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HomeMy Public PortalAboutPlanning Board -- 2010-06-23 Minutes\\\\`o\\\~..~ ~ E`w S T~ ~~i/ / Q~ f p ~LCEq Bq e ~ ~ ~~~~ ; a ~a3 3~- - ara ///////////i F R P9 R A8p3 .\\\\\\\\\\\~ ~a~~ ~~ :-? _`. .r ~::~ - ~•~ ~ ~' F-µ~ Brewster Planning Board `~` ~:.`' 2198 Main Street Brewster, Massachusetts 02631-1898 (508) 896-3701 ext. 133 FAX (508) 896-8089 Date Approved as written July 14, 2010: Vote 7-0-0 TOWN OF BREWSTER MINUTES OF PLANNING BOARD REGULAR MEETING Wednesday, June 23, 2010 at 6:30 P.M. Brewster Town Office Building Chairman Taylor convened the Planning Board meeting at 6:30 pm in the Brewster Town Office Building with members Barnard, Kuzman, Collum and Leaning. Absent: Bugle, McMullen Also Present: Sue Leven, Town Planner CONTINUED Application for Endorsement of Plan Believed not to Require Approval -ANR#2010-07 Applicant: Dennis W. & Elaine F. Dugan -Property is located off of Great Fields Road and shown on Assessors' Map 35; Parcel 7-2. The purpose of this plan is to create a 40,650 +/- square foot lot from the existing 13 +/- acre property owned by the Dugans for conveyance purposes only. 6/18 APPLICANT REQUESTED A CONTINUANCE Taylor: Read the request for the continuance Barnard: Motioned to approve continuance to the next Meeting on 07-14-10. Seconded by Kuzman. All Aye Leven: Provided an overview of why the ANR has been continued. Other Business: 1. Review Meeting Minutes from March 10, 2010 Barnard: Motioned to approve the minutes as written. Seconded by Kuzman. Vote: 3-0-2 (Collum, Leaning) 2. Review ZBA agenda for July, 2010 No comments; both agenda items are probably going to be continued. Leven: provided an overview of both agenda items and why they may be continued. Planning Board Meeting Page 1 of 9 06-23-10 Action Items review: 1. Club Dry Dock: Leven: provided an update on the Ctub Dry Dock Trustees meeting on June 15tH Approximately 8 trustees were present along with 3 abutters. One trustee provided a list of the trustees' contact information. They let the abutters know that they could call them to report any situations on the property. Dion Dugan reported that he felt things had somewhat improved over the past couple of weeks. Several people went out and walked the property. The plan submitted had some inaccuracies in the parking lot size. The lot is actually larger than what was on the plan. They reviewed the large light out front and the trustees agreed to talk to NStar about replacing the fixture. They walked over to a neighbor's property and noted that there was no trash. The trustees agreed to put out a trash can in order to accommodate any outside trash. Club Dry Dock is suppose to get a new plan to Ms. Leven next week. Was that meeting supposed to be the neighbor meeting? Leven felt it was. She would confirm with Bob Evans and see if they had been in contact with the direct abutter. Taylor felt that the distribution of the list of phone numbers was a good step and any issues can be addressed quickly. Leven: also if the neighbors keep a list then perhaps the trustees can see a pattern. Leaning: noted that if Club Dry Dock was having any problems with NStar to contact him - he might be able to help. Kuzman: What is capacity? Leven: would confirm the number based on the lowest denominator (fire, building). 2. Bayside -Taylor signed the decision and submitted to the Town Clerk. 3. Updated Open Meeting Law: a brief discussion occurred. Of particular interest was that agendas had to be posted where they could be viewed 24 hours a day, and the minutes will need to be available within 72 hours - in what ever shape they are in (ie hand written notes), any complaints if there is an open meeting law violation go directly to the source (ie Board) before the AG's office. Leven: has a detailed chart regarding the changes - if a Board member would like a copy then feel free to check with her. The minutes need to include detail and may need to have plans accessible. Also, a reminder to be sure to not use reply to all on email. 4. Outstanding loose ends list: Barnard would like to have this list included: DPW inspections: Leven: has an agreement with a private engineer to handle this process. She needs to look into how this fee is going to be covered. Barnard: not comfortable with the engineer reporting to Planning and not DPW. Leven: noted that the engineer she is proposing is someone she can trust. Barnard: In other towns, DPW insists that they are involved in the inspection. DPW can review plans. 5. Preliminary discussion: 2010 Planning goals: Zoning is not planning. You do zoning to carry out a plan but not planning to justify zoning. Leven provided an example of this - an area needs to be residential and so let's change... no, you need to look at the area and see what is appropriate before proposing new zoning. Planning Board Meeting Page 2 of 9 06-23-10 Leven and Taylor met and looked at Underpass Road and think it needs to be reviewed more carefully. If the Board wanted to have mixed use on Underpass then you need to look at each parcel and see what is there and what works and what doesn't. Is there a way to push the zoning to make it work? 6A is another good example - it is zoned primarily residential -would it make sense to change the zoning along this stretch. Road Design; it is worth looking at various roads to see what works and what doesn't based on data and what happens in other towns. Instead of saying the 18 feet roads work. In Harwich, they wanted to allow accessory apartments over retail space -they wrote a bylaw to make this happen but they forgot to took at the parcels and this bylaw only works for a very few pieces of property in the target area. It is important that there is something that drives the plan instead of it being pushed. The local comprehensive-plan -the current plan is from 1970. There was a rewrite done in 1997 done but it was never finalized. Some things in it should be revisited, for example -the Economic Development section stated that economic development is inappropriate and the town doesn't want business. Is that what the Town wants now? For example Back Office in Harwich -nice business that maintains property, provides decent paying jobs for people, frequents focal eateries. The question becomes is that fully what people want. The Comprehensive Plan is supposed to be what guides planning and zoning. Barnard: which comes first -sounds like the Comprehensive Plan comes first. Leven: the Plan needs a lot of work -would not recommend waiting for the Plan to be finished because it is a long process - it would need to be reviewed by the Commission and be approved at Town Meeting. Barnard: wouldn't the plan reflect the leadership of the Town? Leven: not just the leadership - it could be impacted by all the citizens. You post the plan to the web and let the public review and provide input. She would like to cut up what she currently has and give it to the various departments to review and provide their expertise and input. There are other required elements to the plan and although they are not required, public safety and schools should be included. Strong believer in having a plan that has a history, shows the current conditions and forecasts the future. Taylor: if the population shifts then what happens (ie if atl the seasonal homes become year round). Taylor: How do we approach the planning now? Leven: We can start discussions -see you want (i.e. road width). In Harwich they are redesigning the road on 137 from Harwich to Brewster? Why doesn't Brewster want to participate? Didn't it go to Town Meeting 5 or 6 years ago? The Board thought it had gone to Town Meeting and it had been shot down. However, now if you had a plan and the thought was that Brewster wants to improve alternative solutions for the health of the citizens. The adding of a sidewalk on 137 could be a solution for this initiative. Planning Board Meeting Page 3 of 9 06-23-10 Barnard: Since we brought up roads -the approach to roads has to be what are you doing for pedestrians bikes, drivers and then look at the road condition. Barnstable for lots of less than 4 lots they can be narrower and in Harwich they don't have to be paved. If we are dealing with a Zone 2 then the Planning Board should be able to address differently than what the current bylaw states. Leven: The current Rules and Regulations only deal with subdivisions -they don't address clusters or the new NRPD bylaw. COPD also needs to be reviewed because the applicant has to provide the information to both the DPRC and the Planning Board. Leven has put together a draft that would rework the DPRC because it isn't working the way it was established. Currently, applicants are going though the DPRC at the same time as going to the planning board. Further, Leven felt that regulatory board members shouldn't sit on the DPRC if they are going to be reviewing the applicant later on. In other towns, they have a site plan review process that the planner would sit down with the applicant and advise them on what needs to be done, or the applicant would sit down woth several department heads at the same time to discuss a proposal. The revising of the DPRC and the COPD would be a significant change. This would have to be targeted for next spring. Taylor: If we talked about Underpass Road -the Board has spoken over the years about making it a mixed use area. Do we want to keep the zones as they currently defined (i.e. industrial zone on top of our Zone 2 -Underpass VB, the land use vision map -need to review and see if there are areas that we would want to allow different thresholds). Barnard: where do you get the consulting that says considering Mixed Use on Underpass Road is a good change? Leven: that is where you look at each parcel and then take alook - we have a GIS map that can be overlayed on the properties and very easily you can see what is happening. Then you can see what is there and then you decide what you want - mixed use 2 story, 3 story, maybe all business are accessed on Underpass Road and connected through one parking area. Barnard: who is going to tell me that mixed use is better? Leven: Not sure -maybe we hire a consultant that could review the impact of these industrial business on the wetlands. Sometime during that process you may learn exactly what you want to do in that area. Leaning: what do you do if you decide that the industrial use is not to done in that area? Leven: If the point is to change the character on Underpass? For example there is a sand pit there and it is currently not going anywhere - it can stay if that is the character you want. If it exists and doesn't provide an impact then you change zoning. If it isn't what you want to see then assuming the use is legal then it stays Planning Board Meeting Page 4 of 9 06-23-10 there until it is done. Otherwise it is a zoning violation and it is enforced. It is a lot of study and a lot of discussion. Once you determine what is there -then you get a bunch of people in the room that review and provide input. Leaning: If the Board wanted to focus on Underpass Road - it is a smaller review then how do we start? Leven: variety of ways -She could make the maps and give teams of two Board members an opportunity to see what is happening on the ground. Taylor: Or can we back in based on our needs: housing -village business. And perhaps that would require us to increase density. Leven: Can Underpass be used for a village business/mixed use? Is that a good way to put your toe in the water - after a year and a half this is the first conversation she has had with the Planning Board relating to planning. Taylor: maybe we need large maps to look at and start there. Leven: Maybe a large map and everyone takes a highlighter and says what they want in town. Taylor: Felt that was a great way to get everyone's input and see where we are. Barnard: that is where we need a consultant's help Kuzman: no - a consultant/town planner would take our input and then go from there. Leven: Zoning doesn't regulate "taste" version of what you wanted. It evolves into something that may be a Barnard: make it a high density area? Leven: maybe an assisted living facility? Leaning: If that is something you really want to do then you need to see the impact on the roads/pubic safety/schools. Taylor: With essentially 3 new members on the board, she was curious as to why the members joined the Board -was there something you had in mind when you joined. Collum -this is exactly what he had in mind on why he joined the Board. He has been taking some notes. Brewster is rural and he lives here and not in Dennis even though everything is located in Dennis. He loves Brewster and they way is has developed. Adding a traffic light is not something he would like to see. Planning Board Meeting Page 5 of 9 06-23-10 Leven: what creates a traffic light -intersections have to meet a State standard in order to have a traffic light. Leaning: Brewster is a bit removed and not easily accessible and not a draw for huge development and that is what appeals to him. Taylor: Has anyone seen what Harwich did at 124/Queen Ann? Is that something that we could do when the state is working on Rte. 6A Cotlum: Mentioning the Ice House -everyone says they are there and will always be there -but on Underpass there are acres of land that can easily be changed if zoning allows it. The population is going out of Brewster - it will change and it will start to happen here. We need to allow for some of the change and not other changes. An access road behind Underpass -might be interesting. Leaning: Various degrees of interest have been expressed wants to know how we get there. This is one of the big reasons he joined. How we can improve the town and how the residents can use the town better. This is a good area to start. Collum: Underpass Road -potential tax revenue -that could help the residents. Leven: There are 15,000 SF legal lots on Underpass. That may need to be changed because you can create a lot on only 15,000 SF. Residential rates do not support the town the commercial taxes do. Kuzman: Couple of concerns on why he joined. He wants to plan - he has a saying "well begun is half done". Was concerned that the Comprehensive Plan was so outdated. And that we don't have control over development. Would like to support local business. We lack a town center. Another concern is what we put our town residents through -there has to be a better way to treat people who are looking to develop a property or open a business. A checklist would be great. The handbook is great but the Board hasn't approved the handbook and the process. Leven: She has a permit guidebook -perhaps that would be helpful for the Board to review. It is a step by step book for the applicant. Leven is trying to make it more functional. Kuzman: would like to see all the applications in the handbook- with an explanation on what it is and why. Taylor: this is some of what we can discuss at the 6:30. Leaning: Just want to piggyback on Rick's comments. Doesn't think it should be a difficult process in establishing what the DPRC is doing. A checklist should be available for the applicant. Planning Board Meeting Page 6 of 9 06-23-10 Leven: True, but there is a DPRC by-law written that address these issues. If someone wants to be the person to read what she has drafted (Leaning volunteered to review the draft) she welcomes the Board's involvement and she will support anything the Board wants to do and only asks that the Board listens to her comments. Barnard: To a great extent, he feels Brewster is defined by its roads. He recognizes that the town needs to grow. There needs to be a balance on what we have here in order to keep the character we have established. Leven: Distributed a list of possible Zoning Articles for the Fall Town Meeting. The following were discussed: 1. Several Housekeeping issues 2. Map change -fix an error In addition, she provided a timeframe of what needs to happen to get a zoning bylaw to town meeting in the ideal world. In addition, she highlighted her desire to have the whole Board participate in Town Meeting instead of just the Chair. It makes the whole board show their knowledge and be part of the process. Taylor: Can Ms. Leven bring these housekeeping articles to the next meeting? Leven: she will take the fence height size down to 6 feet - to streamline the process. She will look at the Yankee Drive area and bring back a map. Barnard: the loose ends and the timeframe - he would encourage work sessions - would not like to focus on those sessions in the summer -but in the fall for the Spring. Leven: subcommittees and prior public input would help to expedite the process. Taylor: can one meeting be a planning meeting and the other deaf with applications? Sci: concerned that you may run into state regulations timeframes Barnard: can we plan to be here until 9 -have the hearings upfront and then do the planning at the end? Collum: wants to focus on issues and get things done. Barnard: Loose ends: Signs, accessory apartments, scenic roads, subdivision rules and regs. Leven: they are all on the "list" - Any other business that may come before this Board. Planning Board Meeting Page 7 of 9 06-23-10 Action Items Case #/Reference Artinn Revise Sign Review existing Sign bylaw Board and Target Fall Town B law Planner Meetin COPD#2010-09: 1. Meet with neighbors Applicant 1. Revised plan due Club Dry Dock 2. Post larger signs regarding on June 30, 2010 policies 2. Hearing 3. Light on Pole Continued to July 14, 4. Submit revised site plan with 2010 the re uested chan es COPD#2010-09: 1. Site Visit (meeting times Board 1. Board is invited - Club Dry Dock lam, noon, 5pm, 6 or 7:30 pm) not a requirement 2. Planner to attend Trustee 2. Revised plan due meeting on June 30, 2010 3. Submit revised parking plan to Police/Fire Def. Sub.#2010- 1. Determine Street Light req. Applicant 1. Information due 13 2. Documents require by July 7, 2010 Copelas (off Registered Landscape Architect 2. Hearing Freemans Way) stamp Continued to July 14, 3. Address items in Article XI; 2010 Section 56-B-11 and 57-A (Water Quality) 4. Address Cul-de-sac concern with FD 5. Contact NHESP COPD #2010-12 Decision to be signed and filed Elizabeth/ By June 16, 2010 Ba side Seafood with the Town Clerk Ja anne Proposed Zoning Any Suggestions Board By June 17 in order Changes to be discussed at the next PB meetin . Upcoming Meetings -Invitations were extended to the Board Date Time Meetin These meetings are not required Pur June 15 6:30 pm Club Dry Dock ose Trustees Meeting Location: 1439 Main Street June 24 7:30am -gam Chamber of Commerce Signs: Design, Streetscapes Location: Town Hall nd B laws Planning Board Meeting Page 8 of 9 06-23-10 July 13 6:30 pm Club Dry Dock Trustees Meeting Location: 1439 Main Street Leaning: Motioned to adjourn at 9:10pm. Seconded by Barnard. All Aye. Respectfully subm for Department Assistant Planning Board Meeting Page 9 of 9 06-23-10