Minutes Monday, August 4, 2008
Regular Meeting
Planning Board Agenda for Monday, August 4, 2008
Minutes August 4, 2008
Regular Meeting
Planning Board Agenda for Monday, August 4, 2008
7:00 PM Samuels and Associates, Hingham Shipyard Joint Meeting with Zoning Board of Appeals Request for Major Amendment to Mixed-Use Special Permit to Increase the size of the Daycare Facility (Building L)
8:00 PM Executive Session on Active Litigation
Unscheduled Old/New Business
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Present: Planning Board Members, Sarah Corey, Chair, Paul Healey, Susan Murphy, and Gary
Tondorf-Dick. Also present was Planner Katharine Lacy.
RE: Samuels and Associates, Hingham Shipyard: Request for Major Amendment to Mixed-Use Special Permit to Increase the size of the Daycare Facility (Building M)
Present for the Applicant: Leslie Cohen and Michael Fitzpatrick, Samuels and Associates; Matt Taylor, Kindercare; Rob Nagi, Traffic Engineer, VHB.
Consulting Traffic Engineer Jeffery Dirk was present for the Town.
This was a joint meeting with Zoning Board of Appeals regarding a request for a major amendment to the Mixed-Use Special Permit for the Hingham Shipyard to increase the size of the proposed Kindercare daycare facility (Building M).
Leslie Cohen provided an overview of the requested modification. The building will expand in size from 4,000 s.f. as approved in the amended 2007 permit, to 9,500 s.f. The student population will also increase from 53 to 145. The reason for this increase is that the tenant, Kindercare, has identified a clear need for this size daycare center based on comparisons with other centers in demographically similar, and physically proximate areas.
To accommodate this proposed expansion, the layout of Buildings L and M will be shifted and modified to result in an increase in parking spaces for both buildings from 69 spaces to 83 spaces.
Ms. Cohen pointed out that the 2003 Special Permit included a 16,000 s.f. daycare center, which was factored into the traffic and parking analysis at that time.
Rob Nagi of VHB ( Traffic Engineer for Samuels) noted that the larger daycare center will result in 30-40 additional trips on Shipyard Drive East during the PM peak hour, and projected a minor (2-2.5%) increase in overall traffic flow on nearby intersections. He pointed out that as a condition of their Section 61 Finding from the Executive Office of Transportation they were required to monitor the traffic at the intersection of Shipyard Drive East and Route 3A, and they would be able to adjust the signals as needed over time.
In terms of parking, he noted that they were providing 29 spaces for the students (1 space per 5 students as required by the Hingham Zoning By-Law) as well as 22 reserved employee spaces (22 teachers would be required by the State for a center of this size). At 4,460 sf, the bank requires 18 parking spaces. An additional 14 spaces will also be provided in proximity to the bank.
Matt Taylor noted that, as far as Kindercare was concerned, the currently proposed parking arrangement was sufficient. Based on a review of all of their other centers he noted that for a center of this size they look for 10-15 spaces immediately adjacent to the building for parents dropping children off. Each child is required to be accompanied by a parent into the Center for “check-in”, a process that takes about 8-10 minutes.
Gary Tondorf-Dick asked if there was a guard rail separating the roadway leading out from the bank and the designated parent parking. Mr. Nagi responded affirmatively. Mr. Tondorf-Dick went on to suggest that it would be a good idea to reconfigure the daycare lot so as to prevent
two rows of parent parking spaces facing one another, creating a potential for cars to back into each other while backing out. Mr. Nagi noted that he agreed that it would reduce potential
conflict to relocate one of the traffic islands so that staff parking faced parent parking, since staff will not be pulling out during pick-up and drop-off periods.
Traffic Engineer Jeffery Dirk concurred that impacts in terms of increased traffic volume on area intersections would be minimal. He also concurred that, technically, the amount of parking proposed for the area complied with the requirements set forth in the Zoning By-law. He questioned, however, whether sufficient functional parking proximate to the day care center had been provided to support the proposed expansion during periods of peak use.
Additionally, he questioned the safety of relying on the bank area to provide overflow parking, in that parents and kids parking in this area would have to cross the primary access to the bank and bank drive thru. Finally, he questioned whether the parking demands of the two uses were directly coincidental (having non-coincidal peaks) during weekday afternoon/evening hours, particularly on Fridays, when banks often remain open later. Mr. Dirk also questioned the impact of the commuter boat schedule on parking capacity in light of the potential that parents could be arriving in waves based on boat arrival times.
Mr. Nagi responded that he would provide Mr. Dirk with the additional information regarding the bank schedule and impact of the commuter boat on parking demand.
Ms. Murphy expressed concern about the relationship of the bank to the daycare center visa-vis the potential for bank customers to drive to quickly through the day care parking area, putting pedestrians at risk. She asked whether it would be possible to flip Buildings L and M so that the daycare center was up close to Route 3A, and the bank was further north on the lot, closer to the intersection of Essington and Shipyard Drive East. She also noted that current traffic patterns at Shipyard Drive East and Essington seemed dangerous when boat commuters were leaving the site in the afternoon and evenings. Currently there are no pavement markings or blockades preventing three lanes of traffic from turning south from Essington to Shipyard Drive East, so some traffic ends up head-on with cars coming north into the site on Shipyard Drive East. Richard Morgan, Building Commissioner, noted that the plans included a traffic island at this intersection, which had not yet been built. He stated that he would be in touch with Paul Zarba at Avalon (who is managing the construction of Shipyard Drive) and let him know that this island needed to be installed ASAP.
In response to Ms. Murphy’s request to “flip” the buildings, Ms. Cohen noted that they were currently negotiating with a bank tenant, and that visibility along Route 3A was critical to the deal.
Paul Healey asked about safety provisions preventing cars from driving into the play area from Route 3A, and, if there was to be some sort of fence, what that would look like. Mr. Nagi noted that it was his understanding that there would be a guard rail and a decorative anodized aluminum fence protecting the area.
Mr. Morgan asked where the dumpster would be located, and Mr. Taylor noted that it would be adjacent to the play-ground area facing Route 3A. Board members expressed concern about this location, and asked the application to reconsider.
Tod McGrath followed up on Ms. Murphy’s request to potentially flip the buildings, asking, instead, whether the plan could be transposed, which would also reduce parking and traffic conflicts.
Planning Board and ZBA members asked the applicant to develop an alternate building layout plan that would 1) ensure safe and sufficient parking for peak use at the daycare center and 2) reduce pedestrian and vehicular conflict between the two uses. Ms. Cohen agreed. The hearing was continued to September 10, 2008 at 7:00 PM.
RE: Executive Session on Active Litigation
Chairman Sarah Corey polled the Board to determine whether all members present were willing to enter into executive session to discuss the ongoing litigation stemming from Tom Hastings’ appeal of the Special Permit A3 issued by the Planning Board for 26 Summer Street. Special Town Counsel Mark Bobrowski joined the Board for this discussion.
At the close of the discussion the Board voted to go out of executive session.
Old/New Business
1. Minutes/Bills
It was moved, seconded, and SO VOTED, unanimously, by those present to approve the minutes of July 14, 2008 as amended.
2. Form A for Hingham Shipyard
Mike Fitzpatrick presented a Form A for Hingham Shipyard intended to make alterations to the perimeters of Lots P12 and P17, both owned by Samuels and Associates. These changes were made necessary by the recent completion of the land transfer between the developers and the MBTA.
It was moved, seconded and SO VOTED, by all present to approve the Form A entitled,
“Hingham Shipyard Lincoln Street and Shipyard Drive in Hingham Massachusetts (Plymouth County) Approval Not Required Subdivision Plan Lots P12 & P17”, dated July 29, 2008, prepared by BSC Group, Norwell, MA for Samuels & Associates LLC, 333 Newbury Street, Boston, MA, applicant and owner.
3. Dennis Road Mylars
Ms. Lacy reported that developer Mike Ferrara had dropped off a set of the plans for the Dennis Road Subdivision, originally approved in 2005, for new signatures, as the Registry of Deeds will not accept plans with signatures more than 6 months old. Ms. Lacy noted that she had reviewed the plans to make sure that they had not changed since the original endorsement date. Chairman Sarah Corey signed the plans.
4. Review consultant responses to RFP for Parking Study
Ms. Lacy reviewed the three responses received in response to the RFP for a Shared Parking Analysis for Downtown Hingham. She noted that she would be going to the Board of Selectmen the next evening to present the Planning Board’s recommendation, and request a reserve fund transfer to pay for the study.
Applicant Cost Expenses Contact
BSC $13,500 $1450 $1450 Dick Cook/Sam Offeiado
MacMahon/Nelson Nygaard $14,720 Included JasonSchreiber/ Ralph Denisco
VAI $13,000 At Cost Jeff Dirk
Ms. Murphy, Ms. Corey and Mr. Healey stated that they had a high level of confidence in Jeffery Dirk of VAI, and wanted him to conduct the study. Mr. Tondorf-Dick noted that the response from MacMahon showed a potentially more creative approach to changes to off-street parking regulations.
Ms. Murphy expressed concern that they needed the analysis done quickly in light of the fact there were several applications for relief from the off-street parking requirements pending, including the proposed renovation of the property at 6 Station Street (Settles Glass) into a restaurant. For this reason it would be preferable to have someone who was very familiar with the Town and its off-street parking regulations working on the project. Ms. Lacy noted that it might be possible to split this project into two phases, with an initial “number crunching” phase, and a subsequent parking management implementation phase, the cost of which could be shared with the Hingham Downtown Association or pending Business Improvement District (BID) organization.
The Board VOTED to recommend that VAI be selected to conduct the study.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:50 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Katharine Lacy
Town Planner