plan and to begin the Comprehensive
Rezoning process. The chosen consultant, Ralph Willmer of McGregor & Associates,
recently completed the Beverly Affordable Housing Plan to supplement the Beverly
Master Plan. Specifically, they were asked to research and conduct a comparison of
current and projected housing supply and demand for low, moderate, and middle-income
households were to be developed to address any identified gaps. A housing suitability GIS
map was to be created to illustrate potential affordable housing project locations.
In addition, the City needs to have a housing strategy in place in order to retain its
Housing Certification under Executive Order 418. The City’s Community Development
office will submit the Beverly Affordable Housing Plan to the Department of Housing and
Community Development to fulfill the requirements for Housing Certification once the
Planning Board adopts the Plan. Ralph Willmer has submitted the draft plan for review,
comment and eventual adoption by the Planning Board. Procedure-wide, in accordance
with M.G.L. Chapter 41, Section 81D, the Master Plan can be added to or changed from
time to time by a majority vote of the board.
Dinkin asks if Mr. Wilmer’s obligations to the city have been completed.
Zambernardi responds that it is completed although he is still accepting comments for this
plan.
Dinkin recommends to table this until the March meeting since a few of the members are
not present for this meeting and this is a very important topic.
Zambernardi states in the interim, if members have any comments or questions, she can
forward them to the consultant.
Planning Board Minutes
February 15, 2005
Page 3
Approval of Minutes
Flannery moves to accept the minutes of the December 21, 2004 Planning Board meeting
as written, seconded by Walter. All members are in favor. Motion carries.
Subdivision Approval Note Required Plans (SANR’s)
14-16 Cole Street – Baribeault, Manzi, Bussone, Goodall, Brace, Thompson &
Gorman
Zambernardi states the proposal is to create one building lot. Lot 7 is being created and
shifting the lot line over Parcel A. The plan is technically compliant.
Silva moves to endorse the plan ANR for 14-16 Cole Street, seconded by Flannery. All
members are in favor. Motion carries.
Set Public Hearing: Definitive Subdivision Plan for Thompson Farm Subdivision,
Cole Street – Creation of Thomson’s Farm Way cul-de-sac, which will provide
frontage for 6 new lots.
Flannery moves to set the public hearing for the Definitive Subdivision Plan for Thompson
Farm Subdivision, Cole Street on Wednesday, April 20, 2005 at 7:30 p.m., seconded by
Walter. All members are in favor. Motion carries.
Set Date for North Shore Wind Power Project Presentation by Sam Cleaves of
MAPC & distribution of Wind Power Survey – Suggested Date: Wednesday, April
20, 2005 from 7:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Zambernardi states MAPC received a grant to do some education and outreach to the
North Shore communities to talk about onshore wind turbines. They have been collecting
data and visiting different North Shore communities for informational purposes. Sam
Cleaves of the MAPC is doing a survey of town officials and asked that the Planning
Board members take a copy of the survey. She will E-mail the survey to members.
Seminar on the Open Meeting Law sponsored by Paul Guanci, Beverly City Council
President - March 7, 2005 at 7:00 p.m., Council Chambers, City Hall
Zambernardi states a Seminar on the Open Meeting Law has been scheduled for March 7,
2005 at 7:00 p.m. City Council President, Paul Guanci, has invited Paul Donovan from
the Attorney General’s office to discuss the Open Meeting Law with the Planning Board,
Commissions and anybody else that wants to attend.
Planning Board Minutes
February 15, 2005
Page 4
495 Cabot Street – Cabot Crossing
Zambernardi states most members will recall the Site Plan Approval for 495 Cabot Street
– Cabot Crossing. She reads one of the conditions, which pertains to the building right on
Cabot Street: “The board requires that the applicant come back to the board for any use
of the ground floor and for any use other than professional offices for the second and third
floors.”
Zambernardi states she received a call from a bank that wants to locate within that
building and will have to go through a review and they wanted some guidance as to what
kind of information the board will be looking for.
Dinkin state he thinks the board would like to know the following:
??
Projected traffic generation for the usage
??
Hours of operation
??
Parking
??
Is there a drive-through planned?
??
Is a 24-hour ATM planned?
??
Relationship of bank services to the curb cuts
Question Regarding the Garage Access – McKay Street
Zambernardi states the Parking & Traffic Commission reviewed the garage access today
and they formulated a recommendation. Police and Fire wanted to know if the Board
wanted recommendations from them.
Dinkin responds that he would like recommendations from those departments, including
the Engineering Department.
Adjournment
Silva moves to adjourn, seconded by Dunn. All members are in favor. Motion carries.