The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My Public Portal AboutZBA-2012-06_Arsenal_386B_PB ReportTOWN OF WATERTOWN Department of Community Development and Planning PLANNING BOARD Administration Building 149 Main Street Watertown, MA 02472 Phone: 617-972.6417 Fax: 617-972-6484 www.watertown-ma.gov PLANNING BOARD REPORT Board Members: John B. Hawes, Jr., Chairman Linda Tuttle -Barletta Jeffrey W. Brown Fergal Brennock Neal Corbett On April 11, 2012 with five (5) members of the Planning Board (the Board) present, case number ZBA-2012-06 SP was considered for a Special Permit to be heard by the Zoning Board of Appeals on April 26, 2012. The Board submits the following report, as requested, to aid the Zoning Board of Appeals in deciding the application before it. Case #: Subject Property: Parcel ID #: Zoning District: Petitioner: Owner: Zoning Relief Sought: Special Permit Granting Authority: Date of Staff Report: Date of Planning Board Report Staff and Planning Board Recommendation: Planning Board Meeting: Zoning Board of Appeals Hearing: ZBA-2012-06 SP 386B Arsenal St. 1213 2 0 I-1 (Industrial) Zoning District Jonah Sturtevant, Boston Mobile Concepts, Inc. 81 Walnut St., Somerville, MA 02143 Vasiliki Tzanoudakis 32 Bird Rd., Norwood, MA 02062 Special Permit §5.01.5(f), Motor Vehicle Repair Zoning Board of Appeals April 2, 2012 April 17, 2012 Conditional Approval (5-0) April 11, 2012 Scheduled: April 25, 2012 Page 1 of 5 386B Arsenal Street Planning Board Report ZBA-2012-06 SP 4/17/2012 I. Public Notice (M.G.L. c. 40A, §11) A. Procedural Summary Petition PB-2012-06 SP was heard by the Planning Board on April 11, 2012 and is scheduled to be heard by the Zoning Board of Appeals on April 25, 2012. As required by M.G.L. c. 40A, sec.11 and the Watertown Zoning Ordinance, notice was given as follows: • Published in the newspaper of record (Watertown Tab & Press) on 4/6/2012 and 4/13/2012; • Posted at the Town Administration Building and on the Town Website on 3/28/2012; and, • Mailed to Parties in Interest on 3/28/2012. B. Legal Notice "386B Arsenal Street — Special Permit Jonah Sturtevant, Boston Mobile Concepts, 81 Walnut Street, Somerville, MA 02143, herein requests the Zoning Board of Appeals to grant a Special Permit in accordance with §5.01.5(f), Motor Vehicle Repair, 1-1 (Industrial) Zoning District, so as to occupy a 2100 sf leased space with a car stereo installation business." II. Description A. Site Characteristics The subject property consists of a single tax parcel situated on the north side of Arsenal St. a few parcels east of School St. Tax records indicate that there are two structures on the site. One structure is located on the western side of the site and was built approximately in 1930 and is a 1 '/2 story brick gable roofed structure. The other structure is a single -story concrete block structure built in 1979 and 1980 with approximately 5,700 s.f. split into a 3,600 s.f. space and a 2,100 s.f. space. The 3,600 s.f. space is currently used as an auto body shop. The 2,100 s.f. space is currently vacant and is where the new use is being proposed. Current parking for the use is along the front of the leased space between Arsenal St. and the building. There is an access drive with no side yard buffer along the side of the building and the rear yard is a mix of dirt and gravel with no landscaping. The site directly abuts the Watertown Greenway (the new bike path recently completed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation) on the northerly side. View from Arsenal St Rear View from the Watertown Greenway Page 2 of 5 386B Arsenal Street Planning Board Report ZBA-2012-06 SP 4/17/2012 B. Surrounding Land Use The site is located on Arsenal St. across from the Arsenal on the Charles. The site is in the I-1 (Industrial) Zoning District. The surrounding properties are primarily a mix of commercial, office and industrial uses as well as the Watertown Greenway. C. Relevant Permit History The site had an office building permitted in 1936. A Special Permit was obtained in 1979 for an auto body repair shop. A building permit was obtained in 1979 for auto body shop and vehicle repair for 3,600 s.f. In 1980, an addition was made to the concrete block garage with a dimension of 42'x51'. D. Nature of the Request The Petitioner has requested that the Zoning Board of Appeals grant a Special Permit in accordance with §5.01.5(f), Motor Vehicle Repair to allow the opening of a car stereo installation business with a required eleven vehicular parking spaces provided with five exterior spaces and six garage spaces. The previous use, for the purpose of parking, was considered industrial and required four parking spaces. III. PUBLIC COMMENT No written comments were received at the time this report was written. IV. FINDINGS Within the I-1 Zoning District, the Zoning Board of Appeals is the Special Permit Granting Authority. The request must meet the four conditions of approval for a Special Permit as set forth in §9.05(b) within the parameters of § 1.00, Purpose, Watertown Zoning Ordinance. A. Plan Consistency No long-range plans apply to this proposal, although the zoning ordinance is applicable. B. Special Permit — §5.01.5(f), Motor Vehicle Repair: In order to grant a Special Permit, the Board must find that it meets the following conditions of approval for a Special Permit as set forth in §9.05(b) of the WZO. 1. The specific site is an appropriate location for such a use, structure, or condition. Met: The site is in the I-1 zoning district and has been used by various commercial and industrial uses. The building was designed as a garage with amenities for accommodating a car stereo installation business or other automotive repair uses. The site has customer parking in front of the building and space within the building for the stereo installations. The rear yard has room for a screened garbage container as well as two employee parking spaces while still allowing for an 8' screening landscape buffer between the Watertown Greenway and the site. Page 3 of 5 386B Arsenal Street Planning Board Report ZBA-2012-06 SP 4/17/2012 2. The use as developed will not adversely affect the neighborhood. Met: The proposal provides a setback of approximately 8' along the rear of the property with landscaped screening that will improve the aesthetics along this section of the Greenway. The front parking will be marked and will provide a handicap parking space. The proposed business use is typically by appointment only and there are only two employees. 3. There will be no nuisance or serious hazard to vehicles and pedestrians. Met: The proposal is not altering the parking or sidewalk along Arsenal St. No nuisances or hazards appear to be increased and the parking is more clearly identified in regard to pedestrians and vehicles on the site. 4. Adequate and appropriate facilities will be provided for the proper operation of the proposed use. Met: The existing structure appears to provide adequate and appropriate facilities and the applicant states that all building, health, and safety requirements are met. Vehicular parking is provided in the required amount, with 11 spaces total. V. RECOMMENDATIONS: Planning Staff and the Planning Board finds that the petition for a Special Permit will meet the criteria set forth under §9.05 (b); and meets with the general purpose of the Ordinance outlined in § 1.00 of the Watertown Zoning Ordinance and recommends that the request be granted conditional approval to allow the proposed motor vehicle repair use. The Conditions of approval including timeframes for compliance are listed in the table below. Page 4 of 5 386B Arsenal Street ZBA-2012-06 SP Planning Board Report 4/17/2012 VI. CONDITIONS: # Condition Timeframe for Compliance To be Verified by 1 These approvals are based upon the following application materials and the control plans, as modified by these conditions, submitted by the Petitioner: The Plot Plan dated March 8, 2012 and stamped received March 13, 2012, titled "Proposed Plot Plan #386B Arsenal Street" by Clifford Rober, PLS, last revised 4/3/2012. Perpetual ZEO/ ISD 2. Neither the Petitioner nor any present or future owner of any interest in the project shall change or modify either the control plans referenced in this decision, or the project itself, without first filing a formal request with the DCDP for an opinion as to whether or not such change or modification requires further review from the Granting Authority. Minor modifications may be considered and approved by DCDP Director if found to be consistent with the original project. CO Perpetual ZEO/ISD 3. Upon application for a Building Permit, the Petitioner shall provide evidence to the Zoning Enforcement Officer that this entire decision has been filed with the Registry of Deeds. BP ZEO 4 The Petitioner shall comply with all other applicable local, state, and federal requirements, ordinances, and statutes. CO, Perpetual ZEO/ISD 5. A copy of the Building Permit with final approval signatures from all relevant inspectors must be submitted to the Zoning Enforcement Officer upon completion of the project. CO ZEO 6 In accordance with WZO §9.13, a special permit granted under §9.04 shall lapse one year from the date of grant thereof if substantial use thereof has not sooner commenced expect for good cause, or, in the case of a permit for construction, if the construction has not begun by such date except for good cause, or as allowed by applicable State or Federal law. 1 yr from Decision ZEO 7. The plan shall show six (6) interior parking spaces, three exterior (3) customer parking spaces, and two (2) rear yard employee parking spaces, as well as a screened garbage receptacle in the rear yard. Perpetual ZEO 8. The rear yard shall have an eight (8) foot wide screened landscaped buffer along the rear property line with shrub/bushes planted along the entire property line and the buffer shall be separated from the parking area by landscape timbers or some other physical barrier as deemed appropriate by the Zoning Enforcement Officer. Perpetual ZEO Page 5 of 5 6 #101 #100 92 #S4 !61 0101 I7�I7 ■ 12 r#146' +672#162 #168,#17 #11 114 i 1 11 1 I 1 I I l FE #108 SPRUCE ST 1831IF g#1C45i IS 5�#1 X63 OAIl#,177 �# A i I 11 I�j#2jjI 0 'pie Lip .r1 CYPRE Y Ill �#�4 L #13/3 #135111321 moo #A2� �0� I� r0 y hill �,. LA REL ST 05 #11-13 E#33 #474715.#511 5 #144 i #00 4 ,, #455 .3 #94 #102 / #130 � 13 p#1281 #t 1 6 88 I b.#`�0-1�2 ii 1 1 94 S ST CYPRESS ST #164 #172 #171118-97 #55 #330 #311 KINGSBURYAVE r:-.7171-1C ADC11 Al 9 #85 / #165 c :#213-2`9 #191-199 #200- tat #28 1.19 IN if 80 #19'4 #1 #60 x#356 #376 ARSENALST- #382 #390 WOOL-EYAV #400 • The data shown on h's site are provided for informational and planning purposes on y. The Town and its consultants are not responsible for the misuse or misrepresentation of the data. Aj Town Bourdary Abutting Tomes Bit !dings by Caegary Lardmerk ',italic Building 1.1 School E Buldings ® Open Water Pacds Pacds vilh Orthos A/ Hocks f ROW Zcning 0 Cluster Residential -CR 0 Resdertial - R.75 • Resdertial -R1.2 ED Industrial -11 E] Industrial -12 0 Industrial -13 0 CB Central Business 0 Limited Business - LB ® Neigttonccod Business - NB Sinye Family -S10 Sine Family - S6 Sine Family Conversicn - S Two Fan ily-T 0 Open Space/Conservahcy - 0 Pleasart St Caridar Dist -Pf SC CD 0 66 132 m 386 B Arsenal St Locator