HomeMy Public PortalAbout03-11-2014 EDP minutes_201403051211576164MEETING MINUTES
COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT and PLANNING
Meeting: March 4, 2014, 5-7:15 PM
Report: March 11, 2014
Attending were: Economic Development Committee members Stephen Corbett, Chair, Vincent
Piccirilli, Vice Chair, and Susan Falkoff, Secretary and Planning Director Stephen Magoon. Also
present for all or part of the meeting were Councilors Lenk, Palomba and Woodland; VHB
planners Ken Schwartz, Ralph Wiler and Geoff Wilson -Morse; ZBA members/alternates David
Ferris, John Gannon and Christopher Heep, and residents Charlie Brietrose, Mark Kraczkiewicz,
Barbara Ruskin, Joan Gumbleton, MaryAnn Mullyn, Ian Clark and Colleen Sexton.
The VHB consultants gave a Power Point Presentation on the status of the Comprehensive Plan.
The committee was pleased with the direction of the report, which is still being finalized. A
salient feature was the specific attention paid to commercial centers in Watertown and Coolidge
Squares, to major corridors, and to neighborhood identity. Another community meeting is
planned and the projection for completion is approximately six weeks, though the committee
questioned whether this time frame is realistic. The committee asked about the follow up process
for zoning changes and thanked the presenters and requested that future presentations be made to
the Council as a whole.
Next, the committee considered the appointments of David Ferris, John Gannon and Christopher
Heep to the Zoning Board of Appeals. Councilor Corbett recused himself from this part of the
meeting due to a pending matter before the Board. Vice President Piccirilli chaired. Because of
the timing of the VHB presentation, the three candidates were interviewed simultaneously. Mr.
Gannon and Mr. Heep, both attorneys with considerable experience in land use planning, have
been alternates and they are now being brought forward for full board membership. Mr. Ferris, a
current board member, is an architect and he discussed some of his concerns with great density in
inappropriate locations. The quasi-judicial nature of the board was discussed and all of the
candidates look forward to working on the zoning changes that will result from the
Comprehensive Plan. Councilor Falkoff moved to approve all three of these appointments, with
Councilor Piccirilli stepping down as chair to second. The motion carried 2-0. Term expirations
will be 2/15/2017 for Gannon, 2/15/18 for Heep, and 2/15/19 for Ferris.
Councilor Corbett returned to chair a discussion of the Pleasant Street corridor. He called on
Councilor Woodland who has been working closely with residents. Councilor Woodland noted
that Pleasant Street received significant attention in the VHB presentation and the neighbors
support the changes they recommended, including setbacks, tiered buildings, more river access
and reserving some sites for commercial use. The committee and residents expressed the
emergency nature of their concerns and asked Mr. Magoon how to expedite the process of
making changes. He explained that once a zoning amendment is proposed, a developer must
submit projects in line with the proposed changes. He thinks that an expedited zoning process
would be preferable to any kind of moratorium. He said he could work on crafting language for
changes. Councilor Falkoff moved to ask the Council to formally support asking Mr. Magoon to
move quickly to propose changes to the Pleasant Street corridor zoning. Councilor Piccirilli
seconded and the motion carried 3-0.
Respectfully submitted,
Susan Falkoff, Secretary