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Home My WebLink About2025-06-17 Planning Board Minutes Iw S"�- PLANNING BOARD Eitan, Goldberg, Chair, Sean Kevlahan John ShnonsIr ff/ i%* Christopher Ifoskores Peter Bo nton Kate Kelly,Associate I rl, rr I 1p11I��I ��; n tl It d Ii.IVi�p ,� i TitesdaE June 17 202 m. 120 MainStreet Town Hell North Andover, 184 Present/Planning Board: E. Goldberg,J. Simons,P. Boynton, S.I evlahan,G, I osl ores-Remote, K. Kelly,Associate Absent, Staff Present: J. Enright E. Goldman Chairman:The Planning Board meeting for.,June 17,2025,was called to order at 7 p.m. t . Koskores is attending the meeting remotely and votes will be taken by roll call, J. Enright: Attendance: I . Kelly, S. Kevlahan,J. Simons,E. Goldberg,P. Boynton, C.Kosl ores-Rernote.. NEW PUBLIC HEARING .t. 15/I t. 133 Intersection Town of North Andover.- Application for a Watershed Special Permit tinder Article 4 Part and Article 10 195-10.7 of the'down of North Andover Zoning Bylaw. Applicant proposes geornetric modifications to the intersection of Osgood Street and Great Pond Road, installation of A. A/AAB cornpliant pedestrian crossings at the signalized intersection with accessible signals, countdown signal heads,and crosswalks at all four intersection legs. Also, installation of new sidewalks and crosswalks,utility systern adjustments, drainage systern modification and other associated improvements.The property is located in the watershed Protection.District, Residential 1, Business 2, Industrial 2 and General Business zoning districts. L, nrigF A waiver request for this project was denied by the Board and subsequently a watershed Special Permit application was submitted. A Notice of Intent was filed with Conservation.The first stormwater peer review from Horsley Witten was received and a response is pending, Jake Carmody,PE, Snr. Project M r.--Vanasse Associates: we received peer review comments and are working toward a response this week and concurrence from the peer reviewer prior to the next meeting. Provided brief"project overview showing reap and construction plans. Described geometric improvements namely the right turn onto Great Pond Ind. from It. 125 designed to slow down movement by relocating;it closer to the intersection.Improved intersection addresses the gap in pedestrian network in this area,A MassWorks grant was secured for these intersection improvements including crosswalks, sidewalks within project limits closing the pedestrian network gap creating a long area of continuous,connecting sidewalks. Area includes,multi-family,residential,commercial,retail and recreational,spaces. One will be able to walk from.Barker St. to the parks on Sutton St. Sidewalk connection is provided to the boat launch area on Great Pond Ind. Safety improvements involve slowing traffic with realignments of intersection.Identified crosswalk locations.. J. Simons: Is this work all in the public right of way` J. Carmody; This is all within the public right of way. The entire intersection and the pedestrian crossing are in the MassDOT right of way;town right of way heads to Great Pond Ind, Stormwater improvements include deep surnp catch basins.The right turn movement will be brought into the traffic signal.No drarnatic change to traffic operations;goal is to improve pedestrian traffic. There is a proposed sidewalk opposite Butcher Boy;described rain gardens that capture stormwater for conveyance. MassDOT permit is underway; issuance is dependent upon resolution of environmental permits;Conservation Commission and watershed Special Permit. J. Simons: who has ownership of this project the town or state? J. Cartn d : The town owns this project and has secured.MassWorks funding,which DPW is supplementing with Chapter 9 funding. Massl OT is involved because they own the intersection and Rt. 125 work. A 1" assl OT Access Permit for permission to perform the improvernents is required. I .Kelly:: (disclosed she's an abutter to project)!questioned whether existing traffic and pedestrian patterns are considered in the design. Mated this area receives a lot of daily traffic, large trucks,etc. Commented that a new day care in that vicinity was recently approved,which will impact traffic. J. + arrnod w Traffic counts and pedestrian crossing are considered.A 2025 traffic report was prepared for MassDOT,which projects 7 years out. It demonstrated no negative impact with the project and it took into account pedestrians,bicycles and. modeled large trucks traveling through the intersection. J. Simons: Questioned whether lane turning left heading south on Rt. 125 onto Great Pond Fed. was being added. J. Carmody:A lane is not being added there,suggested adapting traffic light signalization tinned with a green arrow. J. Simons: That would suffice. E. Goldbe : This project addresses sidewalk connectivity in the area as highlighted in the Master Plan. -own ofNorthAndover PLANNING BOARD John Sinions Chris Peter Bo nton Kate Ifelly,Associate tv I its i Tuesday June 17 2025 k 7 V,ni. 120 Neill,Street— Town,HaLl North Andover, MA 01845 J.Enright: If storinwater review concludes a decision will be prepared for the July 1,2025 meeting.No public comment was received this evening,. We heard from president,John. Strauss,when the waiver request was,submitted. His comments were addressed in the revised plan set. He has not reached out since that communication.No public present this evening. (Continued to the July 1,2025 Planning board Meeting DISCUSSION ITEMS ;Starter Home istrict/40 Y: Discuss Board's interest in participating in a wPC OneStep grant application to study the feasible locations and zoning parameters for starter home districts across the region. This grant would run from January 2026 through June 2027. J, Enright; Presented Strategy 4 of the recently approved Housing Production Plan-"Starter Home Districts". Merrimack Valley Planning Commission has applied for grant funding to work regionally to identify potential areas in town and possibly draft zoning language for future consideration.. (Grant runs through July/ o )Goal is to research models addressing the creation of"right-sized"starter homes,a growing concern among local residents. This commonly refers to housing units, eith.e:r•detached or a cordorniniurn development,owned units with 3 bledroorrrs. etached units per acre) orrld occur on smaller lots. The Mate Department of Housing and Livable Communiti.es is expected to promulgate regulations under this section to guide communities via adoption of these districts.Noted a copy of the MGL 40Y statute is included in the meeting packet.This type of district allows for more density, Ili-nits homes up to 1,850SF; likely appear-as an Overlay district. doted. J. Simons Homes once thought of as`starter homes"now sell for 800lK to one million dollars. The value of land is so high. that it becomes difficult to offer a low price point. Four 1,850 SF homes per acre aren't considered starter homes because the land is too expensive. J. Bnrig:Yht: Minimum lot sizes downtown are 12,500 SF lots,however, it is all developed. This most likely would be an Overlay District in an area we see potential for r•edeveloprnent, E. GoldbM: Mated that this,could occur where you have larger*single-family homes now;place four homes on lots where only one was once considered. J. imons. Historically,this was not well received by residents living in those neighborhoods. J.Enri�htt: It's a stretch to think in R 1,which now has 2-acne rninirnums,we would do an Overlay and cut lots into four; Everyone is in favor of"right sized housing","starter home districts",but how and where do they fit in needs to be explored. J. Simons: A developer*built -family-5- K SF homes, disproportionate as compared to the neighborhood in F- ,which became an issue. We changed the zoning to not be by-right because people were upset about it. There isn't any land where you can build lots of single-family houses on small lots-there simply aren't any parcels left. It farces you to consider multi- family which will continue to be the future E. Goll : Questioned whether there are small areas where this might be encouraged;we can't force it. J. Sirn.ons. Explained that RA is already 1 ,500 homes per acre,we already have a zone that does that.The number of new single--family housing starts has decreased greatly. Developers need to build big houses on lots to covers the land cost. S. Keylahan: We'd have to find a prospective parcel of land in town to develop 1,850 SF homes. Questions how the developer does the math where single family lots cost$ 001 ,unless there is incentive.. J. nr®ight. Participating in the grant application allows ors to be part of this regional conversation with l'VPC and identify potential locations. C.Koskor•es, Questioned the feasibility based on the wrath.;cost of land,cost to build,etc.,good intention,questions how this works financially. It seems life a wash with 4 homes on a lot. E. Goldberg: We need to research whether other local toms have considered this type of development and whether they worked. The town can receive funding if these are built.. MEETING MINUTES: Approval of the May 6&flay 13,2025 meeting minutes. MOTION: S. Kevlahan made a motion to accept the minutes for May 13,20 5. P'. Boynton seconded the motion. Roll call vote; C. Kosl ores voted yes. S. Kevlahan voted yes. J. Simons voted yes on 5/1 / 5 (abstained on 5/6/25). E.Goldberg voted yes. P. Boynton voted yes. The vote was -o,unanimous in favor if the May 6,2025 minutes and 5-0 on the May 13,2025 minutes. MEETING ADJOURNMENT: 'down of NorthAndover PLANNING BOARD Is John Simon's Peter Won Ifate Ifelly,Associate t i v.. ' �IIIIII{i I li �ir I rd Tuesday une 7 2025 c 7 .m. 120 Main Street— Town Hall North. nFlovei MA 01845 MOTION: S. Kevlahan made a motion to adjourn the meeting. The motion was seconded by J. Simons. Meeting adjourned 7:36 p.m.. Kull call vote: C. Kosko�res voted yes. S. l .evlahan voted yes.J. Suns voted yes. E. Goldberg voted yes.P. Boynton voted yes. The vote was 5- ,unanIMOUs in favor. MEETING MATERIALS: darning Board Meeting Agenda June 17,2025, DRAFT Planning Board Meeting Minutes s May 6 135 2025; Staff Re t:250617 Staff deport; Rt. 25/Rt. 114 Intersection Town ofNorth Andover' Stormwater,Peer Review: 250609 HW 1 It SWPeerReview sg,o+odSt Imp, 25 515-WSP Application- sgoodSt&Gi-eatPondC d; Starter 3