Scheduled:
7:00 PM Site Plan Review - 190 Lincoln Street (Business B)
7:30 PM Preliminary Discussion of Proposed Amendments to the Zoning By-Law
Old/New Business
• Minutes/Bills
• Advisory Recommendation on Proposed Use Variance, 191 Beal Street
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Present: Planning Board Members, Sarah Corey, Chair, Judy Sneath, Clerk, Paul Healey, Susan
Murphy, and Gary Tondorf-Dick. Also present was Planner Katharine Lacy
RE: Plan Review - 190 Lincoln Street (Business B)
Dr. Jeffrey Anderson, DMD came before the Board seeking Site Plan Approval in association with the issuance of a Building Permit to expand his building at 190 Lincoln Street (next to Brooks Pharmacy) from 3384 to 4492 square feet. One thousand six hundred and ninety five (1695) square feet will be general business space, and the remainder (2,797 s.f.) will be medical office to house his dental practice. Twenty-two parking spaces are required per Hingham Zoning By-Law, and twenty-two will be provided. The existing two-way driveway off Lincoln Street will remain, and emergency access will be provided through the east side of the property over the Brooks Pharmacy parking lot (the access routes for the two properties will be configured to match up).
Board members asked where the dumpster would be located and Dr. Anderson noted that it had been placed to the west of the building in the driveway, but that he had recently relocated it to the southern end of the parking lot. Board members expressed concern that it would be difficult to navigate the trash removal truck through the parking lot, and Dr. Anderson noted that the dumpster was emptied very early in the morning.
Ms. Lacy reported that Cliff Prentiss reviewed this plan, and is comfortable that the modified parking area will have no impact on wetlands or the adjacent Bradley Pond. The drainage will continue to run into the existing catch basins on the site, and there should be no net increase of impervious surface. Dave Damstra has also reviewed the plans, and feels that access to the building and emergency access to the site through the Brook Pharmacy parking lot will be sufficient.
It was moved, seconded and SO VOTED, unanimously, by those present, to approve the proposed Site Plan for 190 Lincoln Street prepared for Dr. Jeffrey Anderson by Cavanaro Consulting, Norwell, MA and dated 9/23/08 subject to the following condition:
1. The dumpster shall be located immediately south of the two handicapped spaces, and appropriately screened from Bulow Road.
RE: Preliminary Discussion of Proposed Amendments to the Zoning By-Law
The Board was joined by Jerry Seelen and Richard Innis of the Advisory Committee, as well as Ben Wilcox from the HDIC.
Board members discussed the following zoning articles proposed for consideration at the 2009 Town Meeting, with a goal of figuring out which articles are most important to pursue right now. Chairman Sarah Corey also suggested that individual zoning articles be assigned to one or two Board members who would focus on them and conduct research as needed as the zoning amendment process proceeded.
1. Modify Zoning Map to remove Waterfront Business District (on Back River) Susan
2. Modify Zoning Map to Re-Zone Police Station (Board of Selectmen)
3. Modify Section III-A 1.8.7 (Accessory Uses) to permit accessory uses in attached garages (now allowed in detached garages/barns) Paul
4. Remove Definition of Planned Unit Development Judy
5. Clarify FAR requirements in South Hingham Overlay District based on 1996 interpretation by Pete Puciloski Paul and Gary
6. Amend Section III-A 4.12 to allow private gyms in Industrial, Limited Industrial and Industrial Park Districts with a Special Permit (ZBA has granted two use variances, and another application is now pending for a gym on Beal Street). Judy
7. Modify Section V-C (Earth Removal) to include restriction on removal of stones from stone walls (from Andrea) Sarah
8. Add reference to Section 6, paragraph 2 under Section III (H) Non-Conforming Uses Susan
9. Prevent glare from parking lot lighting Gary
10. Changes to Off-Street Parking Requirements Downtown (HDIC) HDIC
11. Modify III-G (Downtown Overlay District) to prohibit certain office uses from street level (HDIC) Judy and Susan
12. Changes to the FRD Gary
RE: Old/New Business
Advisory Recommendation on Proposed Use Variance, 191 Beal Street
The Hingham Zoning Board of Appeals has requested an advisory recommendation from the Planning Board on a request for a use variance from The Body Studio Corp. to establish a personal gym facility in the Industrial District on Beal Street. In this case, the request is to establish a private gym in a portion of the building currently occupied by “Toy Storage” at 191 Beal Street. The gym use is prohibited in the Industrial Park District.
Board members noted that the ZBA recently granted a similar use variance for the CATZ gym located at Pond Park Road in the Industrial Park District, and perhaps another such variance for the gymnastics facility on Keith Way. In light of these actions, the Town Planner had suggested an amendment to the Zoning By-law to provide for gym uses (under Section 4.12) with a Special Permit A2 in the Industrial, Limited Industrial and Industrial Park Districts. Board members concurred that changing the zoning to accommodate a suitable use was preferable to granting multiple use variances.
Board members expressed concern that the change of use at 191 Beal to accommodate the gym would require relief from the off-street parking requirements, as well as Site Plan Review in association with the issuance of a Building Permit. The Board instructed Ms. Lacy to write the ZBA a letter advising the ZBA that they did not object to the proposed use from a land-use planning standpoint, but requested that, should they grant the variance, that the applicant be alerted that they may require Site Plan Review and parking relief from the ZBA. They noted, further, that the Planning Board would prefer to address this through an amendment to the Zoning By-Law rather than through the granting of use variances.
Minutes
It was moved, seconded, and SO VOTED, to accept the minutes of September 22, 2008.
The meeting adjourned at 9:45 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Katharine Lacy
Town Planner