TOWN OF LINCOLN
MINUTES OF PLANNING BOARD MEETING
Held on September 8, 2009
In the Donaldson Room, Lincoln Town Offices
PRESENT: B.Wolf (Chair), K.Hurd, D.Boynton, J.Craig, R.Domnitz
STAFF: M.Whitehead, C.Perry
7:30 PM BUSINESS:
Draft SOTT Report
Catherine Perry had drafted a Planning Board report for the 2009 State of the Town Meeting. The Chair was happy with the report and asked for it to be circulated by email to the other Board members. The deadline is September 21st.
Minutes
The Board voted unanimously to approve the minutes of the executive session held on July 21st as submitted. The minutes will not be released until the litigation has been settled.
The four members who were present at the meeting held on July 28th voted unanimously to approve the minutes with an amendment.
The four members who were present at the meeting held on August 11th voted unanimously to approve the minutes as submitted.
Gutierrez, 16 Old Sudbury Road
The Board reviewed the lighting plan again and referred to the minutes, as it was not sure it had approved any lighting at the driveway entrance. It agreed that lighting in this location should be deleted.
The Board signed the decision approving the site plan.
Cingular, De Cordova Museum, 51 Sandy Pond Road
The Board signed the decision granting the renewal of a wireless communication facility special permit.
Verizon, Morrissey site, 23 Cambridge Turnpike
The Board signed the decision granting the renewal of a special permit for a wireless communication facility with replacement of antennas.
Bau, 88 Lincoln Road
The Board visited the site on Saturday August 22nd in connection with the proposed wall along the road frontage. Members reported that they saw no need for the wall to be extended beyond the driveway, to Peirce Hill Road. They considered that the wall should be a maximum of 30 inches high, that any new portions should be at least 5 feet from the paved road and that any portions of the old wall to be rebuilt that are closer than five feet should be correspondingly lower. The Board asked Mr. Whitehead to relay this advice to the applicant.
8:00 PM PUBLIC HEARING: AMY JOANNES, 153 Lexington Road, Map 33/Lot 17, sign permit application under Section 16.5
Amy Joannes, the owner of the property on the north side of Route 2, attended. The proposed signage is on the former Lawson’s/ Gerard’s farmstand building. There is also a house on the lot and the tenant of the house proposes to operate a home-based business, repairing furniture, in the building. Ms. Joannes stated that she has discussed the proposed use with the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Building Inspector and that the ZBA considered that its approval was not needed.
The application form described the sign as measuring 6 feet by 2 feet, being made of wood, with deep red and taupe paint colors, and mounted on the building in place of the existing Gerard’s sign. No drawing was submitted. Ms. Joannes stated that she would like to have signs on both ends of the building.
The Board noted that it was not clear that any signs, or the building itself, had previously been the subject of any approvals. It pointed out that the property is in the R-1 zoning district, where the normal signage (allowed by right) for accessory uses is only one sign of up to two square feet. If the building was in a business zone, the proposed sign would be within the size normally permitted there, calculated in relation to the building frontage. Ms. Joannes said that only the west-facing sign was visible from Route 2, and that the signage was intended more for identification than for advertising. She believed it was important to have the correct business name on the building. The Board considered that one sign would be sufficient and that a smaller size would be preferable. It suggested that the old
signage could be painted over.
A neighbor on Lexington Road attended and asked what business name will be on the sign. It was stated to be “Ruby Door”. The neighbor asked if some sheds, which are being displayed for sale on the site, could be removed. The Board said that this matter was not under its jurisdiction.
The applicant agreed to discuss the Board’s suggestions concerning the signage with the tenant and to provide a labeled sketch drawing showing the lettering, dimensions, materials and color references.
A MOTION was proposed by Mr. Craig and seconded by Mr. Domnitz, to continue the hearing to September 15th at 8:30 PM. Passed 5-0
8:30 PM PUBLIC HEARING: CHRISTOPHER WATSON, 164 Sandy Pond Road, Map 38/Lot 1, site plan review for teardown and reconstruction of a single family home under Section 17.7
Christopher Watson and Michelle Lim-Watson attended. A preliminary meeting was held in July 2008. The lot is 1.6 acres. The project was approved by the Zoning Board of Appeals in September 2008, subject to approvals by the Historical Commission under the demolition delay bylaw (which was granted) and by the Planning Board in relation to use of average natural grade for the height calculation, and subject to the front yard setback area remaining generally a natural woodlands landscape.
The applicant recalled that at the preliminary meeting, the Planning Board identified height as an issue; the Board was not sure that the large cupola was allowable and stated that it would also need to make a determination on the use of average natural grade. Recent changes to the design (since submission of the current application) have eliminated the cupola and lowered the roof a little. The height of the building is now proposed to be 34 feet from average natural grade. The Board asked for revised elevations to be provided.
The Board reviewed the plans, for a 2½ story house with a basement garage, on a compact footprint. The style of the house is like a modernized barn with a steep roof, and the front elevation incorporates a sliding barn-style door. The Board asked about proposed materials; these were stated as a standing seam metal roof with a gray paint finish, and Hardiplank siding.
No landscape plan was supplied but planting of some evergreen bushes is proposed in the application. Mr. Watson explained that their purpose is to screen the view of a neighbor’s garage from the house. The applicant stated that the intention for the rest of the site is for existing trees to remain except for any that need to be removed for construction. The Board asked for the limit of disturbance to be shown on the plan. Mr. Watson mentioned that the deck and stone wall shown at the rear of the house may be eliminated and replaced with steps to reduce costs.
Drainage was discussed. The north east edge of the site slopes down towards wetlands beyond the lot line. The upper portion of the driveway is in the 100 foot buffer area. The driveway is currently unpaved and the applicant proposes to pave it. For drainage, Mr. Watson stated that a dry well is proposed and that it would need an overflow pipe to daylight down the slope. The Board advised him that he will need to discuss this with the Conservation Commission and to provide a drainage plan.
Exterior lighting was described as two lights above the garage, two on the back of the house and recessed lights in the porch. A proposed dark sky fixture was shown on a laptop computer. The Board asked for printed details. No driveway lighting is proposed.
A MOTION was proposed by Mr. Hurd and seconded by Mr. Boynton, to continue the hearing to October 13th at 8:00 PM. Passed 5-0
9:00 PM PUBLIC HEARING: MICHAEL FEINBERG, 185 Weston Road, Map 111/Lot 5-12, site plan review for an accessory structure under Section 17.7
Michael Feinberg attended with his builder, Ken Eisner. The property is a residential lot of approximately four acres adjoining conservation land. Mr. Feinberg wishes to construct an accessory structure in the form of a ‘carriage house’. There are wetlands near the front of the lot. Mr. Eisner stated that to enable the building to be sited outside the wetland buffer zone and to save a large tree, the applicant has enlarged the lot slightly under an ANR plan that the Board recently endorsed. The added piece of land remains in a conservation restriction and has a trail easement. Plans of the development were presented together with a sketch landscape plan and photographs of the site.
The applicant stated that the accessory structure will not be used as a residence; it is proposed to contain a garage with an office and exercise room above. There will be a bathroom which will be connected to the existing septic system. In terms of site drainage, Mr. Eisner stated that an existing detention pit will be relocated, although he has never seen water in it. The trail, which runs close to the proposed building, is currently offset where it crosses the driveway. Mr. Eisner reported that the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust (LLCT) has sketched out a new alignment for the trail on the far side of the driveway, which will eliminate the jog and allow there to be some trees between the trail and the new building. The existing house was reported to be well screened from the trail by planting done in
conjunction with its development, under the previous site plan. A large barn which was previously proposed was not constructed and its approval lapsed.
The Board checked the height of the accessory structure and the setbacks. A small cupola is proposed, which the Board judged to be excludable from the height calculation. Without it the height is 24’8”. The Board noted that the setback was variously shown as 25 feet or 28 feet. It was agreed to mark it as 25ft minimum.
The Board asked about exterior lighting. Three recessed lights are proposed. No landscape lighting is proposed. The Board asked if the applicant intends to have a light in the cupola, noting that it would be visible from the trail. The applicant said this had not been decided.
William (Buzz) Constable of the LLCT attended. He reported that the Trust has discussed the interaction of the project with the conservation restriction. It interprets the clause in the conservation restriction relating to subdivision of the land for development as not being offended by the ANR. The conservation restriction will remain in effect. Mr. Constable reported good cooperation between LLCT and the applicant and confirmed that it has been agreed to realign the trail on the far side of the driveway (off the applicant’s property). Some trees may also be planted there. The Trust has no objection to the design of the ‘carriage house’ and is satisfied with the on-site landscape proposals. Mr. Constable reported that the non-porous paving of the driveway by a previous owner was a
violation of the conservation restriction but that funds have been placed in escrow by the seller to pay for fault to be amended.
A MOTION was proposed by Mr. Hurd and seconded by Mr. Craig, to approve the site plan as presented, subject to there being no light in the cupola and subject to the trail being modified and planting carried out to the LLCT’s satisfaction. Passed 5-0
9:30 PM DISCUSSION OF DECISION: JANE SOLAR, 40 Deerhaven Road, Map 24/Lot 27, subdivision of land under Rules and Regulations Governing the Subdivision of Land and the Laying Out of Ways Section 5.0
The Board visited the site on Saturday August 22nd. It reported that the new house location will be more than 500 feet from an existing hydrant, that the turnaround area is likely to need to be extended, possibly into a ‘T’, to meet the needs of the fire department, and that the road may currently be less than twelve feet wide in places. Mrs. Wolf reported that the water and fire departments have stated that the situation requires a new 6” water line with a hydrant nearer to the house site.
The Board discussed the road width and considered that a 12 foot width all along would be sufficient provided that a two foot strip on each side was kept clear of trees. This would need to be shown on a plan.
The Board advised the Solars to submit revised plans showing proposals for the water main, hydrant and vehicle turning area, and for the road to be 12 feet wide all along (with widening if necessary), with a 2 foot strip to be kept clear of trees on either side. Utilities are normally required to be underground, so if any wires are proposed to remain above ground, a waiver should be requested with the relevant information. Mr. and Mrs. Solar agreed to submit revised materials and to call the Planning staff to schedule the matter.
The Board noted that although wetlands are shown on the surveyor’s plan, correct delineation of wetlands will be determined by the Conservation Commission. The new house will be subject to site plan review by the Planning Board.
In relation to the request for a recommendation to the Zoning Board of Appeals on a variance, the Board indicated that it did not wish to make a recommendation either way.
OTHER BUSINESS:
Frumkin, 1 Tower Field Lane
The Board reviewed a final site plan with drainage and landscape details, submitted under the terms of the site plan approval, and was satisfied with it.
Land Use Group
Catherine Perry reported from the meeting held on September 1st. She had outlined a session of the Access Mentor Group in which Ellen Meadors presented a prototype integrated permit tracking system. This was developed by MARPA with a state grant, based on Grafton’s building department’s system with other departments added on. Lincoln’s land use departments and central information users need to examine this system to see if it would provide a basis for integrating Lincoln’s databases and filling gaps. On initial examination it appears to provide some features for the building department which we do not currently have, and a structure to allow integrated searches for permits (once the data has been inputted for a sufficient time), but to be less developed than our current
systems in some departmental areas.
The Land Use Permitting Guide is being updated, with a few new sections added.
The Building Inspector reported that Deaconess has discussed the revised staging of The Groves development. On Reiling Pond Road, one house is complete and two are underway. The Historical Commission was about to review a house teardown at 76 Old Sudbury Road (since approved) and a fence at the Pierce House. The Conservation Commission is reviewing landscape work relating to housing at Hanscom. Most of the Commission’s upcoming items are related to small scale work such as septic systems. The Commission is considering setting up a website to facilitate relocation of surplus plants such as those displaced by development.
The meeting was adjourned at 10:45 PM.
Submitted by Catherine Perry
Approved September 15, 2009
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