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Minutes Monday, May 7, 2007
Regular Meeting
Planning Board Agenda for Monday, May 7, 2007

  Scheduled:

 7:00 PM Site Plan Review - 2 Sharp Street, Weathervane Construction
 7:30 PM Continuation of Public Hearing Special Permit A-3 (parking waiver) for off-site parking - 269-271 North Street
 8:00 PM 201 Ward Street - New Castle Ridge 40B
 
         __________
Present: Planning Board Members, Susan Murphy, Chair, Gary Tondorf-Dick and Judy Sneath. 
Also present was Planner Katharine Lacy. 

RE:  Site Plan Review - 2 Sharp Street, Weathervane Construction

In 2004, the applicant (Jim Bristol) originally received a Special Permit A-2 with Site Plan Review to construct a 2-story office building at the corner of Sharp and Abington Streets. The original application included technical reports on grading, septic and, to a limited degree, traffic impacts. On May 23, 2005 this permit was modified to accommodate the reconfiguration of the building into two separate structures. At that time a parking waiver was granted allowing the construction of only 37 of the required 43 parking spaces, with a provision for reserve parking on the south side of the site.  In this current application the buildings are being reconfigured yet again due to site constraints. The applicant also noted that the revised plan included a loop road around the site, allowing for improved emergency access and circulation on the site.  The same number of parking spaces will be provided, but 10 will be held in reserve on the north side of the site, and 33 will be built. In this iteration some of the reserve parking spaces are partially within the required 50' setback to the centerline of Abington Street, which will require a variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals.

Gary Tondorf-Dick expressed concern that the circulation pattern on the site would lead to car lights shining towards the adjacent residential neighborhood. Mr. Bristol noted that they were not anticipating any night-time use of the building.

The Board voted to 1) waive the requirement to advertise the public hearing, and 2) subject to the issuance of a variance by the Board of Appeals for the location of the reserve parking, to APPROVE the revised site plan as shown with the following condition:

If the reserve parking should be built, the applicant shall provide sufficient vegetative screening to block views of the parking from the adjacent residential neighborhood.

Sarah Corey joined the meeting at this time. 

RE:  Special Permit A-3 (parking waiver), 269-271 North Street-Withdrawn

John Riley had withdrawn his variance application with the Zoning Board of Appeals to construct a four-car garage, and he indicated to Ms. Lacy on the phone that he also planned to withdraw the application for a parking waiver from the Planning Board, as he now plans to build two, two-car garages, so no relief is needed. Despite this verbal assurance, however, the Board does not have a letter formally withdrawing the application, so a decision was made to continue the hearing until next week on the condition that it would be taken off the agenda if a written request for withdrawal was delivered. An abutter, Mr. Steve License, expressed frustration that the hearing had been continued again. Ms. Lacy promised to notify him as soon as the application was withdrawn. 

RE:  201 Ward Street - New Castle Ridge 40B

Present for the Applicant: Anne M. Castelnovo, Habeeb and Associates;  and Mouli Dondegowda, P.E., Geller Devillis. 

Ms. Murphy explained that this was a non-binding advisory review, in that the permit-granting authority for 40B projects lies fully with the Zoning Board of Appeals.  Mr. Dondegowda introduced the project, a 44-unit, six-story condo being proposed at the entrance to Black Rock. He explained that the design is still in the preliminary phases in that the delineation of the wetlands has not yet been completed, and the septic system has not been approved.  The project is located just outside of the Aquifer Protection District.  60 parking spaces would be provided underneath the building, and an additional 33 would be provided in a surface parking lot that would be built over the proposed location of the septic system. The site slopes upward 25' to 30' from Ward Street to the back of the site, and the building would stand 65' in height at the front façade.  A steep driveway would provide access to the site from Ward Street, held up, in part by a massive retaining wall. The footprint of the building would be 293' by 80'. A level terrace would be cut into the site for the location of the building foundation. Ms. Castelnovo provided elevations showing how the building would fit into the hillside. 

Run-off from the site will be held by two detention basins on either side of the site entry near Ward Street. Drainage pipes will be located around the perimeter of the septic system, and lead down under the site driveway to these basins. 

Ms. Sneath pointed out that there was limited access to public transportation in this location. 

Board members asked many questions about the grade and construction of the retaining wall holding up the site driveway. Ms. Castelnovo responded that their plans were still preliminary. 

Several residents from the adjacent Black-Rock Community expressed concern with the development. 

Ms. Murphy noted that the applicant should come back to the Planning Board when they had finalized their site plan.
 
Old/New Business

1.  Minutes/Bills

2. Form A - 256 South Street
This Form A involved the transfer of a small piece of land from 264 South Street to 256 South Street. The Board voted to endorse the Form A. 

It was moved, seconded, and SO VOTED, to endorse the Form A entitled, "ANR Plan of Land at 256 & 264 South Street, Hingham, MA", dated February 13, 2007, prepared by Mr. Surveying, Inc., Norwell, MA for Greer M. Underwood, 25 Central Park West, Apt. 5P, New York, New York 10023, applicant and owner.

3. Form A- Berkley Circle  Land Swap
This Form A involved a land swap of equally sized parcels between adjacent property owners at 14-16 Berkley Circle. The Board endorsed the Form A subject to a minor correction in one of the plan notes. 

It was moved, seconded, and SO VOTED, to endorse the Form A entitled, "Plan of Land 14 & 16 Berkley Circle in Hingham, MA", dated May 9, 2007, prepared by Cavanaro Consulting, Norwell, MA for James Broderick & Karen Johnson, 16 Berkley Circle, Hingham, MA  02043 Map 124 Lot 57, owner and applicant.

4. Station Street Parking Lot Redevelopment
Ms. Lacy reported that the Town is getting ready to start improvements to Station Street per the Cecil Group plans as modified by the Daylor Group to reflect reality. The landscape plans, which will be prepared by the Beautification Committee, are not complete, but they are aware of landscaping provisions in the off-street parking regulations. Bruce Rabuffo was looking for Planning Board input on the plan. Board members noted that parking spaces and aisle widths all complied with Town regulations with the exception of the bank of the spaces in the middle of the lot, which are supposed to be 20' in length but measured only 18' on the plan. These represent approximately 1/3 of the spaces in the lot.

Board members discussed whether it would be possible to reconfigure the lot so that all spaces complied, without losing too many parking spaces. Ms. Lacy said that she would discuss this with Roger Fernandes. Board members discussed whether it was necessary to have all of the spaces 20' long and a majority determined that it was more important to provide as many spaces as possible, with the knowledge that there are plenty of 20' spots for longer vehicles. Gary Tondorf-Dick expressed concern that the 18' spaces were not long enough, and asked whether the Town had looked at angled parking instead of 90 degree parking spaces. Ms. Sneath and Ms. Murphy noted that the HDIC had been working on this plan for several years, and had explored alternate iterations. That said, Board members felt it was important that the Town be held to the same permitting standard as a private applicant, or at least be required to get a formal waiver from the dimensional requirements for off-street parking spaces.  Board members directed Ms. Lacy to work with Roger and the Selectmen to submit an application for an A3 Permit for appropriate waivers if the lot could not be reconfigured to meet the parking requirements. 

5. Approval of Roundabout for Shipyard Drive
The Selectmen voted to approve the revised Layout of Shipyard Drive, including the modern roundabout, in April 2007. A new mylar with a title block for the Planning Board and the Selectmen will be created and will be brought to the Planning Board's next meeting for signatures. 

6. Review of Plan for utility poles on 3A.
Ms. Murphy explained that the Selectmen are scheduled to sign a Memorandum of Agreement between the Town and the property owners at the Shipyard relative to the utility work on 3A. The property owners will give the Town $250,000, but one of the conditions is that the revised Shipyard Permit includes a condition limiting the extent of work on 3A to what is shown on the plan referenced in the Memorandum of Agreement. 

7. General Discussion of Parking Requirements in Business A
This discussion was prompted by the pending application of the Snug to provide outdoor seating in the adjacent alleyway, which will require some sort of zoning relief for the owner to comply with the off-street parking regulations. 

Ms. Murphy and Ms. Sneath "floated" the idea of taking a hard look at current off-street parking requirements downtown. Ms. Murphy explained that the current zoning restrictions are nearly impossible to apply for new uses or new structures. She asked the Board whether they would be willing to work with the HDA and HDIC to look at models of zoning in other downtown districts such as Chatham to see how they handle it, with the goal of perhaps coming up with proposed amendments to the Zoning By-Law for the 2008 Town Meeting. Bruce Rabuffo, in attendance at the meeting, agreed that from his perspective with the HDIC and as a member of the ZBA, that the current off-street parking requirements were not realistic. Board members agreed to focus on this topic in the upcoming year. 

The meeting adjourned at 9:48 PM.

Respectfully submitted,

Katharine Lacy
Town Planner