City of Salem Massachusetts
Public Meeting Minutes
Board or Committee: Redevelopment Authority, Special Meeting
Date and Time: Thursday August 5, 2010 at 5:30pm
Meeting Location: Third Floor Conference Room, 120 Washington Street
Members Present: Chairperson Michael Brennan, Robert Curran, Conrad Baldini, Russell Vickers
Members Absent: Robert Mitnik
Others Present: Economic Development Manager Tom Daniel, Executive Director and City Planner Lynn Duncan
Recorder: Lindsay Howlett
Chairperson Michael Brennan calls the meeting to order.
Old/New Business
- 50 St. Peter Street (Old Salem Jail): Discussion and vote on proposed design change to sidewalk and driveway
Dan Ricciarelli is present on behalf of Old Salem Jail Ventures. Board reviews the site plan and staff memo dated July 14th, 2010.
Duncan states the board had previously requested a revised site plan at the driveway entrance. Duncan further states the plans presented tonight are a great improvement to the plan. Duncan adds the roadway is the required 18’ width with a 5’ wide sidewalk for pedestrians.
Ricciarelli reiterates that the roadway is shown as an 18’ wide drive with a 5’ concrete sidewalk. Ricciarelli states 2’ of the 18’ roadway will be constructed of grass pavers to provide a visual difference from the roadway to the sidewalk but to allow for the fire trucks to access the 2’ in an emergency situation upon need. Ricciarelli adds in this instance the roadway itself remains the same. Ricciarelli states this design incorporates the proposed walkway into the drive itself.
Duncan states this is a great plan and should be describes as a 5’ concrete sidewalk that is not part of the roadway.
Ricciarelli responds it is part of the required 18’ width.
Duncan replies it is a creative way to provide width for emergency access without using 18’ span of asphalt.
Brennan adds it will give the appearance of more contiguous green space.
Ricciarelli states there were a lot of natural trees along the roadway disturbed during the construction process but they will be replaced. Ricciarelli states the Lieutenant of the Fire Department requested the fire trucks be taken into consideration when placing the trees far enough back from the driveway to avoid canopy interference.
Marlena Shedal asks where the entrance to the restaurant is and if pedestrians would need to walk up the driveway to get into the restaurant.
Ricciarelli indicates on the plans where the restaurant entrance is located and confirms for a portion of the way patrons will need to walk up the driveway but not the access road.
Vickers asks Ricciarelli to clarify what a grass paver is.
Ricciarelli states a grass paver is made of a plastic grid that allows grass to grow through a pavement system. Ricciarelli adds it is used a lot next to marshlands and at first glance, looks like grass.
Brennan states these systems are known as green construction.
Duncan distributes and reads aloud comments from the HSI dated August 4, 2010.
Ricciarelli states there is no lighting proposed for this area as the area is already lit up pretty well.
Duncan adds this area was originally done by Mass Highway and they did not have any additional lighting.
Brennan responds he and his wife are ‘sidewalk superintendants’ and agree it is currently very well lit.
Ricciarelli adds it is a state road that is very well lit and the fixtures are nice. Ricciarelli adds the benches also currently exist.
Mary Whitney of 356 Essex Street: States the existing benches have been damaged.
Ricciarelli states they will be replaced.
Whitney agrees that the site plans are an improvement. Whitney states her main comment is how this area as a park has a lot of impervious surface. Whitney adds a friend of hers did a quick calculation and determined one third of the site is pavement. Whitney suggests a better way to treat the roadway instead of asphalt would be to use concrete pavers, gravel or using the original jail cobblestone drive. Whitney adds it would be great if the access road could have more of a park feel, would be more attractive for the people dinning and would be better for the storm runoff.
Ricciarelli states they need to be able to plow in the winter and more grass requires a lot of maintenance, and he does not know if the owner can afford those things or not. Ricciarelli adds the porous paving described are a relatively new product that he has never seen before and cannot speak for.
Whitney states those paving alternatives have actually been used a lot to help mitigate problems.
Ricciarelli states again that he is worried about the maintenance issues as this road will be used for deliveries, dumpsters that will be taken out bi-weekly and other frequent services to the restaurant. Ricciarelli adds the varied surface will also be an issue.
Whitney asks if there is any way to decrease the amount of asphalt in the turnaround.
Ricciarelli states there could be a medallion center or use of a different material in middle of the turnaround.
Duncan states that she likes the idea about using a different material in the middle as long as the fire department can still drive over that surface. Duncan adds they need to have a clear decision on the issues before the end of the meeting.
Ricciarelli responds it could be stamped concrete, a different material, etc and adds that he thinks it is a good point but will need to run the idea by the owners.
Duncan replies that she does not want the SRA to approve use of a different material in the center of the turnaround only to have New Boston Ventures say that they can not do that.
Ricciarelli states that he is not saying yes but is deferring the decision to the owner.
Duncan asks Ricciarelli to try to reach the owner now via telephone.
Ricciarelli steps out to call the owner.
Whitney submits the calculation and an article in Architecture Boston dated August 5, 2010, discussing the benefits of impervious surfaces and the differences they can make.
Ricciarelli returns to the room and states the owner said a different material in the center of the turnaround is fine and that the owner is on his way up to the meeting.
Whitney states though a different material addresses her concerns about the aesthetics it does not address the impervious surface and/or runoff issues.
Shedal states she likes the design but has one question about the use of the access road in regards to valet parking. Shedal asks how much traffic would be involved with the valet parking and how this would affect pedestrian safety when people are coming off of the trains.
Brennan responds there is actually no planned valet parking for this restaurant but adds people would likely be dropping off some people so that they do not have to walk 100 yards. Brennan adds they hope that the restaurant gets so much business that traffic control will be a problem.
Duncan adds that there will not be valet parking at this time for this particular restaurant. Duncan further states when viewing the site plan, people going to the restaurant will be customers; people will be walking up part of the driveway while cars are dropping people off in the turnaround and there will be no vehicles on that part of the drive. Duncan adds the people walking to and from the train would not be crossing the drive but rather would be along the outside edge. Duncan states it does not look like there would be conflict there.
Shedal states a lot of people would likely be crossing the driveway whether they are supposed to or not as it is the natural crossway. Shedal adds she would like to see at least some sort of a cone or some indication to yield to the right of the pedestrian at that point before it becomes an issue.
Duncan states as there is in any driveway people will be crossing it.
Shedal states both patrons and pedestrians need to be thought of pretty carefully.
Brennan suggests the restaurant get finished with the build out and then after do tasteful signage.
Whitney suggests making the end of the driveway look more like a pedestrian way and not just asphalt but something slightly different.
Daniel states the connecting point is concrete coming off of Bridge Street.
Duncan adds that actually does exist and that is great because it is a different material at the mouth of the drive.
David Goldman arrives and states that National Grid did a lot of site damage and the city is in conversation with them and adds any of the additional damage caused by the owner will be taken care of and replaced. Goldman confirms a different material in the center of the turnaround.
Vickers: Motion to accept the revised drawing for the sidewalk and driveway with the revised medallion at the center of the turn around, seconded by Baldini. Passes 4-0.
- 50 St. Peter Street (Old Salem Jail): Discussion and vote on proposed restaurant signage. Shane Andruskiewicz, the general manager of The Great Escape is present.
Daniel states at last month’s DRB meeting, the sign and patio furniture were reviewed and recommended for approval. Daniel adds the outdoor patio was going to be reviewed at their next meeting which will be later tonight.
Daniel states the sign proposal is before the board and shows two vertical blade signs coming off the side of the building. Daniel adds it is a tough situation and that they have been looking at what would comply with the city sign ordinance as well as what would be acceptable to the National Park Service. Daniel states after many very different proposals, they felt this was the best way to go while not being invasive to the building. Daniel states the vertical blade sign is a departure from the sign guidelines as is the fact that the letters are read upwards.
Daniel states the DRB tweaked the proposal slightly in terms of where it was mounted and eliminated the middle bracket. Daniel and verified there would be three up-lights on it. Daniel further states the DRB felt it would be an effective sign.
Baldini: Motion to accept The Great Escape sign as presented, seconded by Vickers. Passes 4-0.
Duncan states she received a call from a resident asking when it would be open.
Andruskiewicz responds they are hoping for September 1st but thinks that is a little aggressive.
Daniel states the restaurant has incorporated the jail cell doors into their bar design.
Andruskiewicz adds they have a few large scale wall graphics and a few different unique things found on site, such as old documents that were scanned, copied and printed to make wall paper. Andruskiewicz adds they are records of when people were admitted to the jail, released and what their offense was. Andruskiewicz states the most common were drunkenness, adultery and for women it was failure to keep a clean home.
Brennan wishes them good luck and adds the board is looking forward to the restaurant opening.
Duncan thanks Goldman for coming, despite the traffic, as it was hard to know what kind of questions the board was going to get tonight.
Adjournment
Curran: Motion to adjourn, seconded by Baldini. Passes 4-0.
Meeting is adjourned at 6:11pm.
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