Scheduled:
7:00 Proposed Executive Session re: Ongoing Litigation
7:30 Old/New Business
___________________________
Present: Planning Board Members, Sarah Corey, Chair, Clerk, Paul Healey, Susan Murphy,
and Gary Tondorf-Dick. Also present was Planner Katharine Lacy.
RE: Proposed Executive Session re: Ongoing Litigation
Chairman Sarah Corey opened the regular meeting. She polled individual board members to go into executive session to discuss ongoing litigation.
It was moved, seconded and SO VOTED, by all present to enter into executive session to discuss ongoing litigation with Special Town Counsel Mark Bobrowski.
At 7:30 the Board VOTED to come out of executive session, and the regular meeting resumed.
RE: Old/New Business
1. Minutes/Bills
It was moved, seconded and SO VOTED, unanimously, by those present to approve the minutes of November 24, 2008.
2. Report on Interpretive Display at Shipyard
Per the Planning Board memo of August 14, 2008, Samuels was required to provide the final text of the interpretive panels for "minor proof reading type corrections" by the Board. Paul and Gary indicated that they had reviewed the panels and were satisfied subject to the adjustment of the eagle on the panel display.
3. Gardner Woods Subdivision Request for Bond Reduction
Ms. Lacy reported that she had accompanied DPW staff for an inspection of the Gardner Woods roadway (aka Wisteria Lane) in October. At that time Harry Sylvester identified several smaller items that needed to be addressed, all of which have been addressed since that time. The roadway is up for acceptance at the 2009 Town Meeting. The applicant is holding a bond of $51,000 as a surety for the roadway, which reflects the entire cost of constructing the roadway. All of the lots have been released, and all of the houses have been built. Mr. Kennedy is requesting a 90% reduction per the Planning Board Rules and Regs, which state that we should hold 10% of the total cost for one year after the completion of the roadway, which would be $5,100.
It was moved, seconded and SO VOTED, by all present to approve a reduction in the surety for the Gardner Woods Subdivision roadway (aka Wisteria Lane) to $5,100.
5. Farmers Market at Bathing Beach
Ms. Lacy reported that Mark Cullings, Peter Fee and she are scheduled to meet tomorrow to discuss the Farmer's Market use of the Bathing Beach. Mark Cullings is looking into what kind of zoning approval would be required to operate the weekly Farmer's Market.
6. Six Station Street Question
Ms. Lacy reported that Hans Dietrich called today and they are planning on revising the plan to show a 30% smaller building (5870 s.f. as opposed to 8778 s.f. building) with a total of 150 seats inside. They would also like to have 35 seasonal seats outside from June to September. He is looking for feedback on whether they could ask for the seasonal increase based on a general reduction of business in the summer months (per the Snug permit). Alternatively, he wanted to know if they could follow the Tosca Café model and reduce the indoor seating by 35 while the outdoor seating was in use. Ms. Lacy reported that, based on Jeff Dirk's counts, there was an actual reduction in parked cars during the PM hour in August. She also noted that she spoke with Judy Sneath this afternoon, and Judy concurred that there is a general slow-down in restaurant business (and business in general) in the summer in Hingham, which could perhaps compensate for the outdoor seating. Board members present expressed a preference for capping the total number of seats at 150 all year round, but determined to mull this information over prior to the hearing.
The meeting adjourned at 8:15 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Katharine Lacy, Town Planner