7:00 PMPublic Hearings on Proposed Amendments to the Zoning By-Law
(At this meeting the Board will review all proposed amendments, and distribute a schedule for upcoming hearings on specific articles)
Old/New Business
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Present: Planning Board Members, Paul Healey, Sarah Corey, Susan Murphy, Judy Sneath, and
Gary Tondorf-Dick. Also present was Planner Katharine Lacy.
Susan Murphy announced her resignation after more than ten years on the Board. Written notice of such resignation will be provided to the Hingham Town Clerk on Tuesday, January 11, 2011.
Board members expressed their gratitude for Ms. Murphy’s eleven years of service.
Following Ms. Murphy’s announcement, the four remaining Planning Board members instructed Ms. Lacy to contact the Selectmen to request that they convene, as soon as possible, a joint meeting with the Planning Board to appoint a new member to serve on the Board. Whoever is selected will serve until the upcoming election, at which time they are free to run for election to serve the remaining four years of Ms. Murphy’s five-year term.
7:00 PMPublic Hearings on Proposed Amendments to the Zoning By-Law
Board Members reviewed all twelve Zoning By-Law amendments submitted for consideration at the 2011 Town meeting (including four articles developed by the Planning Board, five submitted by the Board of Selectmen and 3 petition articles) and established a schedule for further review and discussion.
ARTICLE 1:To Review and Update Use Table
To see if the Town will amend the Zoning By-Law at Section III-A, Schedule of Uses, by amending, as needed, all uses permitted in the following zoning districts: Residence A, Residence B, Residence C, Residence D, Residence E, Waterfront Business, Waterfront Recreation, Business Recreation and Official and Open Space, including amendments to associated definitions in Section VI as needed, with the goal of responding to current land use patterns and trends while protecting the long-term best interests of the Town.
Submitted by the Planning Board
ARTICLE 2: To Amend Dimensional Requirements for Business B
To see if the Town will modify the Zoning By-Law at Section IV-A (Schedule of Dimensional Requirements) for parcels located in Business District B, with the goal of improving the appearance and safety of properties within this district; responding to current land use patterns and trends, and protecting the long-term best interests of the Town.
Submitted by the Planning Board
ARTICLE 3:Update Reference to Flood Plain Map
To see if the Town will amend the Zoning By-Law at Section III-C (Flood Plain and Watershed Protection District) and on the Zoning Map as needed, by revising the references to the newly completed FEMA Flood Plain Maps (the current reference is to a 1986 version of the map), and other changes needed to update the By-law as suggested by the Hingham Conservation Commission.
Submitted by the Planning Board
ARTICLE 4:Amend Definition of Street
To see if the Town will amend the Zoning By-Law at Section VI (Definitions), to clarify the definition of “Street”.
Submitted by the Planning Board
ARTICLE 5:Wind Energy Conversion Facility By-Law
To see if the Town will amend the Zoning By-Law to create a Wind Facilities Overlay District, and to provide by Special Permit A-2 for the construction and operation of wind facilities and to provide standards for the placement, design, construction, monitoring, modification and removal of wind facilities that address public safety, minimize impacts on scenic, natural and historical resources and provide adequate financial assurance for decommissioning.
Submitted by Petition
ARTICLE 6:Re-Zone the Tree and Park Parcel
Will the Town amend the Zoning By-Law in the Zoning Map Part A, as heretofore amended, by removing from Official and Open Space and including in Business District A a parcel of land on Short Street as shown on Assessor’s Map 81, Lot 140, or act on anything related thereto?
Submitted By the Board of Selectmen
ARTICLE 7:To Rezone the Hersey House Property at 229 North Street
Will the Town amend the Zoning By-Law in the Zoning Map Part A, as heretofore amended, by removing from Official and Open Space and including in Residence District A a parcel of land on North Street shown on Assessors’ Map 60, Lot 143.
Submitted by the Board of Selectmen
ARTICLE 8:To Rezone the Hersey House Property at 229 North Street
Will the Town amend the Zoning By-Law in the Zoning Map Part A, as heretofore amended, by (1) removing from Official and Open Space and including in Business District A a parcel of land on North Street shown as Lot 1 on a plan entitled Conceptual ANR Plan Hersey House Property, North Street, Hingham, MA 02043 by Chessia Consulting Services. LLC; and (2) removing from Official and Open Space and including in Residence District A a parcel of land on North Street shown on a plan entitled Conceptual Subdivision Plan Hersey House Property, North Street, Hingham, MA 02043 by Chessia Consulting Services, LLC.
Submitted by the Board of Selectmen
ARTICLE 9:To Rezone the Hersey House Property at 229 North Street
Will the Town amend the Zoning By-Law in the Zoning Map Part A, as heretofore amended, by (1) removing from Official and Open Space and including in Business District A a parcel of land on North Street as shown as Lot 1 on a plan entitled Conceptual Subdivision Plan Hersey House Property, North Street, Hingham, MA 02043 by Chessia Consulting Services. LLC and (2) by removing from Official and Open Space and including in Residence District A a parcel of land on North Street shown as Lot 2 and Lot 3 on a plan entitled Conceptual Subdivision Plan Hersey House Property, North Street Hingham, MA 02043 by Chessia Consulting Services, LLC.
Submitted by the Board of Selectmen
ARTICLE 10:To Rezone the Hersey House Property at 229 North Street
Will the Town amend the Zoning By-Law in the Zoning Map Part A, as heretofore amended, by removing from Official and Open Space and including in Business District A a parcel of land on North Street shown on Assessors’ Map 60, Lot 143.
Submitted by the Board of Selectmen
ARTICLE 11:To Rezone Land at Cushing and Derby Street
Will the Town amend the Zoning By-Law, as heretofore amended, in the “Zoning Map, Part A, of the Town of Hingham, Massachusetts,” by removing from the Residence B District and including in the Business B District, the land shown on Assessors Map 195 as Lots 23, 24 & 100 and the portion of Lot 22 presently in the Residential B District.
Submitted by Petition
ARTICLE 12:To see if the Town will amend the Hingham Zoning By-Law at Section IV-G, Schedule of Uses, at subsection 8(a)(ii), replace the existing sentence “Residential use as allowed by paragraph 8(c) shall not exceed 15% of the total allowable project square footage,”with the following sentence “Residential use as allowed by paragraph 8(c) shall not exceed 15% of the total allowable project square footage; provided, however, that an additional 1.5% of residential use shall be allowed if located in a Commercial/Residential Building.”
Submitted by the Petition
Old/New Business
Interior Wireless Communication Antennas-New North Church Request to Waive the Requirement for Site Plan Review
This is an application for a Special Permit A2 to install six wireless communication facilities and one GPS antenna inside the dome above the steeple at the New North Meeting House. The applicant will go before both the ZBA and the HDC on January 13. In the recent past the Planning Board has waived the requirement for Site Plan Review for similar applications (Church of the Nazarene, 7 Thaxter Street, and the First Baptist Church on Main Street.) Apparently the Historic Districts Commission is concerned that the applicant will be altering the material covering the dome, and that some of the antenna may be visible from the street. In light of the fact that both the ZBA and HDC will review the application and the fact that there will be no impacts on the surrounding site (the associated ground facilities will be located inside the church building).
It was moved, seconded and SO VOTED to waive the requirement for Site Plan Review in accordance with Section I-I (5) of the Zoning By-Law.The Board based this decision on the fact that the project, as described, will have no impact on the surrounding property.Further, the Board felt confident that the potential impacts of proposed modifications to the exterior appearance of the building will be thoroughly addressed by the Historic Districts Commission.
Review of ENF for New Intermodal Center at Hingham Shipyard (Comments due January 22, 2011)
Ms. Lacy reported that The MBTA is proposing an 8,400 multi-level building, providing ferry and bus terminal facilities, as well as office space for the MBTA, Hingham Harbor Master, and Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR).The building will be located west of Building 45 on an area now occupied by an access drive, walkways and a small grassed area. Site work around the site will be designed to facilitate informal gathering and passive recreation and to improve MBTA bus stop facilities and pedestrian circulation. No additional parking is proposed. The project has been reviewed and approved by the Hingham Conservation Commission. The land on which the center will be located is owned by DCR, and will be leased to the MBTA for a 99-year lease. Design and permitting will occur over a 22-month period, followed by a 6-month bid phase, and 13-month construction period.
Board members expressed ambivalence about the appearance of the building, but noted that the level of investment is a very good sign for the Commuter Boat. Ms. Lacy will attend the meeting with MEPA on January 19.
The Board voted to approve minutes of December 13, 2010.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:00 PM.
Respectfully Submitted,
Katharine T. Lacy, Town Planner