Applicant:                  South Shore Bank

                                    1530 Main Street

South Weymouth, MA 02190

 

Premises:                    99 South Street

                                    Hingham, MA 02043

 

Deed Reference:        Plymouth County Registry of Deeds, Book 41524, Page 184, and

Plymouth County Land Court Registry Certificate of Title 110616, Book 553, Page 16

 

SUMMARY OF PROCEEDINGS:

 

This matter came before the Zoning Board of Appeals on the Application of South Shore Bank, and its affiliate, Cambridge Mortgage Group, for a Special Permit A2 under § III-G. 4. b of the Zoning By-Law, to include Site Plan Review and such other relief as necessary, in order to use a 4,000 square foot section of the existing structure at 99 South Street as the location for a Banking Center for South Shore Bank and its affiliate, Cambridge Mortgage Group, in the Business A Zoning District and within the Downtown Overlay District.

 

The Board of Appeals and Planning Board heard the application at a duly advertised and noticed joint public hearing on May 15, 2013 at the Town Hall before a panel consisting of regular members Joseph Fisher, Chairman, W. Tod McGrath, and Joseph Freeman.

Planning Board members present were Judy Sneath, Chairman; William Ramsey, Clerk; Sarah Corey; and Gary Tondorf-Dick.  The Applicant was represented by Attorney Stephen J. McLaughlin.

 

At the conclusion of the May 15^th public hearing session the Planning Board continued the Site Plan Review portion of the public hearing to Monday, May 20, 2013, and the Zoning Board continued its portion of the public hearing with regard to the issuance of a Special Permit A2, to Wednesday, May 22, 2013.  The public hearing and deliberations were conducted by a panel consisting of regular members Joseph Fisher, Chairman, W. Tod McGrath, and Joseph Freeman.

 

 

 

 

 

BACKGROUND:

 

Attorney McLaughlin made the following representations to the Board on behalf of the Applicant in support of this Application:

 

1. South Shore Bank currently has approximately 1,500 Hingham residents as customers, but does not have any facility within Hingham to service these local clients. From the proposed location at 99 South Street, the nearest branch office of South Shore Bank is approximately three (3) miles away in East Weymouth or roughly seven (7) miles away in Norwell.  In order to better serve its existing customers, South Shore Bank desires to establish a new style of ‘Banking Center’ in Hingham that is designed and intended to provide education and training in the evolving aspects of electronic and ‘on-line’ banking as well as a wide variety of educational training and seminars, and events, on various banking, mortgage, and investment topics.

 

1. South Shore Bank’s wholly owned subsidiary, Cambridge Mortgage Group, is currently headquartered in Downtown Hingham at 50 South Street.  In the past two (2) years Cambridge Mortgage Group has approved approximately Fifty Million ($50,000,000) Dollars in home loans for Hingham residents  The Bank also offers a variety of financing options, including so-called “jumbo” loans to assist first-time home buyers.  The success and growth of Cambridge Mortgage Group has revealed that the current location is too small for future operations, and that the second floor location, and limited on-street parking, is a hindrance to customer convenience. To address these concerns, the Bank will consolidate the Cambridge Mortgage Group operations within the ‘Banking Center’ facility so that all of the various financial and banking functions are located under one roof, and so that off-street parking can be available to the customers.

 

1. South Shore Bank’s proposed ‘Banking Center’ concept breaks away from the traditional version of a typical “9 to 5” branch with tellers handling deposits, payments and withdrawals. Instead, South Shore Bank’s concept reflects its vision of a “one-stop” financial service provider emphasizing both in-person, face-to-face interaction with customers, as well as the modern, highly automated and computer-based and ‘on-line’ banking concepts and culture which has evolved in recent years.  The proposed ‘Banking Center’ will not have teller windows which are common in a ‘traditional style’ bank.  However, the ‘Banking Center’ staff, consisting of approximately ten to twelve (10 to 12) employees will provide other banking and financial services, computer-based financial and banking training to its existing and new customers, as well as commercial lending, personal loans, and residential mortgage loans.  

 

1. In order adequately to service its customers and clientele the Bank proposes to operate the ‘Banking Center’ beyond the ‘9 to 5’ schedule which is typical of most banks. Instead, the Banking Center will be open and operating six (6) days a week (Monday through Saturday) on a regular and consistent extended hour weekday schedule, with a shorter schedule possible on Saturdays.

 

1. South Shore Bank’s wealth management officers assigned to the proposed ‘Banking Center’ will also work on the same extended day schedule designed to afford customers the opportunity for meetings after the customers have completed their own work days.   The wealth management officers will be utilizing the ‘Banking Center’ to provide investment and retirement planning seminars and training at various times and schedules; including during the normal daytime hours, as well ‘after hours’ and on week-ends.  The wealth management officers will also utilize the ‘Banking Center’ to meet with existing clients as well as prospective clients.

 

1. The Cambridge Mortgage Group will also be staffed for the same extended hours of operation to similarly provide customers the option of mortgage banking ‘after hours’. In fact, the Bank proposes to offer the customer the option to have loan closings conducted ‘after hours’ in the ‘Banking Center’.

 

1. Aside from customer-based functions and activities, South Shore Bank will itself utilize the ‘Banking Center’ to conduct its own functions, meetings, seminars, training, and similar events, both during regular banking hours, and ‘after hours’. 

 

1. South Shore Bank acknowledges that the purpose and function of the Downtown Hingham Overlay District By-Law is to create and maintain a vibrant mix of businesses to draw customers to Downtown Hingham and to generate and facilitate foot traffic from one business establishment to another for the benefit of all.  The Bank is also aware that there is one school of thought that disdains banks as being ‘stand alone’ institutions and aloof from other neighboring businesses and merchants and not constituting a true ‘retail’ use, unlikely to generate any symbiotic relationship or support of other ‘retail’ merchants or businesses, and adding little or no vitality to a town center.  This unenthusiastic view of banks would be particularly applicable to a typical single function branch bank operating on a standard ‘9 to 5’ schedule (or less), especially one with a drive-up teller that services momentary and transient customer traffic.  South Shore Bank understands that such a staid and boring branch would not likely be embraced by Downtown Hingham merchants or the local permit granting authorities.

 

1. However, by comparison, the Bank represents that its proposed ‘Banking Center’ will be a multi-functional, extended hours facility, that will draw customers to Downtown Hingham for periods of extended duration, during all times of the day and week, from early morning, to afternoon, to after hours and on Saturdays. The customers and clients of South Shore Bank and Cambridge Mortgage Group will consist of non-Hingham residents who may be totally unfamiliar with the area, as well as local residents who are already likely familiar with the merchants of Downtown Hingham.  The proposed ‘Banking Center’ will serve to draw both non-local and local customers to Downtown Hingham where those customers will have the opportunity to visit the other merchants, and restaurants.

 

1. In addition, the Bank represents that the location of the proposed ‘Banking Center’ in Downtown Hingham will cause the Bank to provide even further support to the Downtown business merchants, service business and restaurants. More specifically, the Bank represents that the Bank’s wealth management officers commonly lunch and dine with their existing and prospective clients to discuss the concerns and needs of the clients in a relaxed and informal setting.  The Bank further states that like the wealth management officers, the Mortgage Group officers will utilize the ‘Banking Center’ facility to conduct, and meet with potential and existing clients.  After such business events, it is also common for Mortgage Group officers to lunch or dine with the customers at Downtown establishments.  And, the presence of South Shore Bank employees at the ‘Banking Center’, each of whom will need to run day-to-day errands, and have regular meals, will also serve to generate business for the various Downtown Hingham merchants and restaurants. 

 

1. The Applicant has submitted to the Board a summary of the customer service type events typically held at its branch offices, as well as proposed offerings specific to the Hingham location.  The Applicant states that its proposed use requires 20 parking spaces and there are 76 parking spaces present on the subject property.

 

The Zoning Board of Appeals received written letters of support from several Downtown merchants.  The Board heard favorable remarks from representatives of a Downtown restaurant and Downtown insurance agency, both of whom confirmed that Cambridge Mortgage Group has a history of referring its customers to their establishments and businesses, and that they are hoping for even more referrals with the change in location of the Bank’s proposed facility and expanded services within the Downtown Overlay District.  The Zoning Board of Appeals also noted that it has received no comments or letters in opposition to the Bank’s proposal from any of the Downtown merchants.

 

The Applicant submitted, along with its Application, the following:

• Letter to Eileen McCracken, Town Clerk, from Stephen J. McLaughlin dated April 22, 2013 (1 page)
• Application for Site Plan Approval in Association with Application for Special Permit A2 (2 pages)
• Parking Plan of Land in Hingham, Massachusetts 85-99 South Street dated March 29, 2013 prepared and stamped by Edward T. Eisenhaure, RPE, RLS,  5 Codman Road, Hingham MA (1 sheet)
• Unstamped ALTA/ASCM Land Title Survey of 85-99 South Street dated May 7, 2012 prepared by Edward T. Eisenhaure, 5 Codman Road, Hingham (1 page)
• Unstamped Proposed Floor Plan 4 dated 12/2/12 prepared by Towne Architects & Co., Braintree, MA (1 page)
• Copy of Building Permit No: 1200722 issued on 10/03/2012 for renovation to walkway & exterior including unstamped plans dated 09-20-12 prepared by Alan Kearney Architect, 3 Summer Street, Hingham, MA including cover sheet, A1 Floor Plan, A2 Elevations, A3 Details and colored sketch showing Front Elevation and Side Elevation (6 pages)
• Owner’s Authorization Letter dated April 18, 2013 signed by Robert L. Shepard, Manager of 99 South Street LLC (1 page)
• Copy of the Retail Real Estate Lease dated February 14, 2013 between 99 South Street LLC and South Shore Bank and its wholly owned subsidiaries, including, but not limited to, Cambridge Mortgage Group, LLC.
• The certified list of abutters (11 pages including cover)
• Check for $500.00 to cover the filing fee