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HomeMy WebLinkAboutLEGAL CORRESPONDENCE W/KOPELMAN & PAIGE Town of North Andover NORTH Of 4z�io ^.iti0 OFFICE OF 3? a o� COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND SERVICES A 146 Main Street �A�TfO-�TP��LJ KENNETH R.MAHONY North Andover,Massachusetts 01845 SAC Us Director (508) 688-9533 Fax Transmittal Sheet To: �� Fax # From: Kathleen Bradley Colwell, Town Planner Date: beck y'�! fix— 2-, C ` m� Cat c -a-\yj✓7�C_CA r�1-Total number number of pages (including cover sheet) 3V\ C- P� heck BOARD OF APPEALS 688-9541 BUILDING 688-9545 CONSERVATION 688-9530 HEALTH 688-9540 PLANNING 688-9535 Julie Pairino D.Robert Nicetta Michael Howard Sandra Starr Kathleen Bradley Colwell er l 4. 133 Watershed District " ( 1 ) Purpose: The Watershed District surrounding Lake Cochi.ch- ewick, our source of water supply, is intended to preserve and maintain the filtration and purification function of the land, the ground water table, the purity of the ground water and the lake, to conserve the natural_ environment and to protect the public health, safety, and welfare. (2 ) Prohibited Uses : a) Dumping trash, rubbish, garbage, wood stumps, peat, junk, or other waste materials, underground steel storage tanks for petroleum products shall he prohibited . ( 1985/13 ) (3 ) Dimensions and No Build Requirements : a) Boundaries of the Watershed District are '. designated specifically on the certified North Andover Watershed Map, 1.978, and are shown on the Zoning Map . These maps are hereby made a part of this By-Law and are on file in the office of the Town Clerk. b) When the Watershed District boundary divides a lot of record on June 26, 1978 in one ownership, all the zoning regulations set forth in this Zoning By-Law applying to the greater part by area of such lot so divided may, by Special Permit, be deemed to apply and govern at and beyond such Watershed District boundary, but only to an extent not more than one hundred ( 100) linear feet in depth (at a right angle to such boundary) into the lesser part by area of such lot so divided. c) A no-cut buffer zone shall exist one hundredww f ty J 150) feet„„bar „zo,nta 1 l f i. ��rom W thAw„ 1 annual mean hlg-hMpwater mark of mLake Coch - ewick and ,twenty-five (25F feet horizontal�,y . . from the epd eo of all tributaries _in the.. WaterwshedmW m. . .w .-� . n shall occur two hundred wstructio........ - .. w�.� y. b fifty 250mu heh water-mares o�LaWkWetheta No con .w an.nu a 1 mean ��Ii Cochhich„ewi.ck. and once un r a,w wl �w fa�t horizonta)-_Iy...................f,K9F "h ....... f al i t rivaries. The intent herein is d men sional and the North Andover Board of als shall grant ? up a g of substantial hardshion p owing to showin the soil., shape` or topography of the land, incl.uding* the right to cross such tributaries . ( 10,85/14) (4 ) Lake Cochichewick Preservation Amendment ( 1985/12 ) a) Notwithstanding anything contained in this bylaw to the contrary, !12_pe.rTi jih ,qoi I, issued for the construction of any new building, structure, road, or driveway or for earth removal, except -for the proposed municipal water filtration plant, within the Watershed District for e ( 3 ) rj o,1do_f­ three~„'e.', ',.' gears from _ ...... ....... ..... the effective date of this ........... ....................... amendment . b) This amenm dment shall not apply to any renovation, alteration, or addition to an existing building, structure, road, driveway, or any structure in agricultural or horticultural use. c) A use variance may be granted by the Board of Appeals for the issuance of a building permit within this three-year period but not for a use not otherwise allowed by the district regulations . 4.134 Flood Plain District (1 ) Flood Plain District The Flood Plain District is herein established as an overlay district . The underlying per- mitted uses are allowed provided that they meet the Massachusetts State Building Code dealing with construction in floodplains and the following additional requirements . The Flood Plain District includes all special flood hazard areas designated as Zone A,' Al-30 on the North Andover Flood Insurance Rate Maps, (FIRM) , and the Flood Boundary and Floodway Maps, dated June 15 , 1983 , on file with the Town Clerk, Planning Board, Conservation Commission, and Building ding Inspector . These maps, as well as the accompanying North Andover Flood Insurance Study, are incorporated herein by reference. -10- The words Special Permit where used in this By-Law shall mean a permit granted under the guidelines of Section 9 of Chapter 40-A of the General Laws . 2 .65 Special Permit Granting Authority The Planning Board shall be the granting authority of *1985/18 all Special Permits to Cluster Development, Planned Development District, ( 1985/15 ) driveways , Cite plan review and large estate condominium conversions . The Board of Selectmen shall be the granting authority of all Special Permits pertaining to non-accessory signs as specified in Section . 6 .52 of this By-Law. The Board of Appeals shall be the granting authority of all other Special Permits allowed in this Zoning By- Law. 2 .66 Special Permit Use A use of a building or lot or an action upon premises which may be permitted under this By-Law only upon application to the appropriate Special Permit Granting Authority for a Special Permit and subject to the approval of such Permit Granting Authority and the conditions stipulated. 2 .67 Street A public way or a private way open to travel, by the general public, or a way shown on a plan of a sub- division theretofore duly approved by the Planning Board. 2 .68 Structure Means a combination of materials to form a construc- tion that is safe and stable, including, among others, buildings, stadiums, tents, reviewing stands, platforms, staging, observation towers , radio towers, water tanks, towers, private and public swimming pools, trestles, piers and wharves , sheds, shelters, fences and walls, and display signs; the term structure shall be construed as if followed by the words "or part thereof" .. 2 .69 Town House An attached house in a row of three or more such houses capable of being sold as an independent dwelling with its own lot, as provided by the By-Law. 2 . 70 Tributary F,501, ion of any brook, stream, bog, swamp or pond ..............................................................................................................................................�E ........ .................... .. which flows into Lake Coc ichewic 2 . 71 Yard (setback) An open space which lies between the principal building or group of buildings and a lot line. 2 . 72 Yard, Front (setback) An open space extending across the entire width of a lot between any building thereon and the street lot line of the lot on which such building stands . 2 .73 Yard, Rear (setback) An open space extending across the entire width of a lot between the rear of any building thereon and the rear lot line of the lot on which such building stands . 2 .74 Yard, Side (setback) An open space between the side line of a lot and the adjacent side of any building thereon, such open space being understood to cover the entire extent between the front yard and the rear yard on such a lot . 2 .75 ( 1985/25 ) 2 .76 Planned Development District 1 . Planned Development District - A Planned Develop- ment District shall mean development of an area of land as a single entity, which lies in an Indus- trail-S (I-S) District, in which a mixture of resi- dential , open space, commercial, and/or industrial uses, and a variety of building types and designs are determined to be sufficiently advantageous to render it appropriate to grant a Special Permit to depart from the normal requirements of the district in which the PDD is to be located, to the extent authorized by this Zoning By-Law. 2 . Usable Open Space - The part or parts of land or structure within a PDD which are reserved for active or passive recreation use. This space shall exclude parking areas, driveways, and walkways and open areas in commercial areas such as cafes and shall be open and unobstructed to the sky. Trees, plantings, arbors, fences, sculpture, fountains, swimming pools, open-air recreational facilities, laundry apparatus and similar objects shall not be considered ob- w � LEONARD KOPELMAN KOPELMAN AND PAGE, P. C. J//,,N " � NE� M��W IG HT DONALD G. PAIGE 'd JUDI 'C.CUTLER YLAND ELIZABETH A. LANE ATTORNEYS AT LAW ANNE-MA E M. BOWED ARD"�� JOYCE FRANK Mn ION SKI JOHN W.GIORGio 101 ARCH STREET �AXµ.,AARTON BARBARA J.SAINT ANDRE BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02110-1137 ILANA M.QUIRK JOEL B. BARD BRIAN W.RILEY EVERETT J. MARDER BOSTON OFFICE JOHN J.KENNEY,JR. PATRICK J.COSTELLO (617)951-0007 MARY L.GIORGIO FAX(617)951-2735 KATHLEEN E.CONNOLLY JOHN G.GANNON JOSEPH L.TEHAN,JR. KURT B. FLIEGAUF WILLIAM HEWIG III NORTHAMPTON OFFICE (413)585-8632 MICHELE E.RANDAZZO PETER J.FEUERBACH THERESA M.DOWDY AARON M.TOFFLER DEBORAH A. ELIASON WORCESTER OFFICE PREISIG (508)752-0203 ANNE C. PR EISI I January 2, 1996 VIA FACSIMILE (508) 688-9556 Planning Board North Andover Town Hall 120 Main Street North Andover, MA, 01845 Re: Lot 1 Dale Street Dear Members of the Planning Board: Pursuant to your request, I have reviewed several documents related to Lot 1 on Dale .Street. The lot is located within the Coventry Estates Subdivision. The owner of the lot has applied for a special permit to construct a single-family dwelling in the Watershed Protection District. You have asked which version of the Town's Zoning Bylaw applies to this lot, i.e. , current or 1984/1985. You have also asked what authority the Board has to restrict construction or activity on the lot given that the entire lot is within 100 feet of a wetland. I will address each issue separately. Applicable Zoning According to the information submitted by the applicant, a preliminary subdivision plan was filed for Coventry Estates in "May, 1985. " Kathleen Colwell has informed me that the date on which the plan was submitted appears to be December 26, 1984. The applicant does not state when the definitive plan was filed, but states that it was approved by the Planning Board on December 16, 1985, then endorsed by the Board on March 24, 1986. Ms. Colwell informs me that the definitive plan application was filed July 24, 1995. Pursuant to G.L. c.40A, §6, land shown on an approved plan is entitled to an 8-year "zoning freeze," beginning from the date of endorsement. As discussed below, the 8-year period may be extended by litigation. The "frozen" zoning is the zoning in effect when the preliminary subdivision plan was filed. Based on PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER KoPELMAN AND PAIGE, P.C. Planning Board January 2, 1996 Page 2 the above facts, Lot 1 was governed for 8 years by the zoning in effect on December 26, 1984. Given the date of endorsement of the Coventry Estates Subdivision (March 24, 1986) , the 8-year zoning freeze appears to have expired on March 24 . 1994. The anpl.?_cart suggests that the zoning freeze is extended by virtue of litigation affecting this land which lasted for approximately four years. I assume the case referred to is Joseph Mahoney, Trustee v. Paul Tariot, et al. (North Andover Conservation Commission) , Essex Superior Court, C.A. No. 91-1522 . According to our files, and a confirming telephone call with the Essex Superior Court, that case was dismissed by the court by Order dated June 7, 1995. On that date, an Order entered dismissing the case unless an Agreement for Judgment was filed within sixty days. None was filed. The language in the Zoning Act allows the zoning freeze period to be extended for the length of litigation affecting the lot, "provided final adjudication is in favor of the owner of said lot. " G.L. c.40A, §6. In this case, there was no "final adjudication, " but a dismissal by the court. A dismissal of the plaintiff's case would not, in my opinion, be found to be in the plaintiff's favor. Based on the facts, it is my opinion that the lot would not be entitled to the zoning freeze. Special Permit Regulation Based on the above, it is my opinion that Section 4 . 136 of the current Zoning Bylaw ::;cr-,D1.L, �, vr;,,•° .gave asked for guidance as to the Board's authority to restrict activity on this lot all of which is within 100 feet of a wetland which is part of the Watershed District (and, therefore, under the jurisdiction of this special permit) . As the entire lot is within 100 feet of a wetland, it falls under the Watershed Protection regulations which apply to lots created prior to October 24, 1994. As such, the entire lot is within a non-disturbance buffer zone and the special permit criteria for this zone will apply (which also includes securing a variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals, for construction of a new permanent structure) . Under these provisions, the Board has wide latitude, in my opinion, to regulate the location of any structure and other alterations to the lot. KoPELMAN AND PAIGE, P.C. Planning Board January 2, 1996 Page 3 To the extent that the Board might be considering a complete ban on construction on the site, it is my opinion that the "takings" issues which arose with the Wilner lot would be relevant again. Under numerous court cases, most recently Lopes v. Peabody, 417 Mass. 299 (1994) , a decision to prohibit any "economic °use" of the lot would subject the Town to a claim that the land had been taken from the owner without just compensation. I understand that, in the case of this lot, there are several arguments in favor of finding that the value of the lot, and therefore the amount of compensation, might be relatively small, but that would be a matter for a court to decide (if there had been a ruling that the land had been taken) . Do not hesitate to contact me if you have any further j questions regarding this matter. Very truly yours, 3• el B. Bard JBB/ps cc: Acting Town Manager i Town of North Andover NORTH Of t��eo 61ti0 OFFICE OF �? yc a pL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND SERVICES ° : A o 41 - . 146 Main Street KENNETH R MAHONY North Andover, Massachusetts 01845 SSACHUSe Director (508) 688-9533 Fax Transmittal Sheet Fax # slf� t w .1 From: Kathleen Bradley Colwell, Town Planner Date: r - 1 i . r a I i i Total number of pages (including cover sheet) ' i i BOARD OF APPEALS 688-9541 BUILDING 688-9545 CONSERVATION 688-9530 HEALTH 688-9540 PLANNING 688-9535 Julie Parrino D.Robert Nicetta Michael Howard Sandra Starr Kathleen Bradley Co1weU FORM B APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF A PRELIMINARY PLAN December 20 19 1 To the Plauiing Board of the Town of North Andover: The undersigned, being the applicant as defined under Chapter 41, Section 81—L, for approval of a proposed subdivision shorn on a plan entitled "Coventry", North Andover, MA By Merrimack Engineering Services dated December , 19 8. being land bounded as follows: Easterly by Smolak land; Southerly by South Bradford Street ; Westerly by land of the Town of North Andover; Northerly by Dale Street hereby submits said plan as a PRELIMINARY subdivision plan in accordance with the Rules and Regulations of the North Andover Planning Board and makes application to the Board for approval of said plan. Title reference: North Essex Deeds, Book5186i Page 2� ; or Certificate of Title No._# Registration Book , Page ; or Other: Applicant's signature: ( L Received by Torn Clerk: d Date: Applicant's address 100 Lindberg Ave Time: Methuen, MA 01844 Signature: Owner's signature and address if not the applicant: h8� Wd 0? 9l 330 „ r HAOUV HINON MIJ N*0j 03A1333U 7 , Notice to APPLICANT/TOWN CLERK of Action of Planning Board on Preliminary Subdivision Plan entitled: Coventry Preliminary Plan Ay: Beta International Inc. dated May 1985 �x X 31'Drac Nd�E,K�6i�r�c 1�XaYi34iSn'�Xg6�4�C KdrsX�feYi3��X��� �Ysl�XPiX� X X X�4�CtX 1�ti�C d(df�X�Ci?E�($fi�S�C�B{eki�tX 0 xzx x xDtdc xa��K�?Xv(i)�c Ie�nx»h�c Ks�e)C i�x �62i� �42�C�3c>E24e 3. The North Andover Planning Board has tentatively approved said plans subject to the following modifications thereof: Very truly yours, NORTH ANDOVER PLANNING,BOARD BY Mit�haP" l P RnhArtc� t--'haiwmar, H3AOQE�� �ii»ON ••� 'Au-13 1,101 Date: May 28, 1985 Qy0113INVO Q3Ai3Q3H DECISION - CONDITIONAL PPROVAL COVENTRY PRELIMINARY P1.rN PLAN DATED: MAY 1985 BY BETA INTERNATIONAL, INC. 1. A Notice of Intent shall be filed with the Conservation Commsission as .required under Chapter 131 - Wetland Protection Act and the local Conservation Commission regulations . 2. In accordance with the Board of Public Works recommendations: a . The Dale Street water main shall be extended to the N. E. of Lot #15, and be of twelve ( 12 ) inch ductile iron with hydrants every 500 feet; b. The water main on Coventry Drive shall be eight ( 8) inch ductile iron with hydrants every 500 feet and eight ( 8) inch gate valves at sta. 10+00, 20+00 and at South Bradford Street . C . The water main on South Bradford Street shall be twelve ( 12 ) inch ductile iron with hydrants every 500 feet and at the end of Lot #17 ; d. A sewer profile shall be provided for the proposed sewer on Coventry Drive, South Bradford Street, and Orchard Path; e. The two proposed pumping stations shou.ld 'be designed in accordance with the Rules and Regulations of the Board of Public Works . 3 . In accordance with the Fire Departments recommendation: a. Fire hydrants shall be within 500 feet along the proposed roadways as required under SECTION VF "WATER FACILITIES" ; b. The section of South Bradford Street from Dale Street to the intersection of Coventry shall be upgraded for the proposed lots along South Bradford Street; C . All lots within the Watershed must comply with the Fire Departments regulations for underground fuel storage; d. All lot numbers shall be posted during construction; e. Permanent house numbers shall be posted on dwellings prior to occupancy; f . No open burning will be permitted except during open burning season under fire departments regulations . 4. In accordance with the Highway Departments recommendations , the road grades shall be modified at the definitive stage to minimize the proposed 7. 9 percent road grade to 7 percent . 5. The submission of the definitive plans will be accompanied with documentation as to the status of the proposed Orchard Path, and if necessary, releases from abutters indicating the legal ability to construct Orchard Path in accordance with the Planning Board' s Rule and Regulations . 6. There shall be no burying of stumps in the Watershed per SECTION 4. 133( 2 ) OF THE NORTH ANDOVER ZONING BYLAW. Any areas outside the Watershed to be stumped shall be clearly delineated on the submitted definitive plans to be reviewed and approved by the Planning Board and Highway Department . 7 . The applicant shall submit a Statement of Environmental Impact as required under_ SECTION IIIBS to the Planning Board. Information describing in detail the impact on Town Services SUBSECTION E shall be included . 8. Drainage calculations shall be submitted to reflect surface runoff to zero in both the 10 year and 100 year storms . 9. A waiver from the North Andover Planning Board' s Rules and Regulations must be requested in writing for the approval of a dead end street exceeding 500 feet . 10. The applicant shall forward the required documentation regarding the status of said parcel under M.G.L.Chapter 61A as Classified Agricultural Land prior to filing a definitive plan. kn/196 cc: File Highway BPW Conservation Health Police Fire Tree Building Applicant Engineer Town Clerk