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2011-04-26CITY OF BEVERLY PUBLIC MEETING MINUTES These minutes are not a verbatim transcript of the public hearing or public meeting of the Board of Appeals. Reviews of the Board's Decision or outcome of the public hearing should include an examination of the Board's Decision for that hearing. Board: Zoning Board of Appeal Date: April 26, 2011 Place: Beverly City Hall, Council Chamber, 191 Cabot Street Board Members Present: Day Ann Kelley, Chairperson Regular Members: Scott Ferguson and Jane Brusca, Alternate Members: Sally Koen and John Harden Others Present: Steve Frederickson — Building Commissioner /Zoning Officer Diane Rogers — Clerk for the Board Absent: Joel Margolis, Margaret O'Brien and Pamela Gougian Day Ann Kelley, Chairperson, opened the meeting to the public at 7:00 p.m. She announced that there was one case to be heard tonight, National Grid, located at 44 -46 River Street. 44 -46 River Street — IG Zone - Mass Electric and Boston Gas/National Grid Variance Request Ms. Marisa L. Pizzi, Esq. spoke on behalf of the petitioner. She stated National Grid is seeking relief from the requirements of Section 29- 25(E)(2)(e) of the Zoning Ordinance, which provides that any entrance or exit driveway shall not exceed (25) feet in width at a street. The Applicant is seeking to increase the maximum entrance and exit driveway width by five (5) feet to thirty (30) feet in order to construct a new entrance and exit driveway to accommodate a safe turning movement for large delivery vehicles at the Property. An Existing Condition Site Plan (C -1) and Curb Cut Variance (C -2) were submitted to the Board for review prepared Karen F. Staffier Registered Engineer for Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. 101 Walnut Street, P.O. Box 9151, Watertown, MA, 02471. A Site Aerial Exhibit was also submitted. Mass Electric owns a 5.85 parcel of land located at 44 River Street and Boston Gas owns a 3.52 acre parcel of land at 46 River Street. These parcels are sometimes referred to as the "Property ". The Property is located within the General Industrial zoning district and a small portion is located in the R -6 zoning district. Portions of the Property are also located in the Floodplain overlay district. There are (7) buildings currently located at the Property. MEC Land comprises the Property's electric operations, and contains an electric service building and an electric parking garage. BGC Land comprises of the Property's gas operations, and contains a gas service building, a fleet garage and (3) storage building labeled on the existing condition plan as "Storage Building IA" "Storage Building 1B" and Storage Building 2 ". The Property is currently used as an electric substation and for offices, vehicle maintenance and indoor and outdoor storage of equipment and materials and accessory parking. Materials stored outdoors include cable and wire reels, new and used transformers, utility poles, switchgears, regulators, capacitors, gravel, gas piping and meters. The MEC Land and the BGC Land are separately accessed by way of four driveways off River Street. The MEC Lane is accessed by way of a curb cut located between the Substation and the Electric Service Building and labeled as "A- Existing Southerly Curb Cut" which is (30) feet wide (Access A) on the Existing Conditions Plan. All types of vehicles use this driveway for ingress and egress, including employee vehicles, fleet vehicles and tractor - trailers. The BGC Lane is accessed by way of three curb cuts labeled as "B- Existing Middle Curb Cut" which is (33) feet wide ( "Access B "), "C- Existing North/Middle Curb which is (25) feet wide (Access D ") on the Existing Conditions Plan. The applicant intends to demolish and remove all of the buildings at the Property, except for any buildings located within the Substation, the Electric Service Building and the Electric Parking Garage; Consolidate all electric and gas operations into the electric Service Building and the Electric Parking Garage, and renovate the interior portions of the buildings; Remove barriers between the MEC Land and the BGC Land; Modify the outdoor materials and equipment storage layout; Construct a 30 -foot egress -only curb cut primarily for use by fleet and delivery vehicles labeled as "Proposed 30 -feet Wide Exit Only Curb Cut" (Exhibit B); Abandon and close the curb cuts at Access C and Access D; Convert Access A to an ingress -only curb cut primarily for use by fleet and delivery vehicles; Convert Access B to an ingress- egress curb cut for employee vehicles; install curbing at Access B to replace the northerly edge of the Gas Service Building and the southerly edge of Storage Building I which are to be demolished and removed; Modify traffic flow design, with fleet vehicle and delivery traffic flowing in a generally 2 clock -wise direction, with ingress through the southerly - located Access A and egress through the northerly - located Proposed Curb Cut; Modify the existing number and layout of the surface parking and add parking areas to provide sixty -two (62) large fleet vehicle parking spaces, seventy -six (76) small fleet vehicle parking spaces and 169 employee parking spaces as shown on Site Plans. Install additional interior landscape islands, which will help improve vehicular circulation and pedestrian safety and act as a form of storm water treatment and landscape buffer between River Street and the property and between the Property and the Bass River; and the property and install additional site lighting to improve everyday safety and operations. Upon completion of the Project, the MEC Land will continue to be used for the Use, and the BGC Land will be used for accessory parking and materials storage. All site access points will continue to be gated for security purposes. Large delivery vehicles cannot safely and efficiently exit the Property through a twenty - five foot wide curb cut. The Truck Circulation Plan submitted illustrates the turning area needed to accommodate access for a tractor - trailer, which results in a thirty -foot wide curb cut. The project will provide a number of benefits to the Applicant and /or the general public, including the following: (a) a reduction of the total number of curb cuts from four to three; (b) a decrease in the total width of curb cuts; (c) improved safety through the segregation of fleet and personal vehicle traffic; (d) streamlined flow of Fleet and delivery ingress and egress through the use of designated one -way access points; (e) improved sight distance along River Street afforded by the demolition of existing buildings; and (f) improved pedestrian traffic flow within the Property. Chairperson Kelley asked if anyone from the Public had any questions or comments relative to this proposal. There being no one present she then asked the Board members for their questions and comments. Ms. Kelley asked if the buildings to be demolished would be going before the Historic Commission. She stated that she thought perhaps they were of historical significance. Atty. Pizzi responded that the buildings to be demolished did go before the Historic Commission and there would be a six -month delay period issued. Ms. Kelley stated with the proposal of 313 parking spaces for vehicles would impact the streetscape. Mr. Ferguson asked if there were any hazardous materials that would require clean up. He asked exactly what materials would be stored outside. He was also concerned about snow removal and the security lighting in the rear of the property. Atty. Pizzi responded that the security lighting would be beamed downward and sealed. She added that the snow would be pushed toward the river and be placed in trucks to be hauled away. She commented that there were catch basins on the property. Atty. Pizzi stated there would be a complete site cleanup. She added new utility poles would be stored outside and old transformers and regulators, which will be in containment areas. Ms. Kelley asked if this project would be going to the Conservation Commission and Traffic Review Commission. She was told it was in process. Mr. Ferguson stated he thought perimeter fencing would be a nice thing to do. Ms. Kelley stated she believed that installing a chain link fence in the area of the demolished 3 buildings would be an eye soar and a definite detriment to the community. She commented that she believed a better design could be initiated. Mr. Harden asked why the curb cut on `B" could not work at the other exit. He asked what type of vehicles would be entering. Atty. Pizzi responded large trucks and 18- wheeler tractor - trailers would be entering and exiting all day long. Mr. Ferguson suggested the front of the building along the sidewalk should be a nice design such as a rod iron fence with brickwork. Ms. Kelley stated she was concerned with the asphalt parking spaces right by the water. She asked why a small parking garage wasn't considered. Atty. Pizza responded that a small parking garage would be too expensive to build. Mr. Harden asked how long this business would remain on this site. Atty. Pizza responded the company contemplated moving but thought this proposal would be the best alternative for the business to remain at this site. Ms. Brusca stated she was concerned with the effect of the streetscape with the buildings being torn down. She concurs with Ms. Kelley and Mr. Ferguson that the proposed fencing along the front and down by the water edge be brick pillars with rod iron rails and perhaps softer landscaping could be planted. Ms. Kelley commented that the site is contaminated and some vegetation might not grow in those locations. She asked how long this project would take. Atty. Pizzi stated the project would be delayed until October 2011 because of the Historical demolition delay. Mr. Harden asked if there would ever be public parking on the lot. Mr. Joshua Lee Smith, responded no. Mr. Ferguson asked if the petitioner would postpone the project until next month and have National Grid presents itself to the public with a better design. Ms. Kelley concurred. She commented that the Board did not want a chain link fence installed. Mr. Ferguson made a motion to continue the proposal until the next scheduled meeting May 24, 2011. Subject to a Waiver of Time being signed. Ms. Brusca seconded the motion. Motion carries 5 — 0. (Kelley, Ferguson, Brusca, Harden and Sally in favor) 11