Planning Board Meeting Minutes
April 28, 2009
1196 Main Street, Town Hall
Members Present: D. Lindberg, C. Stanovich, O. Lies, W. Ritter, A. Bonofiglio, M. Wronski
Others Present: Pamela Harding, Senior Planner, Debra Sciascia, Recording Secretary
7:00 PM the Planning Board meeting was called to order.
PUBLIC HEARING - PRELIMINARY SUBDIVISION, Jefferson Meadows, Jefferson Meadows, LLC: D. Lindberg read the Public Hearing Notice into record. A staff meeting was conducted on April 21, 2009, with the applicant, Alex Belisle, Fire Department, Jim Zingarelli, DPW Engineer, and P. Harding.
Alex Belisle, Fire Dept. requested the following information for the Definitive filing:
1. A fire hydrant be located at the intersection of the proposed roadway and Quinapoxet Street.
2. The proposed roadway be widened for the first 500' until the roadway circle.
3. He's concerned with the narrow width of Quinapoxet Street in the vicinity of the proposed roadway.
James Zingarelli, Town Engineer, stated there is currently sufficient contractual sewer capacity to accommodate the 14 lot subdivision. A sewer pump station or forced mains will be required to accommodate grade changes.
Donald O'Neil, Attorney for Jefferson Meadows LLC, represented the project introducing the applicants.
Steven Aldrich, Aldrich Engineering, conducted a presentation for the Board.
Public Comments:
• Howard Gelles, 169 Quinapoxet St: Asked what the different colored lines mean.
• Atma Khalsa, 112 Quinapoxet St: Wanted to discuss a solar powered development.
P. Harding had to explain what a Preliminary Plan was. The Engineer said that there will be a traffic study done.
• Bridget Christanski, 104 Quinapoxet St: Said that it's an extremely dangerous road, and has called many times about accidents, about 5 times every winter.
• Ron Armstrong, 18 Quinapoxet St: Stated that the traffic is out of control. He's been there 74 years, and believes those 2 curves should be fixed before anything else.
• Bridget Christanski, 104 Quinapoxet St: Having gone around to different developments, she's concerned that the demand is not there for more houses.
Steven Aldrich, Engineer, said they would not build if there was no demand for housing. He's hoping that with a solar powered approach, they will be more marketable.
• Bridget Christanski, 104 Quinapoxet St: Said that cutting down trees would change the ecosystem.
• Howard Gelles, 169 Quinapoxet St: Concerned with the grade of the hill.
C. Stanovich asked about the retention and detention basins. The engineer explained that what is on the plan is correct until a study and calculations are done. All the land in front will be open space.
W. Ritter stated that the street length limits to the intersection is 500'. The engineer said there is + 500 feet. The attorney said they would be looking for a waiver from the subdivision control regulations to allow a dead end that exceeds 500' in length. W. Ritter said the Board has never granted a waiver of more than 500' for a cul-de-sac. C. Stanovich told the applicant that they can present their case to the Board and they should be listening to what the Board will and will not allow. D. Lindberg said the applicant would have to come back with a Definitive Plan.
• Howard Gelles, 169 Quinapoxet St: Concerned that the roadwork is not shown on the map. The engineer said this is the first step.
Donald O'Neil, Attorney, stated that this will greatly improve the public safety issue by de-creating the curve on Quinapoxet Street.
• C. Stanovich motioned to close the Public Hearing. W. Ritter seconded. All in favor.
• O. Lies stated that a 500' waiver is a major obstacle.
• W. Ritter said he is going to vote to deny on the bases of the over 500' cul-de-sac.
• C. Stanovich said the Board should take a vote so that the applicant knows where the Board stands.
• M. Wronski does not believe that it would be improving the roadway.
C. Stanovich motioned to close the hearing. Al Bonofiglio seconded the motion. All were in favor.
W. Ritter made a motion to approve the plan with the following conditions;
1. A fire hydrant must be located at the intersection of the proposed roadway and Quinapoxet Street.
2. The Applicants traffic study must evaluate emergency vehicle accessibility by the narrow width of Quinapoxet Street in the vicinity of the proposed roadway.
3. The site distance at the intersection of Quinapoxet Street and the proposed roadway is questionable. The Definitive Plan traffic report must include a site distance analysis utilizing the traveled roadway speed.
4. The proposed roadway is a dead-end, which exceeds 500' in length and is in violation of Subdivision Control Requirement Section V.A.4. The applicant must investigate another means of access, reduce the roadway to 500' in length, or request a waiver from Subdivision Control Requirements. Based on the information available to the Planning Board, the Board is not inclined to grant a waiver.
5. Soil test results must be submitted with the Definitive filing.
6. A sewer line runs by the proposed roadway on Quinapoxet Street. The plans do not indicate a sewer line servicing the proposed development. Holden's remaining contractual sewer capacity at the Blackstone Treatment Plant is limited. The Applicant must investigate the possibility of connecting to the Holden sewer system with the Department of Public Works, Engineering Department. If sewer connection is feasible, the applicant will be required to study the capacity and conditions of the Quinapoxet Street pump station. Inflow and Infiltration removal fees may be applicable during the definitive filing.
7. A Homeownership Association must be formed and be responsible for the operation and maintenance of the detention and retention basins located within the subdivision. The Homeownership Association (HA) shall not be responsible for the maintenance or operation of the stormwater system until the Town accepts the roadway and all required documention is recorded at the Worcester County Registry of Deeds. An Operation and Maintenance plan must be incorporated into the HA agreement and require annual reporting to the DPW Engineering Department and the Holden Conservation Commission.
8. Quinapoxet Road must be labeled as Quinapoxet Street on the definitive plans.
9. There is a certified vernal pool located by the railroad tracks near the intersection of Quinapoxet Street and the proposed roadway. The vernal pool must be located on the definitive plans. The local Wetlands By-law considers 100' from the edge of the vernal pool a resource area and has an additional 100' buffer zone.
10. New Stormwater Management Regulations adopted by the Department of Environmental Protection in January, 2008, are applicable to this project. The regulations prohibit stormwater discharge, including detention/retention ponds, within two hundred feet of any tributary to a Zone A and within 400' from the bank of a Class A water source. The definition of a tributary is referenced in 310 CMR 22.02 and includes any channeled way. It appears this regulation is applicable and the location of many detention basins and the outlet structures should be revisited. A definitive application must delinate jurisdictional areas and map channeled waterways, including those located within Bordering Vegetated Wetlands.
C. Stanovich seconded. Vote 6-0 all in favor of the motion as amended.
ALDEN WOOD STREET ACCEPTANCE: The applicant is not ready yet, and will come before the Board at a later date.
EAGLEVILLE HISTORIC DISTRICT: P. Harding stated that there was more information to come, and she explained the process, and they will be utilizing a federal historic preservation restriction to limit work to the exterior of the property in exchange for tax benefits.
OTHER BUSINESS:
• Holden Hills Lights: The lights are not set to go on. The poles will be removed. To be reviewed again in 3 months.
• TCC Minutes: The meeting minutes are online.
• LUCA Meeting: O. Lies informed the Board that there was a meeting May 13, 2009 with more information to come.
• Open Space Plan: A committee needs to be formed to approve the draft.
• W. Ritter inquired about the Assistant Fire Chiefs support on the 500' roadway, and asked P. Harding to pull out information on another subdivision. The Board discussed subdivision roadway length.
• A. Bonofiglio would be interested in seeing what a solar powered project would look like.
• D. Lindberg read an article from the Telegram & Gazette regarding Bergeron filing Chapter 11. In June he will be coming before the Board for the Deer Run subdivision extension.
MEETING MINUTES:
• February 24, 2009: W. Ritter motioned to approve. A. Bonofiglio seconded. C. Stanovich and O. Lies abstained from the vote. Vote 4-0, approved.
NEXT MEETING: May 12, 2009 at 7:00 PM at the Town Hall.
W. Ritter motioned to adjourn. C. Stanovich seconded. All in favor.
Adjourned 8:30 PM.
April 28, 2009 Meeting Minutes approved: August 25, 2009
Debra A. Sciascia, Recording Secretary
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