7:00 PM Working Session-Review of Proposed Changes to Subdivision Regulations
8:30 PM Hingham Square Town Homes 40B
(Planning Board members will attend the ZBA hearing)
Present: Planning Board Members, Paul Healey Chair, Gary Tondorf-Dick. Also present was Planner Katharine Lacy.
Mr. Healey opened the public meeting at 7:00 P.M. at the Hingham Town Hall.
RE: Review of Proposed Changes to the Subdivision Regulations
The Town of Hingham received a Smart Growth grant from the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs to revise their subdivision and off-street parking regulations to incorporate Low Impact Development (LID) techniques. In the spring of 2007 consultants Horsley and Witten presented proposed changes to the regulations to the Planning Board and the various land use boards. At that time a subcommittee was formed including Gary Tondorf-Dick and Paul Healey to work on reviewing the proposed changes and finalizing the revised subdivision documents.
The subcommittee reviewed, word for word, proposed changes to Section III of the Subdivision Regulations.
The goal for the next working group is to go over Section IV.
RE: Hingham Square Town Homes 40B - 229 North Street
All members of the Planning Board joined the Zoning Board of Appeals for the initial public hearing on the application of Thomas J. Hastings for a 40B Permit to develop a Townhouse development at 229 North Street, also known as The Hersey House. Mr. Hastings has the land under agreement after the Town conducted an RFP process to dispose of the land to defray the cost of the new Town Hall, which was completed in 1999.
Mr. Hastings introduced his project team, which included Bob Engler, Housing Consulting, Tom Bizerski, Merrill Associates; Brad Seoul, Project Manager; and Don Orwig, Landscape Architect. Mr. Hastings provided an overview of the project, which will include the restoration of the existing Hersey house building, and the construction of 16 two- and three-bedroom townhouses on the 3.3 acre site at the corner of North and Thaxter streets. New units will be constructed on either side of the Hersey House facing North Street, and extending in a sort of quadrangle to the rear (northwest). The existing Hersey House will remain as a non-age restricted single family home on its own lot, but included in the homeowner's association. The rest of the units will be attached 2-family, with one 3-family. The site-drive will be 18' in width, with grass emergency-access routes leading out to Hersey Field and to Thaxter Street. The plan currently show a detention basin in front of the Hersey House, but Mr. Hastings stated that this would not be required if they were permitted to tap into the Town drainage system.
The units start at 2,300 s.f. and will each include an enclosed two-car garage. The applicant included a traffic study indicating minimal increases on North Street stemming from the development. Mr. Hastings showed elevations of the 3-unit building, which showed a shingle-style structure with large porches and low roofs. Each unit will have an enclosed two-car garage, and two driveway parking spaces. Four of the units will be "affordable" in accordance with Department of Housing and Community Development regulations.
Bob Engler provided the ZBA with a complete pro-forma for the development.
At the invitation of Steve McLaughlin, Planning Board members provided brief comments on the plans. Gary Tondorf-Dick noted that the new buildings on either side of the Hersey House shown in the renderings make the building look cramped. He pointed out that the newer buildings seem out of scale with the Hersey House structure.
Mr. Healey asked how much cut and fill would occur on the site, and Mr. Hastings responded that it was a balanced cut/fill project.
Members of the audience had various questions about the size of the units, and density of the development. There was particular concern about the grading that would be required. There were also questions about how the Hersey House would be divided off into an individual single family lot.
The hearing was continued to November 15 at 8:00 PM.
The meeting adjourned at 10:30 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Katharine Lacy
Town Planner