HomeMy Public PortalAbout20150520 - Planning Board - Meeting Minutes
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HOPKINTON PLANNING BOARD
Wednesday, May 20, 2015 7:30 PM
Town Hall, 18 Main St., Hopkinton MA
MINUTES (Revised 6-22-15)
MEMBERS PRESENT: Kenneth Weismantel, Chairman, Brian Karp, Vice Chairman, Frank
D’Urso, Fran DeYoung, John Ferrari, Patrick Mahon, Frank Sivo, Matthew Wade
MEMBERS ABSENT: Claire Wright
Present: Elaine Lazarus, Director of Land Use, Planning and Permitting
Mr. Weismantel congratulated newly elected Planning Board members and welcomed Mr.
Mahon to the Board.
1. Reorganization
Mr. Karp nominated Mr. Weismantel for Chairman, and Mr. D’Urso seconded the nomination.
There were no other nominations. The Board voted unanimously in favor of the motion. Mr.
Wade nominated Mr. Karp for Vice Chairman, and Mr. DeYoung seconded the motion. There
were no other nominations. The Board voted unanimously in favor.
2. Legacy Farms
Roy MacDowell, Jr., developer, and John Westerling, Director of Public Works, appeared before
the Board. Mr. Weismantel stated the Board would like to discuss tree removal along Wilson St.
and construction issues relative to Legacy Farms North. Mr. MacDowell referred to a letter to
the Board from Mavis O’Leary which he received this evening, and stated that he does not know
what trucks were attempting to use Curtis Road, but it could have been new contractors for the
retirement community on East Main St. He stated that he has spoken to the owner and to Pulte
Homes to make sure that no one uses Curtis Road. He stated he would like to post a sign that
Curtis Road is a dead end street and there is no construction access. Mr. Westerling agreed that
this would be a good idea. Mr. MacDowell stated they will follow up.
Mr. Weismantel stated that at the last meeting, a resident of Kruger Road attended to discuss the
tree removal along Wilson St. and the Board is also concerned about tree removal inside the site.
He added that the Board followed up on Mr. Westerling’s email and fined Eversource for
removing one tree without a permit. Mr. MacDowell stated after review of more plans, they
have found that there were 3 trees within the Wilson St. right of way that were removed for
Legacy Farms North within the Wilson St. right of way, and when the road nears completion
toward the fall he will vegetate the area with 5 or so trees at the edge of the road near the
intersection. Mr. MacDowell stated the trees would have had to be removed for the road
anyway, and perhaps there could be a bylaw change which exempts such trees from the permit
requirement. Mr. Weismantel noted that a permit from the Board was required prior to removal,
so the Board requires the submission of an application for an after-the-fact permit and to address
mitigation. He stated the Board can think about proposing a bylaw change in the future. Mr.
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DeYoung stated he is familiar with this portion of Wilson St. He stated there were a lot of small
trees along the road, and even though they may have been small individually, there is a big
change from their wholesale removal.
Mr. Weismantel asked about the timing of construction for the Rafferty Rd. sidewalk. Mr.
MacDowell stated he walked the area with Don MacAdam, Conservation Administrator, who
indicated the Conservation Commission would prefer a bituminous walk rather than gravel in
this area. He stated that VHB is scheduled to survey the area and will file a plan with the
Commission this summer. Mr. Westerling stated that he also prefers a bituminous surface for
maintenance reasons. He noted that the contract the Town has to construct the North road does
not include any work beyond the base coat of pavement, and it does not include the Rafferty
Road work. He stated that the remaining work is the responsibility of Legacy Farms.
Mr. Weismantel asked about the status of the East Main St. sidewalk. Mr. MacDowell stated
they are waiting for Mr. Marsh to remove some trees and do some work in the immediate area,
and then that area will be used as a staging area for the adjacent stone wall work. He stated they
will excavate the hillside and see what it looks like. Mr. Westerling stated that overall the work
completed to date is pretty good, but in some places there is a narrow strip that will be paved and
a berm installed for separation from the road. He stated that the plans submitted showed a new
berm, but the developer used the existing berm instead. Mr. MacDowell stated they will take
care of any remaining issues and it will be finished up.
Mr. Weismantel asked about landscaping of the Legacy Farms South roundabout, and Mr.
MacDowell stated he would submit a planting plan soon.
The Board discussed whether a site walk of the Wilson St. parcel to be conveyed to the Town is
desired. Mr. D’Urso and Mr. DeYoung expressed interest in walking the land. Mr. Weismantel
asked about the timing of conveyance of the athletic field parcel, and Mr. MacDowell stated the
Mezitts are moving their materials off the site, and it should be complete within the next few
weeks. He stated that when they are finished, he will bring in the loam and hydroseed it.
3. Public Hearing – 77 West Main St./0 Lumber St. – Major Project Site Plan Review –
REC Hopkinton, LLC
Paul Mastroianni and Kathi Sherry, applicants, Mark Allen, engineer, Louis Lobao, architect,
Mike Dryden, landscape architect, and Daniel Dumais, traffic engineer, appeared before the
Board. Philip Paradis, BETA Group, Inc., the Board’s consultant, was also present. Mr. Allen
described the site design and the utility connections proposed. Mr. Lobao described the building
design. Mr. Dryden described the proposed landscaping and the lighting plan. He noted that 27
single light poles and one double light pole are proposed for the site. He stated there would be
LED fixtures mounted 18 feet high, with a black finish. He stated the light levels are low, with
an average of 0.7 foot-candles with the hottest spot at 2.4 foot-candles. Mr. DeYoung asked how
the proposed lighting compares to the lighting on the adjacent parcel with which it will be
combined. Mr. Dryden stated that at 77 West Main St. the poles are 22 feet high, and they will
be replacing the ones on the edge of the parcel in the transition area next to the new building.
Mr. D’Urso left the meeting at this time (8:15 PM).
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Ms. Lazarus related the comments of the Design Review Board (DRB), which were distributed
this evening. She noted that the Board felt the project is a nice anchor to Lumber Street and that
the massing and scale are appropriate for the site. She stated the Board had questions about the
manner of illumination of the standing signs, and recommended reducing the number of wall
sconces on the building and creating a warmer light for the site. She noted the Board also asked
if pavers could be introduced into the landscape plan so that the site wouldn’t all be poured
concrete. The applicants indicated that they would address the DRB’s recommendations, and
Mr. Weismantel asked if the plans presented this evening contain changes requested by the DRB.
Mr. Allen stated the plans presented are the same ones reviewed by the DRB, and revised plans
would be submitted for the next hearing.
Mr. Paradis highlighted some of the comments and recommendations contained in BETA’s letter
report. He noted that concerns relative to the design of the driveway off Lumber St. were
discussed with the applicant, and that as designed, internal traffic queueing inside the driveway
to Lumber St. could block traffic entering, thereby backing up traffic in Lumber St. He stated
they discussed a few options with the applicant, which included moving the second access
driveway toward Lumber St. so people could see it and use it more. He noted that there are some
stormwater issues to be resolved, with facilities inside the 50 ft. wetland buffer zone. He stated
that the facilities could be moved under the parking lot as an alternative. He stated it is likely
that more parking is provided than is needed, and recommended that the plan show some that can
be built only if needed. He noted that the site is outside the municipal sewer service area and
needs onsite septic disposal, which is not shown.
Mr. Allen noted that there is an area on the site for a septic system if needed, but if sewer is
provided, the rear infiltration area could be relocated under the parking lot, thereby reducing
buffer zone disturbance.
The Board reviewed the public hearing outline. Mr. Weismantel asked for Board members and
the public to identify any items or issues that should be included in the list for detailed
discussion. The following items were added: Driveway issue identified by BETA Group; truck
traffic flow/patterns; site irrigation; wetland buffer impacts; Lumber St. sidewalk; lot
combination timing; number of parking spaces; signs; the BETA report; and access to the rear of
the building.
Mr. Allen addressed vehicular and pedestrian traffic flow. Referring to the Lumber St. driveway
issue identified by BETA Group, he stated that they have developed an alternative, and described
a design change in which the front parking lot would be one-way south, so that vehicles could
not exit directly to the Lumber St. driveway so close to the road. He noted that the
reconfiguration would result in a loss of parking spaces, so that there would be 7 more than the
zoning bylaw requires rather than 20 more. He stated that it also eliminates the need for a
variance from the 5 ft. landscaping requirement. Mr. Lobao described the interior layout of the
building, noting that loading for all businesses would be from the rear. Mr. Paradis noted that
the proposed traffic alternative would be an improvement. Mr. Weismantel noted that as part of
the proposal, a second driveway off the residential access drive would be added, and asked if the
most easterly entrance would be necessary. Mr. Lobao stated that it avoids a dead end parking
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area and people getting stuck or lost in there, given its shape. Mr. DeYoung asked if there would
be two-way traffic behind the building and the response was yes.
Mr. Ferrari asked if there would be a mix of tenants that is varied with respect to how long
people would stay in parking spaces, and the response was yes. Mr. Sivo asked what would
prevent people from going the wrong way in the one-way parking lot, and Mr. Allen stated there
would be signage and angled parking. He added that the first commercial driveway off the
residential access drive would be exit only. It was the consensus of the Board that the revised
concept would be an improvement to the design.
Mr. Weismantel requested that stormwater management be discussed at the continued hearing, as
the engineers still need to work out technical details. Board members agreed.
Mr. Weismantel stated the Town Manager called him today to ask the Planning Board to weigh
in on how it feels about providing municipal sewer to the parcel. He suggested that the Board
send a letter to the Board of Selectmen and the Town Manager with its recommendation. Mr.
Weismantel noted that the Board may prefer that sewer be provided, but it is outside the sewer
service area. He recommended that the Board provide a positive recommendation to the Board
of Selectmen for the following reasons: 1) this phase of the sewer system was intended to serve
commercial growth; 2) two parcels will be combined (one which already has sewer) and it will
function as one unified site; 3) part of the proposed building is on the 77 West Main St. parcel
which is served by sewer; 4) providing sewer would reduce wetland impacts; 5) the revenue is
needed for the Sewer Department. Mr. DeYoung asked what the concerns would be. Mr.
Weismantel stated that expanding the sewer district needs approval from Westborough which is
not easy, but he believes there is a state law that makes it easy for connections to occur if a
parcel is close to sewer. He stated there are also capacity concerns. Mr. Sivo referred to the
capacity concerns and the possible need to expand the municipal system. He asked if the fees
would cover the costs. Mr. Weismantel stated that the rates to send the sewer to Milford are
high, but the capacity can be handled. Mr. Sivo asked if it is a net cost to add the connection,
noting that if it is neutral that would be ok. Mr. Weismantel stated the cost probably isn’t too
high. Mr. Karp moved to send a letter to the Board of Selectmen recommending that municipal
sewer be provided to the parcel for the reasons listed by Mr. Weismantel. The motion was
seconded by Mr. DeYoung and the vote was unanimous.
Mr. Weismantel asked about the timing of the residential access driveway construction, noting
that the secondary access points to the parking lot would be necessary for the commercial project
to work. Mr. Allen stated the first phase of the residential project will be the access drive and
utilities to the clubhouse area, and work will start in August, 2015. Mr. Weismantel suggested a
condition of approval which requires the residential access drive to be built at least 25 feet
beyond the last commercial driveway before occupancy. Mr. Mastroianni stated that would be
acceptable. Mr. Weismantel stated he would like a letter from the residential developer as to his
status and timing, and where he is with the wastewater treatment facility permitting. Mr. Allen
stated they anticipate receiving the DEP permit in 30 to 45 days. A question was asked as to the
timing of the construction of the Lumber St. sidewalk. Mr. Allen stated it will be built with the
residential project, along with the road widening. After discussion, it was suggested that the
Planning Board’s approval of the site plan include a date, perhaps in 2018, where if the sidewalk
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has not been constructed yet by the residential developer, the commercial developer would be
responsible.
In response to a question of Ms. Lazarus, the applicants stated that they would install a shallow
well for irrigation and would plant native, drought resistant plants. Site lighting was discussed,
as well as the recent amendments to the site plan review zoning bylaw with respect to lighting.
The applicants stated they would revise the plan to comply with the bylaw changes. The
applicants stated they will add pavers and an associated detail to the plan as requested by the
DRB. Mr. Weismantel asked when the lots would be combined, and the applicants stated it
would be before the building permit is issued. Mr. Mahon referred to parking, and stated that
people will complain if there isn’t enough of it, so there should be a lot on the site, with an easy
in – easy out configuration.
Mr. DeYoung asked about snow removal and snow storage. Mr. Allen stated that snow would
be stored on the large rear parking lot island, and if there is excess it would be removed from the
site. Signage was discussed, and it was noted that the standing signs would comply with the
zoning regulations.
Mr. Wade moved to continue the public hearing to June 22, 2015 at 7:30 pm. Mr. DeYoung
seconded the motion and the vote in favor was unanimous.
4. Other Business
Mr. Weismantel referred to a draft letter distributed this evening for the Board’s review. He
stated the letter to the Board of Selectmen recommends that in light of the recent vote to acquire
the adjacent Irvine and Todaro properties, that they undertake site planning of the parcels
together. He noted that there could potentially be a road connection through EMC Park as well.
Mr. Mahon stated he recalls there may be a prohibition against a road connection in the original
EMC Park agreement. He stated he would review the documents. Mr. Mahon moved to send the
letter as drafted. Mr. DeYoung seconded the motion and the vote in favor was unanimous.
Adjourned: 9:45 PM
Elaine Lazarus, Director of Land Use, Planning and Permitting
Approved: June 8, 2015
Documents used at the meeting:
Memo to Planning Board from Elaine Lazarus dated 5/15/15, re: Items on May 20, 2015 Planning Board Agenda;
Email from Mavis O’Leary to Elaine Lazarus dated 5/18/15, re: Legacy Farms ongoing impacts on existing
neighborhoods; Public Hearing Outline – Site Plan Review – 0 Lumber St. & 77 West Main St.; Email from Jeanette
Thomson to Elaine Lazarus, re: Lumber St. – West Main St. project review, 5/18/15; Letter to Paul Mastroianni
from Edward Wirtanen, Board of Health Director, dated 5/4/15, re: Meeting with Hopkinton Board of Health –
Sewer Flows for a proposed building at One Lumber Street, Hopkinton, MA; Site Design Plan for REC Hopkinton
LLC on Lumber St. & West Main St., prepared by Allen Engineering LLC dated April 16, 2015; Application for
Site Plan Review dated 4/17/15, REC Hopkinton, LLC, 77 West Main St. & 0 Lumber St., and supporting
documentation; Draft letter dated May 21, 2015 to Ben Palleiko, Chair, Board of Selectmen, re: Irvine and Todaro
Properties – Master Plan