TOWN OF LINCOLN
MINUTES OF PLANNING BOARD MEETING
Held on September 17, 2008
At 7:30 PM in the Donaldson Room, Lincoln Town Offices
PRESENT: R.Domnitz (Chairman), J.Snell, B.Wolf, J.Craig, K.Hurd (part of meeting)
STAFF: M.Whitehead, C.Perry
7:30 PM BUSINESS:
Minutes
The Board voted unanimously to approve the minutes of September 3rd as submitted.
The Board reviewed the minutes of executive sessions held on April 2nd, July 16th, August 20th and September 3rd. It approved them unanimously, subject to an amendment to the July 16th minutes. The executive session minutes will be released after the litigation that is their subject matter is resolved.
Bau, 88 Lincoln Road
The Chairman signed a letter to the Building Inspector conveying the Board’s approval of a change to the driveway only. The applicant is to return at a future date for approval of landscape changes.
Lammert, 18 Baker Bridge Road
The Board signed the decision approving an addition to the house.
Lincoln Public Schools meeting
The Board received a letter inviting it to a meeting on October 1st about a future building or renovation project for the schools. The date conflicts with the Board’s own meeting, therefore the Chairman agreed to send apologies and to ask for copies of any written material.
Lewandowski, 3 Bowles Terrace
The Chairman received a letter from Mr. Lewandowski concerning his wall, on which the Board has initiated enforcement action. The Board did not accept Mr. Lewandowski’s argument that he could raise the ground level and measure the height of the wall from the new level. It asked Mr. Whitehead to inform Mr. Lewandowski that the matter is in the hands of the Building Inspector as the town’s zoning enforcement officer.
8:00 PM PRELIMINARY MEETING: COUNTRYSIDE BUILDING, 173 Tower Road, Map 119/Lot 20, site plan review for teardown and reconstruction of single family residence under Section 17.7.
Preliminary plans were distributed in the Board’s packets. The Board received a letter from Barbara Peskin, drawing attention to the need for buffering and querying the accuracy of the plans. The Board had no reason to believe the plans were inaccurate.
Ken Eisner introduced the proposal for a three bedroom house to replace a small house on the lot at the corner of Tower Road and South Great Road Road. The site is adjacent to 300 South Great Road (Aunt Sadie’s site) where the Board recently approved a slightly larger house, now under construction. The current site is a non-conforming lot and the proposal will go before the Zoning Board of Appeals.
The Planning Board examined the draft site plan. Mr. Eisner mentioned that he had considered a curved driveway initially but it conflicted with the positions of a tree that it would be desirable to keep, and of a utility pole; therefore he is proposing a straight driveway. The preliminary design is for a 1½ story house with a basement. The septic system is proposed to be near South Great Road. A reserve space is allocated on the west side of the lot but is unlikely to be needed as the Presby system could be replaced in the same area. Mr. Eisner plans to remove some trees in view of their proximity to the house. However, no changes are proposed to landscaping along Tower Road or on the north side except for removal of the old house. Some dense vegetation exists near the corner of the two roads and
there is also some electrical switching equipment.
Mr. Snell raised the issue of potential improvements to the intersection but the Board considered that this lot was unlikely to be affected by any changes. Mrs. Wolf asked about landscape treatment along Route 117; Mr. Eisner agreed to consider extending the treatment from the adjacent lot and to submit a landscape plan.
Mr. Eisner stated that he plans to build up the ground at the north side of the house to avoid a water problem, and to install a drain for the house footing. He said that the Conservation Commission does not object to the drain. He also intends to level off some mounds of old debris at the south side of the house. The driveway will be paved; grading and drainage will be addressed in the application. The electricity supply will be placed underground from the pole.
Mr. Whitehead asked about landscape treatment along the lot line with 300 South Great Road. In discussion of the site plan for that lot, the need for buffering had been noted and it had been agreed to address it in conjunction with the proposal for the present lot. Mr. Eisner pointed out that the two houses will have their rear family spaces facing different ways, which will help to minimize intrusion; however the Board wished to avoid a future desire for a solid fence.
Mr. Eisner asked for guidance as to what lighting the Board would allow. He wished to have some lighting for the driveway. The Board suggested two bollard lights positioned to cast some light on the driveway and walkway, with no formal driveway entrance lights. Lights at house entrances are acceptable but illumination of house walls is discouraged.
The Board agreed to schedule the public hearing for October 15th.
8:40 PM WITHDRAWAL OF APPLICATION: EGENDORF, 10 Tower Road, Map 74/Lot 24, site plan review for an addition to existing single family residence under Section 17.7.
Mr. Egendorf has sent a letter to the Board stating that he is withdrawing his application. Town Counsel has recommended a vote to allow the applicant to withdraw. The Board wished to know whether the appeal has also been withdrawn. It deferred any action pending clarification.
9:00 PM PRELIMINARY MEETING FOR ADMINISTRATIVE AMENDMENT: RURAL LAND FOUNDATION, 145 Lincoln Road, Map 95/Lot 38, compliance with special condition #2 regarding restaurant use as required in the Special Permit for Lincoln Station dated May 23, 2007.
Geoff McGean and Sarah Andrysiak attended on behalf of the RLF. A tenant has been identified for the restaurant in the “Bistro” building and the process of obtaining the necessary permits is underway. The Planning Board noted that the special permit for the development included a condition that the initial occupancy be reviewed by the Board pursuant to the criteria in Section 9.2 (a) (i) (A-I) of the Zoning Bylaw. The permit stated that the review would be processed as an administrative amendment, and therefore there will be no need for advertisement.
The RLF stated that the Board of Health is also reviewing some issues and the Board of Selectmen will consider certain matters for the common victualler’s license. The Planning Board noted that there may be some overlap in the information required by different boards.
The Board reviewed the criteria and identified some of the information it will need. A copy of the common victualler’s license would be useful for background. Hours of operation will need to be known, together with times proposed for deliveries and trash collection. The RLF mentioned that they propose to have two dumpsters so that the one for the restaurant can be picked up more frequently than the one for general use. The Board noted that drive-through operation is prohibited but thought that a few short stay parking spaces could be considered, to help customers picking up take-out food. The Board asked whether church parking is an issue but the RLF stated that churchgoers use spaces in a different part of the lot, near the bank.
The Chairman asked Mr. Whitehead to obtain a copy of a restaurant special permit from Lexington to refer to as an example.
The RLF will submit signs to the Board separately once the details are known.
OTHER BUSINESS:
Mall lighting
The RLF’s efforts to remedy the excessive brightness/ glare of the exterior lights on the buildings were discussed.
Reports from committees:
At Risk Properties
Copies of the report on the Arshad property were distributed to Board members. The report will be presented at the Board of Selectmen’s meeting on Monday September 22nd. It can become an addendum to the original At Risk Properties report. The Planning Board noted that the Leggatt McCall proposal is no longer on the table.
The Board discussed the report and concluded that it provided reasonable numbers on financial and traffic implications of various types of development. It noted that it does not elaborate on what other criteria should be used for assessment and that this will need further consideration. The Comprehensive Long Range Plan is working on setting a process for such cases; the feeling is that it should be planning-led. In relation to the Arshad site specifically, the Board agreed that it would not want to do anything to facilitate loss of the one-way operation of Winter Street.
Mr. Whitehead reported that the Mayo Group has asked for a discussion on the Kennedy property.
128 Central Corridor Coalition
It was agreed that Mr. Domnitz and Mr. Whitehead would attend a meeting of the 128 Central Corridor Coalition on September 19th in Lexington.
Traffic Committee
Mr. Hurd reported that he attended the committee that is overseeing the road improvement project for which a budget was approved at Town Meeting. Due to projected costs, it seems unlikely to extend much beyond simple repaving of the roadway. There are concerns that the work should have been framed in a broader context to allow consideration of other measures such as traffic calming, bicycle lanes, and intersection improvement. The timeframe is now tight but there may be some potential to consider options for a limited number of locations.
Green Energy Committee
Mr. Snell reported that there is limited interest in pursuing any zoning changes for alternative energy equipment.
Town Planner’s Report:
Verizon/ Bell Atlantic appeal: tree planting condition
Mr. Whitehead reported that he has spoken with Jim Cunningham about the condition to plant trees on his family’s property. Mr. Cunningham will consult with family members as to whether they still consider this condition important.
Minuteman Commons: lighting
Mr. Whitehead reported that he visited the site following complaints about the brightness of the lighting. He found that the number of lamps installed is fewer than approved.
Land Use Group
The staff LUG meeting reviewed workloads and showed that other boards are currently dealing with some of the same projects as the Planning Board. Demolition of existing houses at 61 Beaver Pond Road and 164 Sandy Pond Road has been approved.
Cell Tower Regulations
Kati Winchell has drawn attention to a proposal to change the regulations governing cell towers. Copies of a paper issued for public comment by the Federal Communications Commission were distributed. The proposal would primarily affect towns which do not have any zoning that allows wireless communication facilities, but it would also tighten the timeline for constructive approval. Mr. Domnitz has responded that it would not have a significant effect on Lincoln. Mr. Whitehead has passed the information on to Mass Planners and the APA.
The meeting was adjourned at 10:40 PM.
Submitted by Catherine Perry
Approved as amended, October 1, 2008
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