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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018-08-30-PB-min PLANNING BOARD MINUTES MEETING OF AUGUST 30, 2018 A meeting of the Lexington Planning Board, held in the Selectmen’s Meeting Room, was called to order at 7:01 p.m. by Chair Ginna Johnson with members Charles Hornig, Nancy Corcoran- Ronchetti, Richard Canale, and Bob Creech, and planning staff Carol Kowalski, David Kucharsky and Lori Kaufman present. Mr. Kucharsky joined the meeting in progress. *************************BOARD ADMINISTRATION**************************** Approval of Planning Director: Ms. Kelly Axtell, Acting Town Manager, presented to the Planning Board her recommendation to appoint Mr. David Kucharsky as the Planning Director, which was subject to the Planning Board’s approval. Ms. Axtell submitted to the Planning Board a letter with her recommendations on the qualifications listed in her letter submitted to the Planning Board. On a motion Mr. Hornig, seconded by Mr. Canale, it was voted, 5-0, to approve Ms. Axtell’s appointment of David Kucharsky to the position of Planning Director. Mr. Kucharsky joined the meeting in progress. *******************************STAFF REPORTS******************************** General Updates: Mr. Kucharsky gave updates for the dates of the Tri-Town transit meetings, which are as follows:  st Friday, September 21, 11:00 a.m. in Estabrook Hall, Cary Memorial Building, 1 Stakeholder meeting;  st Saturday, September 22, 1:30 p.m. in Cary Library, large meeting room, 1 Community meeting;  nd Monday, October 22, 11:00 a.m. in Estabrook Hall, Cary Memorial Building 2 Stakeholder meeting;  nd Monday, October 22, 7:00 p.m. in Battin Hall, Cary Memorial Building, 2 Community meeting; and  Saturday, September 22, 10:00 a.m. in the Community Center for a Transportation Open House. Comprehensive Plan Update: Public events for World Cafés are on September 25, October 23, and November 27 regarding the comprehensive plan. The following Planning Board Members will be in attendance; Mr. Canale Page 2 Minutes for the Meeting of August 30, 2018 th and Ms. Johnson will attend the September 25, Mr. Creech and Ms. Corcoran-Ronchetti will rdth attend the October 23, and Mr. Hornig will attend the November 27 and RSVP’s are required. Hartwell Avenue Zoning Initiative Update: Ted Brovitz is the zoning consultant that has been hired and the fiscal analysis has been started. *********************DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION************************ CONTINUED PUBLIC HEARINGS 331 Concord Avenue, Planned Development 4(PD 4): Chair Ms. Johnson, opened the continued public hearing at 7:12 p.m. with approximately 50 people in the audience. Present were Bob Buckley, attorney, from Reimer and Braunstein, Ted Doyle VP of marketing for LCB Senior Living, Lee Bloom, from LCB Senior Living, Brian Jones, civil engineer, of Allen and Major Associates, Anthony Vivirito, landscape architect of TAT Design, Erin Fredette, of McMahon Associates for traffic impact. Anthony Vivirito addressed the concerns from the last meeting regarding massing, screening/buffering, view corridor, setbacks, site lines, elevations and grading. He explained they soften the curb cut with low plantings and articulated the building at a diagonal to the road to reduce the appearance of the massing from the road as you drive by. They met with the Fire Department regarding access which was required for the emergency access. The physical relationship and scale to the surrounding abutters was shown in site sections. The context /concept is traditional farmhouse and will keep it simple and in scale with the surrounding neighborhood. Mr. Vivirito showed the proposed floor plans which tries to create neighborhoods within the memory care units and there would be no access by assisted living residents. Brian Jones of Allen and Major presented the setbacks to the lot lines. The sidewalk along Concord Avenue is being improved with additional plantings, reviewed the walking area, seating, and said they were keeping the existing mature trees or vegetation along the lot line and will add some under screening to create more buffering. Erin Fredette addressed concerns from the last meeting regarding the December 2017 traffic impact study which was peer reviewed in February by HSH for the Town. They addressed the concerns by the reviewer and revised the traffic impact study in July 2018. The reviewer agreed there was a minimal traffic impact increase that included the new developments. The trip generation for all employees, deliveries and other traffic to and from the project were included and there are some existing operational issues already but this would be an acceptable impact increase. The project team will continue to work with the Town to improve traffic in the area and provide commuter options Minutes for the Meeting of August 30, 2018 Page 3 Individual Board Comments:  There are some changes needed to be added to the PSDUP. Extend the public hearing to the end of September to correct the PSDUP and MOU discussions.  There was project concern with drainage.  How much impervious surface is there over 101,827 square feet? There is proposed 110,000 square feet and which has met the standard that is based on forest.  There are grading concerns can you keep more of what you have today? We can keep more of the berm.  Concord Avenue has a high bike traffic count did you address them? Yes separately. Did you do weekend higher counts? No. Please provide them if you can.  Do you provide apartments for couples? Ted Doyle said it will be addressed with the Town.  Working on specifics for mitigation will be started with the Town soon.  Do we have an idea how many trees and caliper of trees are coming down? We will get a number for you. We are bringing in over 200 trees onto the site. Audience Comments:  What are you doing with the strip of land between the barn and our house? There will be nothing built there and will remain as a buffer.  When was the traffic study done? September 2017. The Goddard School is coming and will generate more traffic.  How much light pollution will be generated by the building? We are reducing the pole height at the parking lot to 12 feet and will use different types of lighting to keep it safe and a percentage of lights can be shut off.  There would be 24 hour lighting for security and in the north a security lighting system? Yes, but will keep the poles low and not visible from east and west and can use motion detectors, ballad lights four feet off the ground and timers.  Direct abutter oppose to change the zoning of the property. The density of this project is a concern and looks like a u shaped hotel. This is for 110 units on 6.2 acres and with Brookhaven extension, Artis Senior Living, and now the Belmont Country Club this is much more dense; how close are they to this project? The Goddard School, Bright Horizons, and Cotting School are all coming together at a very busy intersection. There is no concrete data showing that this is needed. I am ask the Planning Board to not recommend approval of this project to Town Meeting. Page 4 Minutes for the Meeting of August 30, 2018  I hope that we do not approve this trend of rezoning to allow these facilities on this lot. The abutter presented photos of the neighborhood and will send to staff.  Some of the slides for the presentation were misleading. The Town should hire another company to do another peer review with all the new businesses for the traffic impact study. The numbers maybe small but consider the ratio for the numbers.  The construction truck impacts should be considered in the study. There is a large percentage of senior living in our area and should be shared by the entire Town not a single neighborhood. Individual Board Comments:  It is very important to provide material in advance for review by the Board and neighbors.  The views are selected and need to have more views from other properties and second floor views are important.  Screening has to happen on your property. If you reduce the number of parking spaces it could help out to screen on you property.  Don’t understand the front elevation, a more wooded approach and signage need to be considered.  The Memory unit is too large.  Believe plantings are on ledge.  The width of the entry way is widened.  Memory Care unit should be moved to the east.  Noise, location of HVAC systems, light reduction all need to be addressed.  Will people be parking in the garage at night? Employees will park in the garage at night, there will be minimal cars in the night.  2,022 trucks will be exporting fill from the site.  If you reduce the size of the development you will need less to remove.  This is the end of August and am concerned about the timing for the Special Town Meeting. The zoning rules are not clear in the PSDUP. Once we know the standards we can consider the proposal. With the time left that you will be locked into a plan that will not pass town meeting since it is too dense for the site. On a motion of Mr. Hornig, seconded by Mr. Creech, it was voted, 5-0, to continue the public hearing to September 26, 2018, at 7:00 p.m. in the Selectmen’s Meeting Room. Minutes for the Meeting of August 30, 2018 Page 5 Luongo Farm Lane Subdivision Close out and release of surety: Staff said there are outstanding requests and are trying to get in touch with the developers. On a motion of Mr. Hornig, seconded by Ms. Corcoran-Ronchetti, it was voted, 5-0, that the project is not complete and deny the request for the release of monies being held. 55-56 Watertown Street (Belmont Country Club) Planned Development 3 (PD3):To be continued without discussion: Ms. Johnson opened the continued public hearing at 9:22 p.m. The applicant has requested the public hearing be continued without discussion tonight to September 12, 2018, in the Selectmen’s Meeting Room at 7:00 p.m. On a motion of Mr. Hornig, seconded by Mr. Creech, it was voted, 5-0, to continue the public hearing tonight without discussion to Wednesday, September 12, 2018, at 7:00 p.m. in the Selectmen’s Meeting Room. **************UPCOMING MEETINGS AND ANTICIPATED SCHEDULE************* Upcoming Meetings & Anticipated Meetings: September 12 will be the Watertown Street continued public hearing, a possible ANR and a possible street determination. September 26, will be the continued public hearing for 331 Concord Avenue, 7 Hartwell Avenue, Marijuana, a sketch plan for a Balanced Housing Development for 15-17 Fairland Avenue. *************************BOARD ADMINISTRATION**************************** Board Member Updates: We are trying to make a schedule for the appointment process for Neighborhood Conservation Districts (NCD). We are waiting to hear enough responses to have a group assemble. On a motion of Mr. Hornig, seconded by Ms. Corcoran-Ronchetti, it was voted, 4-0-1, (Mr. Creech recused himself) to appoint Richard Canale as a member of the Turning Mill Lane NCD Committee. On a motion of Mr. Hornig, seconded by Ms. Corcoran-Ronchetti, it was voted, 5-0, to appoint Mr. Creech as a Member of the Pierce-Lockwood NCD Committee. Board/Committee Role Planning Board Designee Housing Partnership Board Voting Member Ms. Corcoran-Ronchetti 2020 Vision Committee Voting Member Ms. Corcoran-Ronchetti Metropolitan Planning Organization Voting Member Mr. Kucharsky Battle Road Scenic Byway Committee Voting Member Mr. Canale Metropolitan Area Planning Council Voting Member Mr. Canale Page 6 Minutes for the Meeting of August 30, 2018 MAGIC (MAPC Subregion) Voting Member Mr. Hornig Hanscom Area Towns Committee Voting Member Ms. Corcoran-Ronchetti Community Preservation Committee Voting Member Mr. Hornig Economic Development Advisory Committee Liaison Mr. Hornig Transportation Advisory Committee Liaison Mr. Creech Bicycle Advisory Committee Liaison Mr. Canale Sustainable Lexington Committee Liaison Mr. Creech Greenways Corridor Committee Liaison Mr. Hornig Lexington Center Committee Liaison Mr. Creech Turning Mill NCD Voting Member Mr. Canale Pierce-Lockwood NCD Voting Member Mr. Creech Design Advisory Committee Liaison Mr. Creech Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee Liaisons (2) Mr. Canale/Ms. Johnson Tree Committee Mr. Creech Historic Districts Commission Mr. Canale Historic Commission Mr. Canale Conservation Commission Ms. Johnson Zoning Board of Appeals Ms. Johnson On a motion, duly made and seconded, it was voted to adjourn the meeting at 10:00 p.m. The meeting was recorded by LexMedia. The following documents used at the meeting can be found on the Planning Board website in Planning Board packets.  Planning Board Representatives/Liaisons to Boards & Committees.  Luongo Farm Lane Street Acceptance request from Robert Phelan, dated July 17, 2018 (2 pages).  As Built plans grading Layout and Road Compliance for Luongo Farm Lane. (2 pages)  Street Lighting plan for Luongo Farm Lane (1 page). Documents for (PD 4) 331 Concord Avenue (PSDUP)  Petition to change zoning  Zoning petition  Corporate overview  PSDUP (proposed zone)  Table of Development Data  Site plans  Environmental impact analysis  Fiscal report Minutes for the Meeting of August 30, 2018 Page 7  Architectural renderings  Foundation Engineering Report  Drainage report  LCB Support letters  Traffic Impact study and study Appendix Nancy Corcoran-Ronchetti, Clerk