7:00 PM 36 Talbot Road Definitive Subdivision Hearing
8:00 PM Fresh River Landing (aka Stephens Way)
1. Request for Project Extension
2. Request for Minor Modification to Subdivision Approval to install Gas Line
Old/New Business
1. Form A - Sharp Street
2. Form A- 20 Park View Drive
3. Endorsement of Chestnut Gardens FRD
5. Planning Board Re-Organization
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Present: Planning Board Members, Susan Murphy, Chair, Paul Healey, Clerk, Sarah Corey,
Tod McGrath, Judy Sneath. Also present was Planner Katharine Lacy.
Ms. Murphy opened the public meeting at 7:05 P.M. at the Hingham Town Hall.
RE: 36 Talbot Road Definitive Subdivision Hearing
Present for the Applicant: Alexander Trakimas, SITEC Engineering, and Robert Devin, Attorney.
Ms. Murphy opened the hearing explaining that this would most likely be the first of several hearings on this project. She noted for the record that the Board had received letters expressing concern and opposition to the project from Charles and Justine Thurston, 9 Talbot Road and Peter and Jacqueline Fee, 39 Simmons Road. She also noted that the Board had recently received a peer review report from Paul Brogna, the Town's engineering consultant for the project.
Mr. Trakimas provided an overview of the project. The proposed locus is at the end of Simmons Road on Otis Hill. The site includes 5.46 acres of land, including approximately .02 acres of wetland. The land is zoned Residence A, and includes .4 acres in the Watershed Protection District (elevation 10 m.s.l. and below). The site abuts Town-owned land at Foster School to the west, the Otis Hill neighborhood to the east, and Governor Long Road to the North.
The applicant, Mr. Jon D'Allesandro, proposes to subdivide the parcel into four single-family lots including a large (149,950 sf) lot where his house is located off of Talbot Road
The applicant proposed to extend Simmons Road by approximately 350 feet. The new road is proposed to be 18' in width with 18' Cape Cod berms. All utilities will be located underground. Sewer will be provided with grinder pumps via a 2" force main. Stormwater will be collected, treated, and disposed of via catch basins, manholes, and a water quality inlet structure to an open pipe discharge, ultimately ending up in the wetlands at Broad Cove.
Mr. Trakimas noted that the applicant is requesting two waivers:
1. A waiver from Section 4 (Design Standards) for a dead end street longer than 800'. Simmons Road is already 1826 feet long, and the new extension would add 350' in new length;
2. A waiver from 4C (3) (b), which does not permit stepped manholes.
Paul Brogna, Seacoast Engineering, provided an overview of the review comments included in his peer review report. Most importantly, he noted that the plans appear to require an additional waiver from Section 4(D) of the Rules and Regulations, which prohibit slopes steeper than 25%. He also pointed out the proposed location of the house on Lot 1 appears to be located within the Floodplain and Protection District, which would require a variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals from Section III-C (2) a of the Zoning By-Law. Mr. Trakimas committed to responding to Paul Brogna's questions and concerns in writing prior to the next hearing.
Sarah Corey asked whether the houses would have basements, and Mr. Trakimas responded that basements were planned, though perc tests had not yet been conducted. Paul Brogna commented that the soil on the site was very similar to that on Baker Hill-full of clay and highly impervious.
Mrs. Jaqueline Fee, abutter to the property, commented that she was unsure whether Mr. D'Allesandro had rights to access the subject property from Simmons Road. Attorney Devin stated that his research had indicated that the applicant did have deeded rights to access his property from Simmons, Rice or Talbot Road. Ms. Murphy asked Attorney Devin to provide all title information relative to the property at 36 Talbot to Town Counsel for examination.
Jim Crowley from 34 Simmons Road asked whether the applicant was going from a pressurized system to a gravity system for sewer. Mr. Trakimas stated that that was the plan, but that they did not have final approval from the Sewer Commission.
Board members asked if the applicant had received comments from the Fire Department. Ms. Lacy responded that she had heard informally that the Chief had no opposition to the project because it would actually facilitate vehicles turning around at the end of an already long dead-end roadway.
Kathleen Crowley, 34 Simmons Road, pointed out that extending the length of the road would exacerbate the already dangerous dead-end situation existing at Simmons Road with no alternate means of access.
Nancy Johnson, 6 Simmons Road, noted that there is currently a path through the property, which has been used by Foster School for nature/science education, and a path providing pedestrian access to kids from Otis Hill to Foster.
Sarah Corey asked how much cut and fill would be required for the project. Mr. Trakimas responded that he had not yet done the cut and fill calculations.
Ms. Murphy set a date for a public Site Visit on June 3 at 8:00 AM. Attendants are to park at Foster School and walk up the hill to Simmons Road.
The hearing was continued to June 5 at 8:00 PM.
RE: Fresh River Landing (aka Stephens Way)
Mr. Jim Bristol of Bristol Brothers Construction came before the Board to request an extension for the time of completion for Fresh River Landing. The completion deadline for the project expired on May 1, 2006. The applicant is requesting a one-year extension to May 1, 2007.
Ms. Lacy asked Mr. Bristol about the status of the $ 107, 292 surety bond for the project. Mr. Bristol explained that the bond is set to expire on June 16, 2006 but that he has contacted Eastern States Insurance to extend it to June 15, 2007.
It was moved, seconded, and SO VOTED, unanimously, by those present to grant an extension of the date of completion for the Fresh River Landing Subdivision to May 1, 2007 contingent upon the provision of evidence that the security bond of $107, 292 will remain in effect until that time.
2. Request for Minor Modification to Subdivision Approval to install Gas Line
Mr. Bristol explained that at the time that the subdivision was originally approved there was a five-year moratorium on opening Fresh River Ave., and DPW objected to the applicant cutting into the road for a gas line to serve the new subdivision.
Consequently, the original plans did not show a gas line as part of the subsurface utilities. The applicant would now like to provide natural gas service to the homes in the subdivision, and are therefore coming before the Board for a minor modification to the Subdivision Approval. Mr. Bristol noted that he had met with Harry Sylvester, and he approved of the proposed location for the gas line.
It was moved, seconded, and SO VOTED, unanimously, by those present to approve a minor modification to the approved subdivision plans for Fresh River Landing to allow for the installation of a gas line in the travel way of the road layout as shown on the plans titled "Fresh
River Landing, Proposed Gas Line" prepared by Gale Engineering and dated 5/01/06 (on file in the Planning Board).
Old/New Business
Endorsement of Weathervane at Chestnut Gardens FRD
Ms. Lacy explained that the approval of the final subdivision plans on February 6, 2006 was contingent on provision of the following items, all of which have been received:
1. Revised plans for review by Nick Lanney. Nick reviewed the plans and they reflect all changes proposed by the Board in the course of the hearing process.
2. Final condominium documents. I reviewed these and they now contain appropriate language evidencing the homeowner's continuing obligations regarding the open space and roadway/drainage maintenance.
3. Signed Covenant-Form E
It was moved, seconded, and SO VOTED, unanimously, by those present to endorse the plans entitled, "Definitive Flexible Residential Development Plan, Weathervane at Chestnut Gardens, Hingham, Massachusetts, December 15, 2005" prepared by BSC Group, Norwell, Massachusetts, consisting of twenty-one (21) sheets. Ms. Murphy signed all of the mylars.
Form A - Sharp Street
This is a revised Land Court Plan for the now familiar Santoro property at Sharp and Abington Streets. The Board already endorsed the Form A's for the Registry and the Land Court in 2003/2004. Due to a boundary dispute with the abutter the property was re-surveyed, and one of the property boundaries was found to be in error (though minimally). This is the re-drawn plan, showing the corrected information.
It was moved, seconded, and SO VOTED, unanimously, by those present to approve the Form A plan titled "Plan of Land for Sharp Street in Hingham, Mass.", dated May 6, 2004, prepared by Ross Engineering Co., Inc., Norwell, MA for Anthony Santoro, owner and Richard Santoro, applicant, both of 7 Pleasant Street, Hingham, MA.
Form A- 20 Park View Drive
This Form A will divide a single property of approximately 30,000 square feet on Park View Drive into two parcels of 14,252 s.f. and 15,872 s.f.. The new house lot will have frontage on Bradley Park Drive. The applicant received a variance from the minimum lot area requirement from the ZBA on November 3, 2004, with a condition that the new house not exceed 2,500 usable square feet.
This Form A was already signed by the Planning Board on 12/12/05, but the Land Court wanted the applicant to locate additional bounds on the plan, so this plan is slightly revised.
It was moved, seconded, and SO VOTED, by Ms. Murphy, Mr. Healey, Mr. McGrath and Ms. Sneath to approve the Form A plan titled, "Plan of Land Being a Combination of Lots 86A, 86B, and 87; and Lots 89A, 89B and 88 as Shown on plan 17726-C and 17726-A 20 Park View Drive, Hingham, MA", dated March 17, 2006, prepared by Cavanaro Consulting, Norwell, MA for William and Susan Barber, 20 Park View Drive, Hingham, MA, owners and applicants.
Planning Board Re-Organization
The Board voted Susan Murphy as chairman, and Paul Healey as Clerk for the next year (May 2006-May 2007).
Planning Board Appointments:
The Board discussed who would serve as the Planning Board representative on various Town Committees. Sarah Corey suggested that Susan Berry serve as the Planning Board representative to the Open Space Acquisition Committee, and the rest of the board concurred. Tod McGrath volunteered for the Comprehensive Wastewater Management Committee, Judy Sneath volunteered for the CPC, Paul Healey volunteered for the Traffic Committee.
Minutes
The Board voted to approve the minutes of March 27, April 3, and April 10, 2006.
Respectfully submitted,
Katharine Lacy
Town Planner