2018-01-17-PB-min - Laserfiche WebLink

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Page 4 Minutes for the Meeting of January 17, 2018 6 Eliot Street, Sketch Balanced Housing Development (BHD): John Farrington, attorney, Dick and Rich Perry, applicants, Rick Waitt and Michael Novak from Meridian Associates were present. Mr. Farrington said the BHD was reduced from 14 to 13 units with one being an affordable unit in 10 structures and a reduction in the gross square footage and was compared to a conventional plan. Mr. Waitt presented the changes to the plan that were made since the last meeting for the BHD to what the conventional plan could have built. Individual Board Comments:  The plan is heading in the right direction on the open space.  These are great plans and easy to work with, but still don’t see the benefit to the Town and has tilted towards the applicant.  Remind the applicant BHD units maximums are guidelines and not automatically granted.  Create clusters of units to create more open space and eliminate an expensive road and have only 10 units eliminate the three units on the east side.  Create something nice with existing house instead of having it demoed or consider a site sensitive development instead of the conventional plan. This plan could be a lot better.  In favor of the conventional rather than the BHD because it would be more in character with the neighborhood.  Several Historical Commission Members felt the building is rehabitable. If the developer did that would allow a lot more square footage and flexibility. Audience comments:  An attorney who was representing 5 Pelham Road and 10 Elliot Road said the project was too dense, the common open space does not increase visual amenity to the neighborhood, the proposed dwellings should be cited better and complimentary to adjacent properties and reduce the number of dwelling units.  The increase in density does not fit in with the character of the neighborhood.  A petition was read by an abutter with concerns expressed by a number of residents of the Monroe neighborhood.  Concern was expressed about the construction of the houses will cause damage to the Copper Beech tree and the Board should make it a condition to save. The applicant said was responding to the Board comments and if they don’t get positive feedback with the plan presented tonight they will have to go to a standard subdivision and will be more destructive to the area.