Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-07-14 Select Board Minutes NORTH ANDOVER SELECT BOARD MINUTES JULY 1412025 Call To Order: Chair Janice Phillips called the open meeting to order at 7:OOPM in the Select Board Room located at 120 Main Street North Andover. Select Board in Attendance: Chair Janice Phillips, Rosemary Smedile, Laura Bates, Clerk Brian Roache, and David Kres were present Non-Board Members in Attendance: Town Manager Melissa Murphy-Rodrigues, Deputy Town Manager Denise Casey, and Assistant Town Manager Laurie Burzlaff were present. PUBLIC COMMENT Brian Coppola of 36 Main Street discussed the need for a bus shelter on Main Street. NEW BUSINESS Update on Recreation Complex Craig Miller and Tim Wong from Waterfield Designs were present. Mr. Miller discussed the proposed project plan broken down into three phases. Mr. Miller stated phase one would be well under the available budget and includes a softball field and a soccer field. Mr. Miller stated they are keeping the existing fence line, and that is where the project will begin. Mr. Wong stated the key items for phase one is the softball field which will be a lit field, the multi-purpose field, and a building for restrooms, storage and utilities. Mr. Wong stated there will also be a family picnic area, shuffle board, and a half basketball court. Mr. Miller discussed how phase one impacts the rest of the property. Mr. Miller stated the existing softball field will remain and existing parking will be used to access the new field. Mr. Miller discussed the construction access road to keep things isolated and separate. Mr. Wong stated this allows them to ensure construction vehicles are not on the residential streets. Mr. Miller stated they separated out the drainage from each phase so they are standalone in terms of how they manage storm water runoff. Mr. Miller stated they are looking to finish the design this fall for a spring 2026 construction. Mr. Miller stated they will be going in front of the Planning Board and Conservation in the next several weeks. Mr. Wong stated the Conservation permit still extends, and they have received an extension. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated they wanted to bring this to the Board first because it is different from what they first expected. Ms. Casey stated they will be actively updating the project page on the Town website. Ms. Phillips asked how long do projects like this take. Mr. Miller stated potentially two construction seasons. Mr. Roache asked if they are planning to close that construction access point, will it be a controlled access, and will there be trucks at the same time there will be drop off and pickup. Mr. Miller stated it is easiest to have a construction flagging person present, but they can look into full stop. Mr. Roache asked if there would be a lot of trucks coming back and forth. Mr. Miller stated no, and they are scheduled. Mr. Miller stated they can work out a schedule out with the Town for when deliveries and such can be made. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated the Planning Board will require a construction plan for parking and driving. Mr. Roache asked if they lose cost efficiency with drainage being standalone versus one overall drainage plan. Mr. Miller stated no. Mr. Miller stated there is another set of drawings as part of the construction plan that will show how to protect and separate the construction activities. Mr. Roache asked if the light yellow is turf and everything else is natural materials. Mr. Wong stated yes. Comment letter to MassHousing Project Eligibility Application for proposed 40B development at Zero Prescott and 67 High Street Andrew Shapiro was present. Mr. Shapiro stated they are trying to provide a wide ranging response to cover the high notes. Mr. Shapiro stated this is a preliminary eligibility application so they are only commenting at this point to Mass Housing, who is reviewing the application that was submitted to them. Mr. Shapiro stated NORTH ANDOVER SELECT BOARD MINUTES JULY 1412025 typically projects of this size and nature are reviewed by the Planning Board however, in this case, it would be reviewed by the Zoning Board of Appeals. Mr. Shapiro stated they are covering that they have done a fair bit in the way of housing. Mr. Shapiro stated they are making it clear to Mass Housing that North Andover does take housing seriously and wants to see more options for housing. Mr. Shapiro stated they provided an overview of the project. Mr. Shapiro stated they provide context on the surrounding area. Mr. Shapiro discussed some zoning inconsistencies. Mr. Shapiro discussed traffic access and circulation. Mr. Shapiro stated they are recommending an independent traffic impact study. Mr. Shapiro stated there was a lot of modeling done based on previous floods that have occurred. Mr. Shapiro stated the project is less than 300 feet away from Mill Pond so they should be looking at the nature of potential future flooding events and what that could mean in terms of where the project is located. Mr. Shapiro discussed the compatibility with surrounding neighborhoods and zoning context. Mr. Shapiro discussed the impact of nearly 300 units on municipal services. Mr. Shapiro discussed the Zero Prescott proposal compared to some of the recent projects in North Andover. Mr. Shapiro stated they provided some information regarding the Master Plan. Mr. Shapiro discussed the impact of new housing development on Town's public infrastructure and services. Mr. Roache asked if the flood plan does not reach the boundaries of this project. Mr. Shapiro stated he does not have a recollection of exactly where the 100-year storm reaches in the study. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated the study does have a lot of mitigation measures. Mr. Shapiro stated the proponent of the project is the general owner of the Mill properties, and they are highly sensitive to what happened a few years ago. Mr. Roache asked if they could add emergency services to how the project could impact municipal services. Ms. Bates asked if they really have to listen to the Town's concerns since this is a 40B. Mr. Shapiro stated they do, and there are parameters that you can comment on. Mr. Shapiro stated it will be better known once KP Law has their discussions with the Zoning Board of Appeals, and when they are able to talk to the Mass Housing Partnership. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated they do take into consideration things about public safety, resources, and traffic. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated there may be some flexibility in negotiating certain things. Mr. Roache asked if there were other buildings in town that were 53 ft. Mr. Shapiro stated there is a five-story building on Sutton Pond Road. Mr. Shapiro stated they will be putting together a webpage of this information for people to track the progress. Ms. Bates asked if this was a project that would have neighborhood meetings. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated under a 40B, they would not be required to do that, but RCG would probably be open to that. PUBLIC HEARING (continued) -Joint petition of National Grid and Verizon New England to locate poles, wires and fixtures along and across Peters Street, Waverly Road, and Hillside Road MOTION: Mr. Roache motioned to open the public hearing for the petition from Massachusetts Electric d/b/a National Grid and Verizon New England, Inc. to locate poles, wires, and fixtures, including the necessary sustaining and protecting fixtures, along and across Peters Street, Waverly Road, and Hillside Road. Ms. Smedile seconded. Motion approved 5-0. Brian Sathler from National Grid and Matthew Urban from TRC Companies were present. Mr. Urban stated the three poles in question are located on Hillside Road and Peters Street. Mr. Urban stated pole 3268 will be moved 8ft back from the existing location and 2ft north. Mr. Urban stated it will be moved in the new right of way easement area. Mr. Roache asked if this would be a new right of way and not the existing right of way. Mr. Urban stated yes. Mr. Roache asked if the pole is currently on private property. Mr. Urban stated yes. Mr. Urban stated pole 2241 will be moved out further from the right of way into the sidewalk area. Mr. Roache asked if this would be closer to the road. Mr. Urban stated yes. Mr. Urban stated pole 4554 will be replaced and in the same location. Mr. Urban stated pole 1241 will be moved closer to the road. Mr. Roache asked if moving poles closer to the road pose any additional safety concerns. Mr. Urban stated no. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues asked if these pole numbers would match the notice. Ms. Phillips stated it does not look like what was talked about in the past. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues checked the public notice and stated the pole NORTH ANDOVER SELECT BOARD MINUTES JULY 1412025 numbers did not match. Mr. Urban stated these pole numbers are coming from the plans that were approved by the DOT. Mr. Sathler stated they can have a rectified version sent over. Mr. Sathler stated there was a question concerning a pole going into a parking lot at some point. Mr. Sathler asked if the Board had any concerns about this pole still. Ms. Phillips stated yes. Mr. Roache stated these were poles 1590 and 1591 on the original public hearing for Peters Street. Mr. Sathler stated they put the pole in the National Grid easement area and the anchor is going into the grass so it will not take up any spots in the parking lot. Mr. Roache asked if pole 1589 on the CVS side of Peters Street was moving to the other side of Peters Street. Mr. Urban stated no, it is staying on the same side but moving slightly further back from the existing location. Mr. Urban stated it will be 7ft back from the curb. Mr. Urban stated the Burger King entrance is changing. Mr. Roache asked where pole 1590 was moving. Mr. Urban stated it is being moved 11 ft back from its location and 6ft back from the curb. Mr. Roache stated poles 2881 and 2882 on Hillside Road were a concern. Mr. Roache said pole 2882 is probably the biggest concern being moved 26ft into private property. Mr. Urban stated there will be a new permanent right of way. Mr. Roache asked if there was an agreement with the property owner. Mr. Urban stated as far as he is aware there is. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues recommended to discontinue the public hearing and close it entirely and ask National Grid to refile with the corrected plans. MOTION: Mr. Roache motioned to close the public hearing for the petition from Massachusetts Electric d/b/a National Grid and Verizon New England, Inc. to locate poles, wires, and fixtures, including the necessary sustaining and protecting fixtures, along and across Peters Street, Waverly Road, and Hillside Road and request that National Grid refile with the correct information, renotify the abutters, and come back after having a conversation with the land owners at Hillside. Ms. Smedile seconded. Motion approved 5-0. Vote to approve the joint pole petition of National Grid and Verizon New England to locate poles wires and fixtures along and across Peters Street NO ACTION Vote to approve the joint pole petition of National Grid and Verizon New England to locate poles, wires and fixtures along and across Waverly Road NO ACTION Vote to approve the joint pole petition of National Grid and Verizon New England to locate poles, wires and fixtures along and across Hillside Road NO ACTION OUT OF ORDER: Request from Neurofibromatosis Northeast for approval to use Salem, Forest, Ingalls and Lacy streets for the 14th annual Coast to Cure bike ride on September 6. 2025 from 7:OOAM to 12:OOPM MOTION: Mr. Roache motioned to approve the request from Neurofibromatosis Northeast for approval to use Salem, Forest, Ingalls and Lacy streets for the 14th Annual Coast to the Cure bike ride on September 6, 2025 from 7:00AM to 12:OOPM. Ms. Bates seconded. Motion approved 5-0. NORTH ANDOVER SELECT BOARD MINUTES JULY 1412025 OUT OF ORDER: Vote to approve end of the year budget reallocations Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated the majority of these transfers are because of snow and ice. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated they moved funds from public works due to some vacancies and employee benefits to put into debt service. MOTION: Mr. Roache motioned to approve the end of year budget reallocations as presented. Ms. Bates seconded. Motion approved 5-0. OUT OF ORDER: Annual appointment of election workers MOTION: Mr. Roache motioned to appoint, as of July 15, 2025, all election workers listed in the Town Clerk memo dated July 7, 2025. Ms. Smedile seconded. Motion approved 5-0. Vote to sign letter of support for Open Space and Recreation Plan Krista Moravec with Horsley Witten and Amy Maxner were present. Ms. Moravec discussed the Town's accomplishments since 2016. Ms. Moravec discussed key milestones through the update process. Ms. Moravec stated they submitted a draft letter to DCS for their review, and they provided a conditional approval in May. Ms. Moravec discussed the highlights within the plan. Ms. Moravec discussed the four main goals within the plan. Ms. Moravec discussed the comments received from DCS. Ms. Moravec stated they are here to circle back to the letter of support for this plan. Mr. Roache stated regarding increasing public awareness of local conservation land and open spaces, new projects do require signage and it was not something listed in the action plan. MOTION: Mr. Kres motioned to sign the letter of support for the 2025 Open Space and Recreation Plan. Ms. Smedile seconded. Motion approved 5-0. LICENSING MOTION: Mr. Roache motioned to open a meeting of the North Andover Licensing Commission. Ms. Smedile seconded. Motion approved 5-0. Request for a special one-day wine and malt license and an entertainment license from Armen Jeknavorian on September 7, 2025 from 12:OOPM to 6:OOPM at St. Gregory Armenian Church and a request to waive the$100 fee Lisa Apovian from St. Gregory Armenian Church Board of Trustees. Ms. Apovian stated they use the funds from their picnic to fund church operations and support their outreach programs. Ms. Apovian stated there are no more than 180 people at one time at this event. Mr. Kres asked who does the serving of the liquor. Ms. Apovian stated Armen Jeknavorian is TIP certified. Mr. Kres asked if there would be one or two servers there. Ms. Apovian stated one. MOTION: Mr. Roache motioned to approve the applications for a special one-day wine and malt license and an entertainment license from Armen Jeknavorian on September 7, 2025 from 12:OOPM to 6:OOPM at St. Gregory Armenian Church and waive the $100 fee. Ms. Smedile seconded. Motion approved 5-0. MOTION: Ms. Smedile motioned to close the meeting of the North Andover Licensing Commission. Ms. Bates seconded. Motion approved 5-0. NORTH ANDOVER SELECT BOARD MINUTES JULY 1412025 CONSENT ITEMS A. Accept donation in the amount of$70.00 to the Festival Committee for Sheep Shearing B. Accept donation in the amount of$100.00 from Diane M. Sullivan to the library C. Accept donation in the amount of$3,000.00 from the Friends of the Stevens Memorial Library to the library MOTION: Mr. Kres motioned to approve all consent items. Ms. Bates seconded. Motion approved 5-0. APPROVAL OF OPEN SESSION MINUTES OF JUNE 309 2025 MOTION: Ms. Bates motioned to approve the Open Session minutes of June 30, 2025 as presented. Mr. Kres seconded. Motion approved 5-0. SELECT BOARD UPDATES Mr. Kres mentioned Stevens Pond. Mr. Roache thanked the Festival Committee for the fireworks. TOWN MANAGER'S REPORT Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues mentioned the trash delays. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues thanked TBI and Star Waste Systems for their help with recycling. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues mentioned National Night Out on August 5. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues mentioned the children's shows and Sunday concerts. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues mentioned that the stage on the common will be ready in August. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues mentioned commendations issued by Chief Gray to officers for their actions on July 3. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues thanked all the officers involved. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Ms. Smedile made a MOTION, seconded by Mr. Kres to adjourn the Select Board meeting at 8:20PM. Motion approved 5-0. Respectfully submitted, Nicole Civitarese Executive Assistant Brian Roache, Clerk of the Board NORTH ANDOVER SELECT BOARD MINUTES JULY 1412025 Documents used at meeting Open Space and Recreation Plan Presentation Memorandum Application Letter Donations Minutes from 6/30/25