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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1999-10-20CITY OF BEVERLY, MASSACHUSETTS Public Meeting Minutes BOARD: SUBCOMMITTEE: DATE: PLACE: BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT: OTHERS PRESENT: Norwood Pond Commission October 20, 1999 Beverly City Hall Chairman Don Martin, Vice-Chairman Nelland Doughs, Joyce McMahon, Virginia MeGlynn, J. Michael Lawler, Bruce Nardella, David Lang, Tina Cassidy Kevin Burke, Todd Lampert, Bill Frost City Engineer Frank Killilea, Rich Benevemo and Susan Spratt from HTSD, Inc. Chairman Martin calls the meeting to order at 7:00. He informs the public that the next meeting of the Commission will be held on the second Tuesday of November (November l0th) instead of the first Tuesday of the month. Martin announces that this meeting is designed as a workshop for the members of the Commission to learn more about the proposed overpass design. He introduces Rich Benevento from the consulting firm of HTSD, Inc. Benevento in tum introduces Susan Spratt from his office who will be working on the design of the Beverly project. She has previously worked for the Massachusetts Highway Department, and he is confident this experience will prove beneficial during the design process. Martin informs the audience and commission members that he would like the members to devote the first hour of the meeting to the workshop session, and indicates his intention to reserve the last fifteen minutes of the meeting for public comment. Benevento addresses the Commission and bogins his presentation by explaining that the overpass project is in its infancy stage in terms of design. He explains the major points of the proposal, including maintaining access from Sohier Road to Brimbal Avenue, the elimination of the southbound leaf of the Brimbal Avenue/Route 128 interchange, and the inclusion of a so-called "jughandle" to allow southbound turnoffs from Brimbal Avenue. He notes that while a traffic engineer would want to design a roadway system that required southbound traffic to use the new overpass, he believes motorists xvould still want to have a direct southbound link to Route 128 from Brimbal Avenue. Beneveuto explains that the current design includes a provision to make Dunham Road a dead-end just before the Salem News building. Access to the newspaper would be redirected to what is now the back of the building. He notes that some wetlands resource areas will be impacted by the design, and explains that the wetlands information he has mapped to date reflects only what information he was able to f'md in the City's records. Norwood Pond Commission October 20. 1999 meeting Page two He adds that all potential wetlands resource areas will be physically delineated in the field and mapped, and until that field work is completed, the wetlands as shown on the conceptual plan should be viewed as preliminary information. Benevento says that an Environmental Impact Report will certainly be required tbr this project. Lang states his belief that the wetlands area shown in the vicinity of old Otis Road is much larger in the field than what is shown on the plan. Benevento says that it very well may be, and that some of the questions that must be answered include "How much of the existing Otis Road layout can be mused for the overpass roadT' "How much wetlands replication must and can be done? Lang urges Benevento to begin field-verifying the wetlands now, since their size and location may greatly impact the design. Cassidy asks Lang if he is aware of any wetlands information the Conservation Commission may have in this area that would help HTSD. Lang suggests checking with the Conservation Administrator. Douglas believes that the owners of Santin Engineering recently had their wetlands delineated, and suggests that Benevento review those files. Benevento then summarizes the review process for this project, noting that a preliminary design plan must be developed, submitted to the City for comments and revised accordingly and then submitted to the Massachusetts Highway Department ("MassHighway"). That department would then suggest its own revisions, and conduct a public hearing on the plan. He notes that the environmental review procedure used by MassHighway is typically very stringent. Lawler asks if the fact that the college access road, which was proposed for almost the same alignment, was fully permitted by the State and whether that fact will make things easier from a permitting perspective. Lang says that guidelines used by the Mass. Environmental Protection Agency have changed substantially since the time the college road was permitted. so the previous permits would likely be of no value at this point. Douglas asks Benevento for his thoughts on shifting the entire interchange from the proposed location on the plan eastward behind and around the North Shore Music Theater. He says that design may have less of an impact on the wetlands, and while the location would impact some of the facilities in the area (such as the parking lot for the theater) it would also benefit those impacted entities greatly. He notes that Parker Brothers has a "drawing beard" plan to add some 300,000 sq. ft. of floor space to the existing 100,000 sq. ft. there now. Benevento responds that while it isn't impossible to consider such a design, the engineers were trying to lessen the impact on wetlands while developing the most cost-effective design for the City. The design Douglas proposes may not be cost-effective. Nardella asks Benevento to explain the proposed traffic signalization for the project. Benevento explains that the design proposes five signals that ~vill be interconnected with Norwood Pond Commission October 20, 1999 meeting Page three a system that allows efficient, computerized coordination of all traffic. Nardella asks whether HTSD has analyzed the improvements to safety at all on and off ramps yet and if so, what were the results7 Benevento answers that they have in fact done this analysis and while he cannot recall the improved levels of service for each of the intersections, it is clear that all turning movements will have improved level of service grades. An audience member notes that the interim traffic study prepared by HTSD shows improvement from LOS "F" to LOS "B". Killilea notes that the design currently proposes drainage improvements in the area of construction as well. Martin states that making Dunham Road a dead-end street is a very important design element from his perspective. Lawler says that neighbors have clearly told him they want Dunham Road dead-ended in such a way that it appears to be a permanent arrangement. Lawler strongly urges Benevento to eliminate the proposed jug handle from the design by the next meeting, and suggests that one set of traffic signals ha eliminated at the Brimbal Avenue / Dunham Road intersection. He also suggests the installation of a sidewalk along Brimbal Avenue. Benevento says that HTSD will receive all comments from the City on this conceptual design and will incorporate them into the plan in time for a public information meeting on the project in the spring. Lang concurs that the jughandle design should be eliminated, and says the wetlands issues need to ha addressed. Douglas says that from his perspective, the conceptual design achieves both the City's economic development and open space needs for the future. Martin asks if there are any other comments from the members. He then opens the discussion up to members of the public who wish to speak. Ron Johnsen, 172 Brimbal Avenue, believes motorists will use Brimbal Hill Drive as a turnaround with the current design. Dan DeAngelis. 207 Brimbal Avenue, states that motorists will find shortcuts and that the jug handle should not be automatically removed from consideration. There being no further discussion, the meeting is adjourned at 8:45 p.m.