HANSON PLANNING BOARD
Minutes of the Meeting of
June 15, 2009
I. CALL TO ORDER
Chairman Philip Lindquist called the meeting to order at 7:32 p.m.
Members Present: Philip Lindquist, Chairman
Joan DiLillo, Vice Chairman
Richard Flynn, Clerk
David Nagle, Member (arrived late)
Members Absent: Kenneth Lawson, Member
Others Present: Barbara Ferguson, Administrative Assistant
II. ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES
Acceptance of Minutes of Meeting of May 18, 2009
Motion to accept the minutes of May 18, 2009: David Nagle
Second: Richard Flynn
Vote: 4-0
III. TOWN PLANNER’S REPORT
Zoning Bylaw Committee
Administrative Assistant Barbara Ferguson told the Board that the Zoning Bylaw Committee met on Thursday, June 11, 2009 and would be meeting again on Monday, June 22, 2009. The main topics of discussion, she said, have been windmills, storage trailers, and expansion of the business district on Liberty Street.
Other Matters
Mrs. Ferguson said that Gale Engineering of Weymouth was interested in meeting with the Board. Board members said to place a discussion with firm representatives on a future meeting agenda.
Mrs. Ferguson said that the application had been received for a Form A/ANR that could not be processed due to taxes owed to the town. Chairman Philip Lindquist said that the applicant should be notified in writing stating the application could not be accepted.
IV. APPOINTMENTS
Quail Estates
Continued Public Hearing
The developer’s engineer, Michael Perrault of P.M.P. Engineering of East Bridgewater, told the Board that, since the last meeting, he had made two rounds of revisions to the plans for Quail Estates replacing bio-retention basins with more conventional basins and clarifying drainage calculations.
He noted a June 3, 2009 review of the subdivision by the Board’s project engineer, Steven Wry of Land Planning, Inc. of Hanson, which stated that the plans are in compliance with the Board’s rules and regulations. The review contained 17 items related to conformance with current engineering standards not specifically covered by the Board’s rules and regulations and referred to on and off-site features that may be impacted by development of the project.
Mr. Perrault requested that the Board vote to approve the definitive subdivision along with conditions of approval that would include Items 1, 2, 3, 6, 10, 11 and 15 cited in Mr. Wry’s review. The approval, he noted, would include the conveyance of parcels A and B either to the town or to abutting lots. Copies of both Mr. Wry’s review and Mr. Perrault’s response are available for review in the Planning Board office.
In his June 10, 2009 memorandum, Mr. Perrault took issue with the need for the remaining items in Mr. Wry’s review and he went over them item by item for the Board. Those items included: the topography and locations of existing structures within 50 feet of the northerly property line; a recommendation that some type of slope treatment and conveyance system be indicated to adequately carry stormwater from the detention basin during a 100 year storm; a notation that the side slopes of the detention basin are 2:1 and should be no steeper than 3:1; a recommendation that an erosion control barrier be provided due to the proximity of the detention basin and swale to the northerly property line; a recommendation that a test hole be conducted in the area of the proposed
detention basin; and a recommendation that items on neighboring property located within a short distance from the property line be added to the plans.
Mr. Perrault also disagreed with Mr. Wry’s comment that the location of the proposed detention basin gives no consideration to abutting homeowners. The bottom slope of the earth berm that encompasses the basin starts right at the property line and the end of the concrete wall on the outlet side of the basin begins within approximately four feet from the Gormans’ property, which Mr. Wry said will mean that, once the basin is constructed, runoff from the outside of the earth berm with flow directly into the Gorman’s pool yard. It also means, he said, that all existing vegetation will be removed and there will be no buffer between the property line and the detention basin. He recommended that a minimum buffer of 20 feet be provided from the
property line to the beginning of the earth berm to provide an area that should be graded to swale runoff away from the abutting property. He also recommended that the developer provide evergreen plantings within this buffer to screen the basin from abutting homeowners.
He also questioned Mr. Wry’s contention that some of the runoff curve numbers for post development conditions are inconsistent with the numbers used for pre-development conditions.
Mr. Perrault told the Board that for maximum of 51 minutes the water level during a 100 year event would be no more than one to two feet below the top of the dike which is almost 14 feet from the property line. Board members said that during a 100 year event an incredible amount of flow will be flush with the neighbors’ property as there is no buffer. They stated that there is no room for error with the calculations or the design or construction of the basin.
At the conclusion of Mr. Perrault’s presentation, Mr. Wry said that he was still concerned with the proximity of the basin to the property line, the lack of topography beyond the property line, the runoff numbers, and the 3:1 slopes. Mr. Perrault requested that the Board have a professional engineer from Land Planning attend the next session. Chairman Lindquist told him the Board would take his request under consideration.
It was agreed that the hearing would be continued to Monday, June 29, 2009 at 8 p.m. The Board recommended that Mr. Perrault and Mr. Wry meet on the site to try to resolve the issues in contention. Abutters in attendance said that the engineers could go on their property to check the topography there as long as they requested permission in advance.
V. NEW BUSINESS
Letter from Valley Forge Resident
Board members reviewed a letter sent to Chairman Philip Lindquist by a Valley Forge resident asking that her roadway be paved before a block party planned for Saturday, July 25, 2009. Board members said that the developer should be contacted and then a letter written to the resident explaining the procedure for paving roadways within a subdivision.
American Planning Association
Mrs. Ferguson polled the Board to see who was interested in membership in the American Planning Association. Chairman Philip Lindquist said that he wanted to remain a member. Richard Flynn, Joan DiLillo, and David Nagle said that they wanted to discontinue their membership.
VII. OLD BUSINESS
Deer Hill Road Extension
Letter from Developer
Board members reviewed a letter from Richard Beal, vice president of A. W. Perry, Inc., indicating that the issues raised in an April 26, 2009 construction inspection report by Land Planning, Inc. will be addressed as soon as possible.
Performance Bonds
Board members noted a memorandum from Treasurer/Collector Jeanne Sullivan advising that, based on opinions from the Department of Revenue and Kopelman and Paige, town counsel, effective July 1, 2009 all interest earned on performance bonds will go into the town’s general fund.
IX. ADJOURNMENT
Motion to adjourn: David Nagle
Second: Joan DiLillo
Vote: 4-0
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