Scheduled:
7:00 PM Form A 211 - 223 South Street
7:15 PM Certificate of Occupancy-Blue Cross/Blue Shield Update on Off-Site Mitigation
7:30 PM Continued Discussion of Revisions to Planning Board Rules and Regulations
Unscheduled: Old/New Business
Central Meeting Room South_________________________________________________________
Present: Planning Board Members, Paul Healey, Chairman, Judy Sneath and Gary Tondorf-Dick.
Also present was Planner Katharine Lacy.
Mr. Healey opened the public meeting at 7:10 P.M. at the Hingham Town Hall.
RE: Form A 211 - 223 South Street
Jeff Tocchio came before the Board on behalf of 223 South Street LLC and Carey Whitman, owner of 211 South Street to present a Form A that would transfer a portion of the public way abutting the premises to the owners of those premises, as voted by Article 40 of the 2004 Town Meeting. This portion of the public way (South Street) has been closed as part of the creation of a grade crossing for the Greenbush Line. These two houses are located immediately adjacent to the Greenbush Rail Line, and the additional land will allow them to be relocated on their own lot a bit further from the tracks. The land transfer is part of a settlement between the T, the Town and the property owners.
It was moved, seconded and SO VOTED, to endorse the Form A plan entitled, "Plan of Land No. 223 and No. 211 South Street in Hingham, MA 02043," dated May 18, 2007, prepared by Cavanaro Consulting, Norwell, MA for the Town of Hingham, owner and applicant.
RE: Certificate of Occupancy-Blue Cross/Blue Shield Update on Off-Site Mitigation
Present for the Applicant: Buzz Constable and A.W. Perry, Steve Leggat; Larry Healey, BCBS. Present for the Town: Paul Brogna, Sea Coast Engineering
By way of background, Ms. Lacy stated that Commerce Road extension was approved by the Planning Board on July 20, 2004. One of the conditions of this approval was that all off-site traffic improvements to Exit 14 and Hingham Street would be completed prior to the issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy for any building in the new subdivision. On February 28, 2005 the Board voted to modify this condition to allow the Planning Board the option of signing off on the occupancy permit even if the offsite improvements were not completed, but if all necessary permits and approvals and construction were well underway, and contingent upon posting an appropriate bond or surety. On April 30, 2007, representative from A.W. Perry asked the Board whether they could proceed with occupancy even though the off-site improvements to Exit 14 were not completed. At that time the Board responded that they wanted the off-site improvements complete before they would recommend that Ms. Lacy sign-off on the building permit.
Mr. Healey asked Paul Brogna to report on the completion of off-site improvements to Exit 14. Mr. Brogna noted that all proposed improvements were complete. Mr. Brogna also reported that all of the work on Commerce Road itself is complete, with the exception of the final loaming and seeding, and A.W. Perry has already entered into a contract with Seone to do the work.
The Board voted to authorize Ms. Lacy to sign the occupancy permit for the new Blue Cross Blue Shield building on the Board's behalf.
Old/New Business
1. 2007 Committee Appointments
Board members discussed the following annual Board appointments:
Historic Districts Commission
The current Planning Board appointments are Scott Ford (full member) and Ben Wilcox (alternate). Their three-year terms are up, and they need to be re-appointed by the Planning Board for another three year term. The Board authorized Ms. Lacy to write a letter on their behalf to the Selectmen and HDC re-appointing Scott Ford and Ben Wilcox.
Traffic Committee
The current Planning Board representative is Paul Healey. Mr. Healey agreed to continue as the representative for another year.
Community Preservation Committee
The current Planning Board representative is Judy Sneath. Ms. Sneath agreed to continue to serve for another year.
Wastewater Management Committee
Tod McGrath was the PB representative. Technically this is supposed to be a Planning Board representative, and not a Board appointment. Ms. Lacy said that she would find out whether it was fine for Tod to continue to serve as the Board's representative, of whether actual Board members needed to be on the committee.
Open Space Acquisition Committee
Susan Berry is the Planning Board Appointment until 2009.
Zoning Permit Study Committee
Susan Murphy is willing to continue to serve on the Zoning Permit Study Committee
2. Open Space Acquisition Committee/CPC
Board members discussed the fact that there were some hard feeling about the recent Town Meeting vote on the Baker property, and put forth the idea of meeting with the Open Space Acquisition Committee and Community Preservation Committee to discuss how they could all best work together on future acquisition projects.
3. Minutes
It was moved, seconded and SO VOTED, unanimously, by those present to accept the minutes of May 17, 2007 and May 21, 2007.
4. Closing Accounts
It was moved, seconded and SO VOTED, unanimously, by those present to close the Subdivision Account for 730 Main Street, Brandon Woods, and the Hingham Plaza Site Plan Review Account for Kohls.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:50 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Katharine Lacy
Town Planner