2008-11-05-PB-min - Laserfiche WebLink

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Page 2 Minutes for the Meeting of November 5, 2008 *****************************HARTWELL AVENUE AREA STUDY*********************** Traffic/Transportation: Ms. McCall-Taylor gave a brief summary of staff recommendations to consider in the new traffic/transportation article. The Level of Service (LOS) could not get worse, traffic-calming measures are incorporated in developments, and a two-tier system of permitted parking with a maximum might be used. Mr. Canale said the Board should apply a traffic bylaw for the whole Town and incorporate additional or differing traffic requirements for the Hartwell Avenue commercial zone. The Board would need to determine what the Town really should specify while looking at peak hour traffic and total traffic, factoring in green house gases, and getting a better sense of traffic calming in neighborhoods. Mr. Galaitsis said that past commercial developments promised that they would result in a level of service (LOS) D or better and that should be the baseline. Parking spaces should have a maximum number and an annual fee of $2,500 or other suitable amount per space should be imposed and maintained until the extra space was returned to grass, thereby creating an incentive to remove extra spaces. Mr. Zurlo supported the idea of setting up a fund for mitigation and thought the baseline should be established based on the goals. Start with revenue as the driver and ascertain what revenue would be sought and determine uses wanted, viability of uses, model impacts, and the baseline that would need to be mitigated. Did the Board get from the Board of Selectmen what the baseline revenue goal was? Mr. Hornig said the Board had previously decided that wasn’t useful. Mr. Canale said the Cecil report stated that the Town should be able to develop with developers bearing the cost and the Town could choose to share some of the cost. Would $2,500 per space be adequate? Perhaps the applicant should pay for the necessary improvements to the infrastructure with the Town matching or some pro-rated amount. Mr. Zurlo said the Cecil report did outline the process, but who would make the choices. Mr. Hornig said in the end Town Meeting would make the decisions on rezoning proposals. Ms. Manz said that since development would occur in stages it was difficult to lay out all the necessary infrastructure improvements and the allocation of funding in advance. The Town would have to contribute as well as developers. There is spillover from Route 128 and pass through traffic from Waltham developments, which add to the traffic problems. She could see requiring mitigation funds for a