Oct 11, 2012 final
The Northampton Planning Board
Minutes of Meeting
Oct 11, 2012
City of Northampton Council Chambers, 212 Main St., Northampton, MA
Members Present: Time
Chair, Mark Sullivan
Vice Chair, Jennifer Dieringer
Francis “Frandy” Johnson
Stephen Gilson
Debin Bruce
John Lutz
Karla Youngblood, Associate Member
Ann DeWitt Brooks Associate Member
Staff:
Planning Director, Wayne Feiden 7:30
Senior Planner, Carolyn Misch
7:00 P.M
Mark Sullivan opened Continuation on a request by City of Northampton Office
of Planning and Development for Site Plan for construction of 40,000 +- sf of office space
and 20,000 +- boathouse and related site development for property on Damon Rd, (Lane
Construction site), Northampton, Map Id 18-12.
Staff gave update of Department of Public Works permitting and comments, noting that a
stormwater permit was issued.
Jeff Squire, Berkshire Design Group, Inc representing the applicant, briefly went over
Department of Public Works comments.
Stephen Gilson asked about lights and timers for the site.
Rick Klein, of Berkshire Design Group stated that the rowing community would like to have
the lights on all night, but they could be programmed to be put on half lights for security.
Mark Sullivan asked if lights were on all night would they be visible from apartment
complex.
Debin Bruce indicated concern with people using the property if there were no lights.
Francis Johnson asked about land locked parcels.
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Wayne Feiden stated that whatever rights for access these owners have would remain.
Debin Bruce asked about concern of traffic from other lots.
John Lyons 80 Damon Rd, River Run raised issue of traffic stops by police blocking access
to River Run.
Jonathan Wright, 91 Olander Dr, noted that security is always an issue at river sites. He
added that activity to the riverfront will decrease security concerns. This is a unique site
along the River being a manmade harbor for historic canal. He also clarified that there
probably is not going to be a 20,000 sf boat house. In the shorterm there would be a storage
facility.
Resident from 5102 River Run said she was excited about the boathouse and the need for
pedestrian linkages for residents into the city. She stated that it would be important not to be
boxed in.
Tim O’donnell River Run, emphasize private driveway for River Run.
Phil Lesky, NH rowing association??? Benefit to NH ped and river friendly issues.
Jose Baron resident of River Run. Afternoon traffic on Damon road. 24 hour lighting important.
1. The multi-use path shall be constructed concurrent with the development of the first
office/commercial building construction.
2. Prior to issuance of a building permit for the second commercial building or construction that
results in 20,000 sf of commercial space, a left turn lane shall be added to the driveway intersection
at Damon Road as recommended in the traffic analysis.
3. Covered/sheltered bicycle storage areas shall be provided in front of each building for storage of at
least 6 bicycles. Alternatively, end-users may incorporate storage inside the building if shown to
accommodate 6 bicycles at the time of building permit application.
4. Bicycle loops shall be provided in front of the boat house for up to 10 bicycles.
5. Prior to the division of property interests, shared maintenance and access agreements shall be
recorded at the registry of deeds for the boat house and commercial buildings. Language shall be
submitted to Office of Planning and Development for approval prior to recording.
6. Sidewalk to Damon shall be constructed concurrent with build out of first phase of project (boat
house or pad sites, unless proof is shown that the River Run condo association has voted to prohibit
its construction.
SIDEWALK TO DAMON.??
Width of access road 20’-26’ wide.
What about sidewalks?
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Wayne Feiden- if RR grant right then they would do it.
Stephen Gilson asked about process of getting approval.
Wayne Feiden described.
Board discussed condition about sidewalk.
Upon motion by Debin Bruce and second by Stephen Gilson, the board voted unanimously to
close the hearing.
Mark Sullivan noted that the function and use and layout are not issues. Only traffic and safety.
Upon motion by Francis Johnson and second by and second by Stephen Gilson the board voted
unanimously to approve with conditions…..
7:45 P.M
. Mark Sullivan opened the request by Northeast Solar Design for special permit for
ground mounted solar panels at 38 Birch Hill Rd, Florence, Map Id 29-559.
Gregory Garrison, of Northeast Solar presented the application. He described the 33’ x 11’ wide
footprint for the 6KW array and indicated that it would not be visible from abutting properties.
The Board discussed reason for the special permit.
Louis Hasbrouck, Building Commissioner spoke in favor of project and stated that it meets the
goals of Energy Commission.
Upon motion by Francis Johnson and second by Stephen Gilson, the board voted to close the
hearing.
Upon motion by Debin Bruce and second by Stephen Gilson, the board voted to approve permit.
7:50 P.M.
Request by Ronald Grise for a special permit for ground mounted solar panels at 88
Austin Cir, Florence, Map Id 29-345.
Ronald Grise, owner, described that the panel would serve just the house and be set in the rear
yard.
Mark Sullivan asked if any trees are to be removed?
Grise said, “no”.
Francis Johnson asked if the concrete pads on site will be used.
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There was no public comment.
Upon motion by Debin Bruce and second by Stephen Gilson, the board voted unanimously to
close the hearing.
Upon motion by Debin Bruce and second by Stephen Gilson, the board voted unanimously
to approve the permit.
8:00 P.M.
Mark Sullivan opened the request for Site Plan Approval (major project) by The
Grantham Group to construct an 83 room, 58,000 square foot assisted living facility on Village
Hill Rd, Northampton, Map Id 38A-110.
Walter Ohanian gave presentation about assisted units noting that 52% would be low income and
he described the function of the facility.
David LaPointe, Beals and Thomas presented site details on behalf of the applicant.
There was a question about on site infiltration on adjacent site.
Staff asked if this would be LEED certified.
Greg Walsh, consultant noted that it looked as though it had a good chance to be certified.
The Board discussed the following conditions:
1. Prior to issuance of a building permit, the following items shall be performed:
a. the applicant shall finalize and revise plans to incorporate conditions herein and changes
made from the original filing. Plan Sets should be delivered to Office of Planning and
Development.
b. the applicant shall show proof of recording of shared access and drainage easements for
the driveway off Village Hill Rd. that will be shared with lot 112.
c. An Approval Not Required Plan shall be submitted, endorsed and recorded changing the
lot boundaries between 110 and 112.
d.Within 60 days, the drainage calculations for all drainage areas impacted by the
proposed drainage design shall be revised and submitted to the DPW for approval.
The areas and drainage systems impacted by the revised drainage design include
watershed areas PDA-2C, PDA-1 C, and PDA-3B and drainage to Detention Basins
2, 3. and 4.
e. The applicant shall record an executed Stormwater Operation, Maintenance, and Inspection
Agreement that is binding on all subsequent owners of land served by the private stormwater
management facility by recording it in the land records of the Registry of Deeds. This agreement
must be approved by the Northampton Department of Public Works prior to final signatures.
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f. Plan changes shall include items identified in the Department of Public Works memo
with regard to corrections to references etc.
2. All Douglas Fir surrounding parking lot should be replaced with lower growth shrubs or be
pruned up. The applicant may opt not to landscape the exterior of the fenced dumpster. Final
planting shall be shown on revised plans.
3. Tree planting detail in accordance with the city’s tree specs shall be incorporated into final plans.
4. Street tree protection detail shall be incorporated into final plans.
5. Bike loops shall be incorporated into the final plan set as discussed and presented in follow up
materials.
6. Any Street trees along the property boundaries that are damaged during construction or show
decline up to one year after a certificate of occupancy has been issued shall be replaced by the
applicant in accordance with street trees and tree planting standards.
7. If the public sidewalk is damaged during construction, the applicant is responsible for repairing
damage in accordance with Department of Public Works standards.
8.A note shall be added to the plans regarding abandonment and capping procedures for any
unused utility connections. In addition, the water stub and the drain line shown in the NE
quadrant of the property do not exist according to the Record Plans. Plans should be revised
to be consistent with Record Plans.
9.Trench cuts in newly paved roads shall meet the DPW requirements for backfill. mill and
overlay. New roadway base materials and pavement required for the revised curb cut shall
match existing materials and construction.
10.New sidewalk and curbing required for the revised curb cut shall match the existing materials
and construction.
11.A proposed sidewalk is shown intersecting an existing sidewalk ramp at the eastern curb cut.
The sidewalk connection shall be ADA compliant.
12. A copy of the final NOI and Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) shall be submitted to the
Northampton DPW for approval prior to the start of construction and prior to issuance of a building permit.
13. Two of the proposed Red Oaks are located within the drip line of proposed utilities. These should be moved
to the extent feasible so the drip lines do not overlap the utilities.
A red oak is proposed on the southeast corner of the building.
Stephen Gilson asked about dumpster location and entrance to the building and asked about
loading.
LaPointe noted that loading would be in rear lot and only 2- 3 residents would have cars.
Ohanian noted that there would be no skilled nursing on site and no cooking facilities in the
rooms.
Francis Johnson asked if community room would be available to neighborhood association.
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Walter Ohanian showed common room area that could be used by the neighborhood.
Lutz asked if these would be rental units.
Ohaninan confirmed yes.
Stephen Gilson asked about snow storage.
Ohanian stated that snow removal from the site would be required.
There was discussion of shared parking with abutting parcel.
There was no public comment.
Staff read proposed conditions.
Upon motion by Francis Johnson and second by John Lutz, the board voted unanimously to close
the hearing.
Upon motion by Stephen Gilson and second by Debin Bruce, the approved with conditions
unanimously.
8:30 P.M.
Mark Sullivan opened the request for site plan approval with parking reduction for
expansion of parking facility for Clarke School/Bell Hall at 47 Round Hill Rd, Northampton,
Map Id 31B-64.
Mike Liu, consultant for the applicant, described the project.
Mark Sullivan asked how you get from the parking obtained by easement from Smith to Bell
Hall.
John Lutz asked about how easement works and whether the spaces are empty if unused.
Bill Corwin, President of Clarke, noted that the spaces are assigned for Clarke.
Francis Johnson asked about the uses at Tilly Hall.
Bill Corwin noted that Clarke has the business office there.
Staff noted Department of Public Works comments.
Board discussed merits of reduction of parking request.
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Sarah Metcalf, residences concern about elimination of pedestrian paths across campus and a
large Oak that will be removed for parking lot.
Rick Klein noted that Clarke has previously let the public access across the site but it is difficult
to create ADA accessibility due to the slopes.
Jason Foster, 87 Round Hill Road, stated that the Board should not ignore the issue of pedestrian
access across the site.
Janet Gross 38 Round Hill rd. asked about the parking in front of Bell Hall and where service
trucks will park. She asked where the service entrance is located and expressed concerns about
possible accidents.
Klein clarified the easement arrangements.
Richard Greene, 88 Round Hill Road, noted that the public might have a legal right to use it
access across the property.
Nicholas Gross, Round Hill Road, stated it should be 20’ wide with more vehicles expected.
Upon motion by Debin Bruce and second by Stephen Gilson, the board voted to close public
hearing.
The Board discussed the following conditions:
1. Prior to commencement of site work the following must be completed:
a. Annual stormwater management agreement must be in place in accordance with the original permit. This will
need to be finalized and signed and recorded with operations plan.
b. All easements for offsite drainage will need to be in place before commencement of work. There are two
areas where easements are necessary between future Opal and Clarke on the north property boundary.
2. Slope Stabilization should be included for all slopes of 3:1 or greater
3. Tactile warning strips for the HC ramp going from the parking lot into the back side of Bell shall be installed in
accordance with AAB standards.
Upon motion by Debin Bruce and second by Stephen Gilson, the board voted to amend the
permit, with conditions read
9:10 P.M
. Mark Sullivan opened request for Site Plan approval to convert historic educational
buildings to residential and mixed office use, Special Permit for reduction in parking for property
at Clarke School, Round Hill Rd, Northampton Map Id 31B-4, 6.
Daren Gray, Doucet Associates representing the applicant, provided introduction of the project.
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Demetrious Panteleakis, Applicant, gave overview of Opal as a company and historic
preservation projects.
Gray described site and proposed uses.
Francis Johnson asked why the western side of the parcel couldn’t include residential use.
Panteleakis replied that due to the use of Historic tax credits they cannot touch the interior layout
which makes it difficult for re use for residential units.
He noted that there were five bike racks (2 on residential side of the site)
Shaun Kelly, Vanasse Associates described the Traffic Study.
John Lutz asked about data from when Clarke was fully operational.
Kelly noted that there had been 100 employees approximately.
Mark Sullivan asked about parking areas.
Stephen Gilson asked why they were adding just a few spaces here and there?
Gray stated that it was because there were opportunities that didn’t cost much.
Stephen Gilson asked about circulation for parents dropping off at Sunnyside.
Gray noted they would circle through the parking lot and back out.
Stephen Gilson asked about 38 residential units vs. 42.
Panteleakis stated that MassHistoric wanted the space internal to the buildings to remain the
same, which reduced the total number of units they could create.
All plaques on the trees, sidewalks benches must remain to comply with National Park Service
historic preservation criteria.
The Board discussed traffic study and use of gross floor area vs. net floor area.
Staff clarified that mitigation was based on reduction to leasable floor area.
Stephen Gilson asked about accessory buildings.
Demetrious Panteleakis noted that accessory buildings would stay that engineer building would
stay as an on-site managers residence.
Sarah Metcalf-distributed comments from neighborhood and read requests.
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Richard Greene, 88 Round Hill, asked for clarification of traffic. Round Hill Road/Elm St
intersection and if it also included Campus Lane. He asked that impacts be looked at and raised
a concern of intersection impacts. There should be a reduction in traffic and raised a concern
about the length of time for residents to respond to new information.
Kathryn Grandonico, Bancroft Road stated her concern about drainage on the westerly side of
the campus.
Tom Derr, and Deborah Eaton noted that they were in favor of the Opal plan but stated their
concern of traffic flow.
Jason Foster, Round Hill stated he was not in favor of eliminating on-street parking on Round
Hill. He stated that egress should be created on Henshaw and Bancroft and that it was not fair
for Round Hill residents to bear the brunt of the traffic.
Hedy Rose, Round Hill Road, stated her doubt about the fact that 20% medical use was
necessary for feasibility. She raised a concern about impact to property values and spoke against
the commercial aspects of the project.
George Sorkin, Bancroft Rd. agree with Foster and Rose, raised a concern with repercussion of
development at the site.
Charles, Robertson 33 Langworthy asked who realistically would bike up the hill?
Raphael Atlasm, Hillside noted that the project will transform the neighborhood and that more
access roads would be necessary.
Rose- noted that day care has trips occur four times per day and not just 2 times day.
Stephen Gilson asked about walkability?
Panteleakis stated that the playground will stay open, tennis court open and the road to Bancroft
is too steep. He also noted that the water flowing off the hill is the historic flow pattern and will
not be altered.
Stephen Gilson asked if gym would still be open to Recreation Department use.
Stephen Gilson asked about dumpsters?
Panteleakis noted that the dumpsters are located near the boiler building and stated that there
would be no new lighting or light poles.
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Staff clarified that the Recreation Department does not use the gym currently.
Mark Sullivan read Deb Eaton’s letter.
The Board discussed conditions.
Upon motion by Debin Bruce and second by Stephen Gilson, the board voted unanimously to
close the hearing.
Board discussed benefits of preservation, including the fact that this gives long term stability to
the neighborhood and city in terms of knowing how the campus will look and function into the
future.
Upon motion by Stephen Gilson and second by John Lutz, the board voted to approve special
with site and with conditions.
Other:
Village Hill Letter of Credit --extension and change of amount
Upon motion by Francis Johnson and second by Debin Bruce, the board approved reduction /
change to letter of credit.
The Board adjourned at 11:45 pm
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