Minutes May 17, 2010
Regular Meeting
Planning Board Agenda for Monday, May 17,2010
7:00 9 Sharp Street – 9 Sharp Street, LLC Site Plan Review in association with an application for Building Permit for a 14,800 s.f. warehouse/wholesale and office building
7:30 Continuation of Hearing
20 Derby Street - Old Colony Montessori School
Site Plan Review in association with an application for Building Permit
8:15 Continuation of Hearing
Intersection of Beal Street & Sgt. Wm. B. Terry Drive
Hawthorne Partners Alzheimer Facility
Site Plan Review in Association with Application for Special Permit A2
______ _
Present: Planning Board Members, Judy Sneath, Chairman, Paul Healey, and Clerk, Sarah Corey. Also present was Planner Katharine Lacy.
7:00 9 Sharp Street – 9 Sharp Street, LLC
Applicant Eric Koplovsky was present, and was represented by John Kelly, Kelly Engineering. The current owner of the property, Dan Russell was also present.
Mr. Kelly spoke on behalf of the applicant throughout the hearing. The applicant seeks Site Plan Review in association with an application for Building Permit for a 14,800 s.f. warehouse/wholesale and office building with associated parking, utilities, septic system, and stormwater management system to be located at 9 Sharp Street. The 9.5 -acre site is located on the south side of Sharp Street and is divided by the Hingham/Rockland Town line; the project will be located on the 5.41 acres of land located in Hingham. The proposed project will result in approximately 33,600 square feet of new impervious area.
Proposed access to the site will be provided via wetlands crossing consisting of an aluminum box culvert. This project is still before the Conservation Commission, who are ready to close out their hearing but are awaiting test-hole information relative to the proposed drainage infiltration system. The Applicant will also need to go before the Board of Health for approval of their proposed on-site septic system. Drinking water will be provided by an on-site well. There is a fire hydrant located on Abington Street, and further fire suppression will be provided by a complete building sprinkler system. Trash on the site will be stored in a compactor and removed weekly. The project will have minimal DPW and public safety impacts.
The project complies with all setbacks and lot coverage requirements. The site is heavily wooded, and the new building will be located far back on the site, leaving much of the existing dense vegetation to screen views from the roadway. Board members reviewed the Site Lighting Plan and noted that light impacts outside of the property boundaries were not shown. Since this area is located within an Estimated and Priority Habitat, Board members noted that it was important to make sure that light impacts in the surrounding area were kept to a minimum. The Applicant agreed to submit a revised lighting plan.
Sharp Street is very wide and straight at this point, there appears to be sufficient site distances between this and adjacent properties. The site drive is very wide, and there is a hammer-head turn into the parking lot which will allow delivery and trash trucks to turn around.
The Site Plan complies with the off-street parking regulations set forth in Section 5-A, with 29 spaces requires and 33 provided.
During construction, a comprehensive stormwater pollution/erosion control plan will be instituted to ensure compliance with Massachusetts and Sediment Control Guidelines.
It was moved, seconded and SO VOTED to approve the application for Site Plan Approval relative to the issuance of a building permit subject to the following condition:
1. Prior to the issuance of a Building Permit, the Applicant shall provide to the Town Planner a revised Site Lighting Plan showing lighting impacts on abutting properties.
7:30 20 Derby Street - Old Colony Montessori School Continuation of Hearing: Site Plan Review in association with an application for Building Permit.
Present for the Applicant: Kelly Killen, Coler and Colantonio.
This is the continuation of a hearing initiated on January 25, 2010 for a small expansion to the school building and the creation of a one-way driveway leading from Gardner Street to Derby Street. At that hearing the abutters expressed concerns about the proposed expansion, including potential impacts in traffic and traffic conflicts on Gardner Street; negative impacts on the residential character of Gardner Street; the potential for cut-through traffic and the need for the site to be cleaned up. The Applicant and the Board agreed that the site drive would be one-way from Gardner to Derby, and the Applicant was advised to revise the plan to include 1) proposed screening, 2) traffic controls on the site driveway to prevent cut-through; 3) potential overflow parking areas; 4) signage at entry and exit points.
Mr. Killeen noted that, since the last hearing, the applicant has spent a lot of time working with the Conservation Commission to address their concerns about impacts on the wetlands and, specifically, preventing any impacts on the area within the 50’ wetlands buffer located to the south of the existing school building. Largely in response to the Conservation Commission’s concern, plans have changed significantly since the initial application, including relocation of the building addition to a separate building on the Gardner Street side of the site, the removal of the new front parking area, and the expansion of the site drive leading from Derby to Gardner to include room for angled parking and a sidewalk. The plans also include a proposed 3600 square foot building that would also be located on the Gardner Street portion of the property should the school proceed with their future expansion plans. The project appears to comply with all setback and intensity requirements, and the reconfiguration includes a sidewalk the full length of the site driveway as requested.
Board members and abutters focused discussion on 1) potential negative traffic impacts on Gardner Street and 2) the need for appropriate screening from abutting residential properties and Gardner Street itself. Of particular concern was potential traffic problems stemming from cars making a left-hand turn into the site from Gardner Street, which could cause potential traffic back-ups and unsafe situations.
Board members asked Mr. Killeen for additional information about the school’s expansion plans, current numbers of students, etc. Mr. Killeen noted that no-one from the school was present at this meeting, but that he would bring the Board’s concerns back to them. Board members requested the following information:
1. Current and projected number of students and car trips to and from the school each day
2. Drop off and pick-up schedule (Board has current info-this would be for future school expansion)
3. Current number of cars queuing on Recreation Park Drive.
5. Site Lighting Plan, including schedule when lights would be on and off.
6. Elevation of proposed 1500 s.f. building, including views from Gardner Street and abutting property.
7. Information on trash removal/dumpster location and snow removal
8. Landscape plan showing all proposed screening from abutting properties and along Gardner Street (particularly where the house is currently located) and other proposed landscaping associated with the parking area, and other areas of the site.
9. Details for any proposed screening fences, and the gate proposed for the Gardner Street entrance.
10. Information on ability to reconfigure site entrance on Gardner Street to 1) eliminate impacts on residence 256 Gardner 2) reduce the width of the curb cut, and 3) prevent left-hand turns into the site.
The hearing was continued to June 10, with a start time to be determined.
8:15 Continuation of Hearing Intersection of Beal Street & Sgt. Wm. B. Terry Drive
Hawthorne Partners Alzheimer Facility Site Plan Review in Association with Application for Special Permit A2
Present for the Applicant, Scott Cohen, John Kiely, Hawthorne Partners; Daniel Mills, MDM Transportation and Consultants, and Nadine Starr, Epoch Healthcare; and Robert Devin, attorney.
The Applicant is proposing a 64-unit assisted living facility for early and mid-stage dementia patients. The initial application was for a use variance, but the 2010 Town meeting voted to make this a permitted use in the Industrial District with a Special Permit A2.
The submittal that the Board received was highly schematic, though the applicant indicated that full engineering plans had been prepared and would be submitted to the Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals. The 50,000 sf project will include four “households” housing a total of 64 residents.
Project Traffic Engineer Daniel Mills provided preliminary information on traffic impacts on adjacent intersections, which were minimal.
Nadine Starr provided an overview of the kinds of services provided by this facility, and the needs of the residents.
The applicant will resubmit the application to reflect the fact that it is no longer for a variance, but for a Special Permit A2 with Site Plan Review. A joint hearing of the Planning Board and ZBA will be on June 10, 2010.
Old/New Business
The Board voted to approve Minutes of May 5.
421 Lincoln Street
This Form A is to subdivide a lot as shown on a plan prepared by BSC Group, dated May 14, 2010.
It was moved, seconded and SO VOTED to endorse the Form A entitled “Approval Not Required Subdivision Plan, 421 Lincoln Street in Hingham, Massachusetts (Plymouth County),” prepared for Atlantic Development, 62 Derby Street, Hingham, MA, dated May 14, 2010 and prepared by BSC Group, 15 Elkins Street, Boston, MA.
The meeting was adjourned at 10:00 PM
Respectfully Submitted,
Katharine T. Lacy, Town Planner