Salisbury Planning Board Minutes

Public Hearing & Regular Meeting

Wednesday, August 8, 2007

 

 

 

 

Members Present:  Robert Straubel, Chairman (RS),  Larry Cuddire, Vice Chairman (LC), David Holscher (DH), Lisa Lane (LL), Don Egan (DE), and Isa Cann, (IC) Alternate

 

Also Present: Leah Hill, Assistant Planner, and Pat Banfield, Secretary

 

Chairman Opened Meeting at 6:30 P.M.

 

 

1.      Executive Session

 

                  a.      LC  motions that the board go into Executive Session to discuss two items:

211 Beach Road Realty Trust & Friedenfels settlement agreement.

 

LL Seconds

 

Clerk, David Holscher (DH) polls all members regarding going into Executive Session:

Isa Cann, votes yes, Don Egan votes yes, Lisa Lane votes yes, Larry Cuddire votes yes, Bob Straubel votes yes and Dave Holscher votes yes.

 

Vote 6 - 0 unanimous

 

Clerk, David Holscher (DH) polls all members regarding leaving Executive Session and resuming the Planning Board meeting.

Isa Cann, votes yes, Don Egan votes yes, Lisa Lane votes yes, Larry Cuddire votes yes, Bob Straubel votes yes and Dave Holscher votes yes.

 

 

2.      New Business

 

a.      ACC – 50 Locust St., W. Choquette – primary residence is owner occupied; house is in the R2 zone, with lot size of approx. 44000 esq.  The applicant would like to construct a 900 sq ft accessory apartment, with a 3 car parking garage under.  There will be two means of egress from the accessory apartment.

 

LC motions planning board recommends to ZBA, noting that the lot size is adequate, not detrimental to the R2 neighborhood and the parking is adequate.

 

LL Seconds – Vote on motion 5 – 0 unanimous.


 

3.      Report on Committees

 

a.      Master Plan Update – RS reported The meeting was held on Monday evening, August 6th, at the Upper Deck on Salisbury Beach. Thompson Group had representatives in attendance who are considering major Beach investment.  Also, there was a large attendance by beach residents and Planning Board members.  Some of the concerns raised by residents were, vehicles speeding down Cable Ave., more sidewalks, improved litter pickup, cleanliness, area needs to be better maintained. 

 

 

4.      Correspondence

 

DH Motions to accept the Planning Board minutes of July 25, 2007 as written.

 

LC  Seconds – Vote on motion 4 – 0  (LL & DE) abstention)

 

 

5.      7:30 p.m. Public Hearings

 

a.      Cont. Flexible Residential Design Special Permit Subdivision, 113 Forest Rd. Matt Pails

Applicant has requested a continuance to August 22, 2007 at 7:30 p.m.

LC motions to continue as requested

DH Seconds – Vote on motion 5 – 0 unanimous

 

b.     Cont Definitive Subdivision (Form C) 113 Forest Rd. Matt Pails

Applicant has requested a continuance to August 22, 2007 at 7:30 p.m.

LL motions to continue as requested

LC Seconds – Vote on motion 5 – 0 unanimous

 

c.      SPR for 57 Railroad Ave. – KGO, LLC – Minor administrative mistake, public hearing notices were not sent out with a 7-day advance notice to all the abutters.

Therefore, the hearing is being continued until September 12th at 7:30, and we will re-notice the hearing in the newspaper and notify all the abutters again.  Also, the luminary plan has not been received by KGO, LLC as requested.

 

LL Motions to continue hearing until September 12th.

DH Seconds – Vote on motion 5 – 0 unanimous

 

d.     Street Acceptance of Michelle Drive & Elizabeth LaneMatt Steinell of Millennium Engineering representing applicant, John Paonessa, is hoping to get both streets accepted at the upcoming Fall Town Meeting.  These streets are part of the same subdivision “Meadowbrook Development”.  Town Meeting is scheduled for October 22nd, and the warrant closes on September 21, 2007.  We are still holding a bond on the subdivision for road and utility construction in the amount of $386.6K. 

 

Don Levesque has received numerous complaints regarding problems on these two streets.  Issues as stated by the abutters present, along with their concerns:

Abutters, Thomas Mullen, 2 Elizabeth Lane, Allison Salerno, 4 Elizabeth Lane

§         Open foundation

§         Drainage problems

§         Broken curbing and paving

Also Engineer’s comments in letter to board on July 11, 2007 include:

§         Setting of stone bounds

§         Pedestrian access easement

§         Detention basin sizes and outlet structures conform to approve plan

§         Water line and shut-offs on as-built.

§         Maintenance being performed on drainage system?

 

LC Michelle Drive & Elizabeth Lane are two roads in the same sub-division; all comments apply to both streets.

 

RS hopes to get all the issues resolved in agreement with DPW in order for the board to make a proper decision. 

 

Open foundation: Lot #14 has an open foundation, Lot is no longer is owned by Mr. Paonessa.  RS questions if there was a covenant/homeowner agreement as to how something like this would be handled. 

 

Tom Mullen, abutter, has a copy of covenant, he stated that the open foundation on lot 14 has been in existence for the past two years. The lot fills with water when it rains, no mechanism for drainage.  This presents a safety hazard, with standing water for mosquitoes and disease.  The Covenant states that construction on any lot should be completed within one year.  Abutters are concerned that this issue has not been addressed.   Number of young children in the development and this condition is a safety concern, a number of abutters have sent letters, e-mails to town officials and still noting has been done. RS commented that Mr. Paonessa should exert his right under the covenant to have the foundation removed.

 

Mr. Mullen also stated that there is a drainage issue at the end of 2 Elizabeth Lane. 

 

Matt of Millennium stated they will have a plan for action for resolution read by the next public hearing on August 22nd at 7:30.

 

Allison Salerno, abutter of 4 Elizabeth Lane is concerned about curb falling apart, wants to understand what’s going to happen now that the town is going to maintain the streets.  Also, there are common areas in this subdivision, who is going to maintain these areas?

 

LC recommends Planning Department send a letter to the code enforcement officer and town manager requesting action be taken on this open foundation.

 

LC motions to continue the street acceptance for the Meadowbrook Estates, Elizabeth Lane and Michelle Drive until August 22nd, 2007.

 

DH Seconds – Vote on motion 5 - 0 unanimous


e.      Cont. Definitive Subdivision (Form C) 12 Rabbit Road, Jim Vaughn

Bill Sheehan, Peabody Attorney for applicant is requesting a continuance for a period of 60 days. There has been a series of issues where both parties have been unable to come to a resolution.  Planning director and applicant have been discussing waivers, sidewalks, rail trail issues, legal issues, potential liabilities, very difficult, hope to have these issues resolved by the first meeting in October.

 

RS this has been going on for quite some time.  No action for a number of months, it appears that new issues keep cropping up; this activity here has not been transparent to the public.  Sixty days seems like an awfully long time, we could consider 30 days. 

 

DE questions could we do 60 days with re-notice to the public?

 

DE motions that public hearing be continued to October 10, 2007 at 7:30 and that the planning department re-notice public hearing in newspaper and notify all abutters at applicant’s expense, applicant agreed to this.

 

Leah commented that we have not seen any new plans since April 2007.  Also, an extension will need to be signed by applicant.  RS We would want ample time for counsel and the board to review any documents (two weeks) in advance of public hearing.

 

LL Seconds – Vote on motion 4 - 1 (RS opposed)

 

f.        Cont. SPR, Special Permit – Tropic Star Development – 1 Beach Road.

RS comments that Planning Board members Lisa Lane & Don Egan have listen to the tapes of the minutes (7/11 & 7/25) for this applicant, therefore, meeting the requirement under the Mullins Rule.

 

Applicant, Scott Mitchell, Bob D. Atty. and Architect Shannon Alper, TMS Architects are present. He stated that Don Levesque requested they identify drainage areas.  The cameras were used to identify basins between church property and they have located all sites and know where the drainage system goes. 

 

SPR changes proposed, they recently found out that CVS has definite requirements as to drive-through location at their sites.  Wherever front door is located, the drive-through has to be at the opposite end for marketing reasons.  Therefore, this will result in a slight change (still within the 20 foot setback) for the building location.  The only change will be drive through in front, allowing for cars to drive through during pick up of prescriptions. This twelve foot wide drive through could be cobblestones, but will be between Lafayette Road and the building.

 

They have met with DPW, and developer is OK with shared parking lot between Town Hall and CVS.  Their Traffic Engineer has included a slip lane for traffic going right onto Lafayette as well as left into CVS from Beach Road.  Salisbury Town Hall and Parish Church Architectural drawings have been incorporated into the new design.   

 

 

Shannon Alper, TMS Architects of Portsmouth NH presented artist rendering.  All buildings are white and new design compliments both structures.  Main entrance to store would be in the parking lot.  Scale is smaller to compliment the other architectural structures in the town.   Also, developer proposed a sign “Welcome to Salisbury” set on granite posts at the corner of Lafayette and Beach.  CVS signage would be located on the peaks of the building.

 

RS is concerned about the change of the building location.  The artist rendering looks OK, but the building location is not in the spirit of our previous agreement, to have the building adjacent to Lafayette Road with no intervening pavement.  Why the change?  According to Mr. Mitchell, the door location is always on the opposite corner.

 

LC really has concerns about this drive through, vehicles driving alongside sidewalks; this is an unsafe situation, vehicle lights coming at people driving along Lafayette Road.

 

DE questions what formula CVS used to decide how many parking spaces they needed.

 

ICSC parent body of developers and retailers has a website “Rule of Thumb” for every 1000 sq ft. five spaces (5 –1 ratio).

 

Parish Church Member, Eric Stucker, stated that the church has not formally committed to anything.  This project presents a possibility for extended parking for the church, but no decision has been made at this time.

 

Abutters present who spoke at Public Hearing:

 

Chris & Valerie Ryan

5 Lincoln Ave.

Madelyn & Edward Lynch

9 Forest Road

Anthony Tuccelli

5 Vermont St.

Pat McGranaton

5 Souther Lane

Wendy Pike

7 Second St., Ring Island

Candice Short

1 Warren Ave.

Eric Stucker

5 Lynn Ave

Trudy Berard

3 Warren Ave

Jenifer Scovill

8 Warren Ave

Jane Purinton

20 Toll Road

Ernest A Fa JR.

78 Railroad Ave.

Vincent Mauti

10 Brissette Ave.

 

 

Mr. Mitchell of Tropic Star Development commented that he could not come up with a determination of what the board was suggesting for a design because the board did not agree with one another on a design.  IC replied that the CVS design he presented at the August 8th meeting could not be compared to the previous designs.  She indicated that the board needs to be able to compare “apples to apples”.

 

DE suggests that maybe a gazebo could be constructed alongside where the Welcome to Salisbury monument sign is proposed.

 

LC motions to continue public hearing until August 22nd at 7:30.  Five items to be address are listed below:

§         Parking Spaces

§         Architecture Size

§         Village Center Spirit

§         Drive Through

§         Traffic Impact

 

DH Seconds – Vote on motion 5 – 0

 

 

 

6.      Adjournment

 

LC motions to adjourn meeting at 10:10 p.m.

 

DH Seconds - Vote on motion 5 – 0 unanimous

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Minutes Approved By:_____________________________   Date:___________