HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026.1.20 Minutes ZBA 40B working
APPROVED
Town of North Andover
ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS
Members Associate Member
Michael T. Lis., Chair Matthew J. Ginsburg
Laura Craig-Comin, Vice-Chair Zachary J. Hachey
Frank J. Killilea, Clerk Melissa Rutherford
James M. Testa Zoning Enforcement Officer
Alexandria A. Jacobs, Esq Paul G. Hutchins
MEETING MINUTES
Date of Meeting: Tuesday, January 20, 2026
Time of Meeting: 7:00 p.m.
Location of Meeting: North Andover Senior Center, 481 Sutton Street, North Andover, MA 01845
Signature: Terri MacNeil
1. Call to Order called at 7:15 p.m.
Members Present: Alexandria A. Jacobs, Esq. and Melissa Rutherford (virtual), Michael T. Lis,
Frank J. Killilea, Laura Craig-Comin (in person)
Staff Present: Terri MacNeil
Town Staff/Consultants: Paul Hutchins (Building Inspector - virtual), Judi Barrett (Consultant –
In person), Caroline Murray (Legal – virtual), Michael Santos (in person) and Vinod Kalikiri
(virtual) (Peer Reviewers - VHB)
Applicant Team: David Steinburgh (RCG), Daniel C. LaCivita (Traffic Engineer - VAI), Stephanie
Kiefer (Attorney).
Gavel given to: Michael T. Lis
Pledge of Allegiance
2. Frank made a motion to accept the minutes from the 11/25 meeting, Laura seconded the motion.
The Board voted unanimously to accept the minutes from the 11/25 meeting.
3. New Public Hearing
Application of East Mill Housing, LLC, 0 Prescott Street, North Andover, MA
(Map 0068, Lot 10) (M.G.L., c. 40B, §§20-23, or Chapter 40B)
The Applicant is requesting the Zoning Board of Appeals to issue a Comprehensive Permit for the
construction and operation of a proposed 296-unit rental residential community, to be known as
Zero Prescott, along with parking, landscaping, open space and other improvements to be located
on the Property.
The Property is located within the Industrial S (I-S) and Residential 4 (R-4) underlying Zoning
Districts, as well as within the Downtown Overlay District - Subdistrict A -- Historic Mill Area.
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Town of North Andover
ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS
The meeting focused primarily on the Traffic Impact Assessment and Parking Demand for the
proposed 40B project. The Applicant presented their study, asserting that local intersections have
capacity and that shared parking with the mill offers sufficient space. The Town’s Peer Reviewer
(VHB) generally accepted the methodology but requested significant additional data collection,
specifically real-world parking counts rather than theoretical projections. Public comment was
extensive, with neighbors citing existing safety hazards, speeding, and infrastructure deficits (lack of
sidewalks) on High, Prescott, and Sutton Streets.
A. Applicant Presentation (VAI - Traffic & RCG - Parking)
Traffic Volume: Project estimated to generate ~1,300 daily trips, with a peak of 110-120 trips per
hour.
Distribution: 60% of traffic expected to head South (towards Water/Elm), 20% North (towards
Sutton), 20% to other routes.
Safety: Current crash rates are below average; no specific safety deficiencies identified by VAI.
Parking Strategy: Reliance on "Shared Parking" between residential (night peak) and commercial
(day peak) uses.
o Applicant claims the East Mill lot currently peaks at ~100 cars, leaving ample capacity in
the garage.
o Seeking relief/waivers to allow office tenants to utilize residential spaces during the day.
Mitigation: Proposed installation of a flashing pedestrian beacon (RRFB) at the crosswalk.
B. Peer Review (VHB - Michael Santos)
Validation: Generally agreed with VAI's methodology and distribution logic.
Critical Data Gap: Rejected the use of ITE projections for parking. Request: Applicant must
conduct real-world parking counts over a 12-14 hour period (7 AM - 7 PM or later) to prove the
shared parking model works.
Sensitivity Analysis: Recommended a "stress test" (increasing traffic estimates by ~30%) to see if
the intersections fail under a worst-case scenario, citing historical discrepancies in the nearby
Avalon project.
Site Plan: Suggested investigating an "Exit Only" configuration for the western driveway to prevent
backups.
C. Board Inquiries & Concerns
Sutton Street: Multiple board members (and residents) questioned why the High St./Sutton St.
intersection was not studied, as it is a known bottleneck. The Applicant argued it only carries 20%
of the traffic, but the Board remains concerned.
Parking Waiver: The Chair requested a specific number of spaces the applicant is asking to be
waived/shared, rather than a blanket "100% relief."
Sensitivity: Chair Lis emphasized the need to see what happens if the traffic estimates are wrong
(the "30% buffer" discussion).
ZBA Minutes for January 20, 2026 40B Meeting
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Town of North Andover
ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS
D. Public Comment
Robin Morgasen - 147 High Street; Justin Leusner Jones - 146 High Street; Betsy Cody- 116 High
Street; Michael Ronayne – 24 Prescott Street; Michael Hakim – on half of Daniel Hakim 55 Prescott
Street; Clara Fagan, 111 Prescott Street; Janet Fisher, 6 Stacy Drive; Timothy Jordan, 117 Prescott
Street; Anthony Sadiri, 55 Moody spoke, expressing strong opposition and safety concerns.
Key themes included:
Safety Hazards: Existing speeding, poor sightlines at High/Prescott, and the danger of the "four-
way" intersection.
Infrastructure: Lack of sidewalks on Moody and parts of Prescott; danger for children walking to
school.
Sutton Street: Universal agreement among residents that Sutton Street is a nightmare and must be
included in the study.
Density: Concerns that the neighborhood cannot handle more density following the Avalon
development.
Emergency Vehicles: Concerns about fire truck access on narrow streets.
Primary public concerns were: unacceptable existing traffic congestion and speeding on High
Street, fear that the TIA underestimates new traffic (citing Avalon), the danger of the
High/Sutton/495 interchange, the safety of children and pedestrians due to lack of sidewalks and
dangerous intersections (High/Prescott/Mill Driveways, High/Elm/Water), and the impact on
Prescott Street.
Specific questions were raised about the impact on emergency vehicle response, traffic from the
commuter rail, and parking lot dimensions.
Suggestions included installing traffic lights at major intersections at the developer's expense and
improving public transportation (MVRTA) access.
The board plans to coordinate with the applicant and VHB to address the follow-up requests
(sensitivity analysis, Sutton Street data, parking study) and hold a subsequent series of meetings.
Mills restaurants already packs the lots, especially on Friday evenings, contrary to any belief that
parking is adequate.
Action Items
For the Applicant (East Mill Housing / VAI / RCG):
1. Parking Data: Conduct actual parking demand counts for the Mill complex (recommended 12-14
hour window, potentially including Friday evening).
2. Sensitivity Analysis: Run traffic models with a 30% increase in volume to test "worst-case"
scenarios.
3. Crash Data: Update the safety review to include 2022 crash data.
4. Sutton Street: Coordinate with VHB/Town to see if existing Amazon traffic monitoring data for
Sutton Street can be utilized/analyzed.
5. Sight Lines: Provide plans showing sight lines and ensuring no obstructions.
ZBA Minutes for January 20, 2026 40B Meeting
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Town of North Andover
ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS
6. Waiver Specifics: Provide the specific calculation/number of parking spaces requiring
relief/waivers regarding the shared parking agreement.
7. Western Driveway: Evaluate the Peer Reviewer's suggestion to make the western driveway "Exit
Only."
For the Town / Board Staff:
1. Department Re-Review: Solicit updated comments from Police, Fire, and DPW regarding safety,
emergency access, and sidewalk thresholds based on the new data.
2. Amazon Data: Locate previous traffic studies regarding Sutton Street to avoid "reinventing the
wheel."
4. Adjournment: 9:50 P.M.
Laura made a motion to continue until February 25th at 7:30 p.m. in the senior center, seconded by
Frank Killilea.
Board unanimously voted to continue the meeting until February 25, 2026.
ZBA Minutes for January 20, 2026 40B Meeting
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