HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-09-09 Planning Board Minutes Town of North Andover
PLANNING BOARD
Eitan Goldberg, Chai►•rnatr �n, John Si►Urals
Peter I3oy►;tort ss Kelly Cor►rrier
• Alissa Hoenig
Thursrlay, epte__Irrber_9, 2021 rl, 7 p.rn., 120 Main Street, To wit Hrr11,North Andover, MA 01845
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2 Present: E. Goldberg,J. Simons,A. Koenig, P. Boynton-Remote, K. Cormier-Remote
3 Absent:
4 Staff Present: J. Enright, D. Beckley-Remote
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6 E. Goldberg, Chairman: The Planning Board meeting for Thursday, September 9,2021 was called to order at 7
7 p.m.
8 This ineeting is considered a hybrid meeting; both remote and in-person. Votes 1011 be recorded as roll call this
9 evening.
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11 Pursuant to Chapter 20 of the Acts of 2021, this meeting will be conducted in person and via r•etnote means, in
12 accordance ;Pith applicable law. This meeting of the North Andover Planning Board;pill be conducted both in-
13 person at the ineeting location listed above and via remote participation. Specific information and the general
14 guidelines for remote participation by me►nbers of the public and/or parties;vith a right andlor requirement to
15 attend this meeting can be found on the To;vn's;vebsite, at;v;v;v.north andoverina.gon For this meeting,
16 Ineinbers of the public ;vlho wish to watch the meeting live may do so on their televisions by tuning to Comcast
17 Channel 8 or Verizorn Channel 26 or online at;vlv;varortlianrlover•carhr org, In-person attendance of members of
18 the public and Board members ;Pill be perrrritted, and every effort will be made to ensure that the public call
19 adequately access the proceedings in real tittle, via technological means. In the event that;ve are Tillable to rlo
20 so, despite best efforts, ;ve will post on the Town of North Andover website an audio or video recording,
21 transcript, or other comprehensive record of proceedings as soar as possible after the►neeting. If the public
22 ;vould like to participate in public hearings, but not attend the meeting in-person please email your
23 questionlconunent prior to or during the meeting to.ienri r/ht(tbjlortlha►nrlover•nhut.gov. The questionleonhment will
24 be read during the proceedings and responded to accordingly.
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26 STAFF REPORT
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28 DISCUSSION ITEMS
29 Planning Board: Inclusions;y Housing Bylaw
30 J. Enright: We have invited guests (C. Klucbrnan, DHCD&K. Lacy, Mass Housing Partnership) to discuss
31 baseline housing choice best practices, lessons learned from a statewide inclusionary zoning survey, key findings
32 from the survey and how units qualify to count on the subsidized housing inventory. D. Beckley, Staff Planner,
33 will present some 2020 census data,North Andover's housing initiatives and provide an explanation of what
34 inclusionary zoning is. The presentation will conclude with key takeaways and the discussion will be open for
35 questions.
36 D.Beckley: Reviewed contextual housing data for North Andover. Housing in North Andover has been growing
37 rapidly for decades. Displayed graph(housing growth in#units over time)North Andover is responding to the
38 housing population growth demand. Current subsidized housing inventory is at 8.7%; up fi-om 7% in 2010.
39 Current subsidized housing inventory does not reflect the current actual number of housing units in Nortlr
40 Andover. When the 2020 census numbers are received it will reflect 8%which is still above the 7%. Of the 950
41 units added,256 were Subsidized Housing Inventory(SHI)qualified runts. To attain 10% more action needs to be
42 taken at the local level.
43 K. Cormier: Is subsidized the same as affordable?
1
Town of North Andover
PLANNING BOARD
Eitan Goldberg, Chairman ,�� John Simons
Pelee Boynton
Kelly Cormier
• Alissa Koenig
Thm-sday,SMtetnber 9, 2021 a, 7 p.m., .120 Mahi Street, Town Hall,Not•th Andovev,MA 0I845
44 E. Goldberg: The SHI counts toward our 40B count, not all units are considered"affordable restricted". When you
45 build a 40B project a certain percentage are required to have"affordable restrictions"however the town gets credit
46 for the frill amount.
47 J. Simons: There are nuances in the way we count"affordability" that are completely unfair to this town.
48 D. Beckley: The town has performed substantial long-term planning and has worked with local bodies to support
49 affordable housing. The Housing Production Plan(2018)and the 2018 Master Plan highlight planning that has
50 taken place with recommendations that inform the town's housing strategy; inclusionary zoning is recommended
51 in both plans. Other strategies include bodies working indirectly with affordable housing and have directly funded
52 it such as the Affordable Housing Trust Fund and Community Preservation Committee, an affordable housing
53 consultant was approved with CPC funds. To build a toolkit of housing strategies,we have broached the
54 discussion of accessory dwelling units which serves to diversify the housing stock. The Planning Dept. is
55 preparing to review downtown zoning to find ways to generate a variety of housing. This this will not provide the
56 number of units we are seeking. Inclusionary Zoning is a zoning tool that requires developments meet certain
57 standards set by the town to provide a certain percentage of affordable housing units. It sets conditions of
58 applicability, performance standards, encourages desirable behaviors, or offer alternatives to compliance. Some
59 towns look at targeting geographic areas,project size, development type. Requirements set 15% affordable,
60 income requirements may be set(ours covers a broad, low-moderate income), and design standards may be
61 established. We discussed incentives; density bonus and alternatives such as fee in licit. What stands out in
62 inclusionary zoning is"pro-activeness"; the town is putting this in place anticipating future growth, determining
63 how you want the town to grow.
64 Chris Kluchman Deputy Director Community Services Division DHCD & Katy Lac Senior Planner MA
65 Housing Partnership Addressed best practices in housing and inclusionary zoning, outlining where the town
66 stands and outlining practices the town has adopted.North Andover is a Housing Choice Community which means
67 you have been producing a certain amount of housing over the last 5 years. Best practices are how you qualify as a
68 Housing Choice Community; 78 in the state. There is an exclusive grant program open for these communities and
69 when evaluating communities,we look at best practices. The more you have,the higher your community scores on
70 the application. There are numerous ways you can promote housing options. Many pieces need to come together to
71 have a complete housing program.North Andover has best practices; you have multi-family by-right, mixed use
72 and open space for residential development, an Affordable Housing Trust,you are using CPA funds to support
73 housing research and potential construction and you have a Certified Mousing Production plan. Other best
74 practices include are inclusionary zoning with density increases to encourage people to get a benefit if they are
75 doing something such as affordable housing,having a 40R or smart growth district, allowing accessory dwelling
76 units by right, reducing the parking requirement for Multi-family units within the last 5 years (or requiring no
77 more than I parking space per unit for multi-family units) and education and training for members on a land use
78 board. We recognize exceeding your 10%subsidized housing inventory as a best practice and increasing your
79 subsidized inventory in the last 5 years as progress. There is also the Community Compact Program which offers
80 technical assistance and funding to pursue best practices.
81 K. Lacy: Provided brief history of Inclusionary Zoning in MA. MA has had inclusionary zoning since the 70's.
82 Newton was the first city in the U.S.Almost half of MA municipalities now have at least one form in place.There
83 are over 11,000 affordable MA units today and more than half of the units exist in 3 cities(Watertown, Cambridge
84 and Boston). If this bylaw were in place,AvalonBay. MINCO and Princeton Properties would have created 74
85 affordable units. 60%of municipalities have not yet created a single unit. Inclusionary Zoning is most effective in
86 "high growth"communities like North Andover, tailored to local conditions, updated in response to those
87 conditions and is most effective when left in place for a long time. It is a useful tool among many others to have in
2
Town of North Andover
PLANNING BOARD
Eitarr Goldberg, Chah-marr �Eu, John Simons
Peter I3oyntorr Kelly Cor prier
Alissa Koerr.ig>
Tlr iii'sday, September 9, 2021 rr, 7 parr., 120 Mairr Street, Toivir Hall,Nor-tlr Andover,MA 01845
88 place but is unlikely to stop a 408.North Andover's draft looks very solid. For units to count,they must qualify as
89 Local Action Units(LAU's)through DCHD's Local Initiative Program (LIP). They have income and asset limits,
90 deed or affordability restriction and ongoing monitoring requirements. The state determines what counts and
91 DHCD is the monitor for these units;town would have support from a local entity as well.
92 J. Enright: Outlined key takeaways. We are growing and require tools for sustainable growth. Adopting
93 Inclusiona►y Zoning is a Master Plan and Housing Production Plan goal; both were developed with considerable
94 community input. A majority of the region has Inclasionauy Zoning; it is one tool in a larger housing strategy
95 which will demonstrate the Town's commitment to provide options for those wanting to live in North Andover.
96 Projected 2020 population was 29,851; actual 2020 population is 30,915. We have already surpassed the 2035
97 projections. Opened discussion up to questions.
98 J. Simons: What is the empirical evidence that this works and has the effect you want it to have?Newton is not an
99 affordable community. How does inclusionary zoning drive down the average price for people to live?There's a
100 certain amount of irrationality and conflict in all the things we want to do. One could argue that if you have
101 inclusiona►y zoning where a certain amount of units are less than market rate, it becomes a tax to the developer
102 who rises up the price point for market rate housing, making it less affordable for people, or they forego doing the
103 project altogether. Other than those who are fortunate to get these affordable units,I'm not convinced the
104 community is better off as a whole?
105 K_ Lapy: The intent is to create units that are priced lower than market rate that are eligible to households earning
106 less than the average median income. It does do that.
107 C. Kluchman: Katy's slides discussed your bylaw be locally tailored. You should be talking to local developers
108 who know the land values,etc, so that your numbers align. These are units that will be restricted in perpetuity and
109 monitored over time so that people of lower income brackets can live in your town. This is one piece of the puzzle.
110 J. Enright: The people who qualify at this income level are our teachers, firemen and policemen, all starting out.
III There is a population that meets the income level that we are targeting. The draft was sent to Trinity and
112 AvalonBay, MINCO for feedback. Initial feedback was more of a legal nature,than the trigger being 8 or more
113 €nits or the proposed 15% requirement.
114 E. Goldberg: Our goal is to create more housing choice. There is a scarcity of units at this particular price point
115 that people may have access to over time. The market has been growing and getting more expensive over the last
116 ten years. Finding these lower income opportunities provides a variety of options and helps with the 40B 10%,
117 J. Simons: What it will do with the margin is reduce the amount of housing and aggregate that is created. It has to.
118 Unless you increase the density so much to make it affordable to accommodate for the lower prices.
119 E. Goldberg: We see it applying to multi-family housing on a significant level, 100-200 units. The idea is that(1)
120 if you raise the prices of some of those units a slight amount,you'll make tip for your percentages(2) if that means
121 the developers make a little less on a project,that becomes the new price of doing business providing it's
122 consistent regionally.
123 J. Simons: Only a certain category of housing gets counted in the affordable count according to certain criteria but
124 ultimately it is based on income.North Andover has hundreds of affordable units by the economic test that don't
125 count as affordable under the state law which is extraordinarily unfair. We have built high density,multi-family
126 housing at a market rate with zero subsidies that clearly have a cost point that people could afford but they don't
127 count toward our stock. Why is that?(small-A affordable)Affordable housing in town is extremely expensive to
128 build;there's enormous subsidies going to people.
129 E. Goldberg- Because they're not"restricted"having restrictions that run with them.
3
Town of North Andover
PLANNrNG BOARD
EiNit Golfberg, Chah-mart Lin, Jolttt Sirrrorts
Pete)'BOylltorl Kelly Corrrrrer'
• Alissa Koerrig
Tltrrrsday, September'9, 2021 (a, 7 p.m., 120 Mairt Street, Towrr Hall, NoNh Amr1over,MA 01845
130 C. Klochman: Chapter 40B is the law. Regulations have been established requiring a project to have a public
131 subsidy and they require them to be deed restricted. As an agency that implements the law,we are required to
132 follow the law.
133 K. Lacy: There are communities who use CPA funds to do buy-down programs that take a naturally occurring
134 affordable unit and put a deed restriction on it, in cooperation with the owner.
135 C. Kluchman: You have a Housing Production Plan,you have looked at your entire housing inventory to
136 determine where it is on the market, identifying gaps, affordability gaps, average income in town and whether you
137 are providing housing for all levels of income. That approved plan provides a lot of information on housing in
138 your town even if it does not appear ore the subsidized housing inventory.
139 E. Goldberr?: We know that 10% is kind of the magic number Linder the law. What is the number we should be
140 looking for in terms of benefits for the town. As best practice should we look to 11-15%? What is an appropriate
141 number?
142 C. Kluchman: As noted, the 10%does not mean that that 10% of the number of units in your community are
143 affordable or deed restricted. Rental projects if 20-25% of the units are affordable the entire project counts and it's
144 a mixed income project(75%of that project is market rate-but it is showing up as counting as affordable)that's a
145 policy choice and part of the 40B regulations. Look at the Housing Production plan for the incomes in your
146 community. Who is finding housing scarcity?What is the affordability gap? Strategize the policies and
147 mechanisms you want to put into place geared to the individuals having trouble finding housing. That local study
148 tells you the range of demographics.
149 E. Goldberg: Of the best practices discussed, are there any that give you tine most affordable housing?
150 C. Kluchman: Bylaws are one piece of the process; communities can donate municipally owned land to a
151 developer who then builds affordable housing; land costs are so expensive. You could use CPA funds to purchase
152 property for sale and use it for affordable housing. Eliminating land costs is an effective way to promote
153 affordable housing.
154 E. Goldberg: Bylaws alone won't solve our affordable housing issues. There are two ways to obtain affordable
155 housing(1) if the town steps up and uses CPA funds or buys land or establishes private/public partnerships to
156 build it or(2) if tine developers choose to do it, There's only so much the bylaw can do; our bylaw seems to align
157 with others we have seen.
158 K. Lacy: We met with Jean to review your bylaw draft; we excluded single-family subdivisions. I think 15%for
159 single family home developments can be a little high, but not for multi-family. That problem could be solved by
160 talking with a few local developers.
161 A. Koenig: You noted that 60% of municipalities have not created a single unit. Are these not being triggered by
162 developers?Are they opting for a fee in lieu or is there some other loophole?
163 K. Lacy: Nothing is getting built in those towns.
164 A. Koenig: 60 % of there?
165 K. Lacy: This represents many towns in western MA whose growth rate is low at 8 units a year;their bylaw starts
166 at 7 projects; production is simply not happening there.
167 A. Koenig: How often are developers finding a way around this, loopholes, other options, etc.?
168 K. Lacv: I have come full circle on payment in lieu because monies typically got lost in a town's general fund.
169 Now they can be directed toward the Affordable Housing Trust tool,which you have established. According to
170 your bylaw, payment in lieu can be evaluated on a case-by-case matter by your permitting board.
171 K. Cormier: Payment in lieu might potentially offer more ability to build those affordable units. Initially, I thought
172 it might isolate potential affordable units rather than integrate them within the community.
173 E. Goldberg: This was very helpful. We appreciate your time and expertise.
4
Town of North Andover
PLANNING BOARD
Eitan Goldberg, Chairnurrr ;�„� Jolrrr Srnaorrs
Peter•Boynton .Kelly Cornier-
Alissa Koenig
Thnistlan September 9 2021 n, 7o.rtr., 120Main Sheet, Town Hall,North Andover, MA 01845
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175 Watershed Plan Update
176 D. Beckley, Staff Planner: Provided status update. Completed report is scheduled for October. Provided
177 background of watershed. Consultant, Weston & Sampson is preparing the action plan. To date they have
178 reviewed 20 reports and extensive data from the town and reviewed zoning and other town codes(storrnwater
179 management and erosion codes). Town is current with policy and best management practices. Staff group met
180 monthly to discuss the plan. Outreach meetings were held with stakeholder groups, property owners and
181 environmental groups with interest in the watershed. A third round of sampling occurred in August. Phosphorous
182 was reduced from 1986 results. Reviewed public engagement findings; more engagement, fiurther outreach and
183 educational watershed information from the town is warranted. Sand infiltrations systems were recommended
184 along Rte. 133, as well as catch basins, annual audits and staff trainings. Reviewed long term recommendations. A
185 draft is being finalized; public meeting is scheduled for October.
186 E. Goldberg: Will the raw data be made available?
187 P. Boynton: One of the recommendations is for an annual report on "raw"water quality and an annual audit. We
188 already have reports on treated water which is important and a requirement of the EPA. The recommendation
189 specifies that in addition to the existing annual reports of treated water we also require an annual report of raw lake
190 water&tributaries. The annual report will need to show the annual raw data in comparison to the last five years to
191 obtain a trend line. As the special permit authority, for the Watershed, we need this comparative, quantitative data
192 upon which we may base judgments. Low impact solution to chronic pet waste is proposed to redirect dog walkers
193 from swimming and watershed areas to park in the new Trustees parking lot on Stevens St. Consultant identified
194 irregularities in the phosphorous samples since 1987. Inconsistencies in the labeling of phosphorous samples led to
195 an alternate technique to evaluate the state of the watershed. Irregularities with the phosphorous data needs to be
196 clarified in the report so it can be corrected going forward.
197
198 Royal Crest Estates (1 & 28 Real Crest Drive), Trinity Financial,Jini Keefe: Proposed Master
199 Redevelopment Plan for the property. T
200 * Revised Program Summary(Matrix comparing change overtime—August snapshot/January snapshot)
201 . Building Heights(Masterplan with heights----Height CAD Diagrams)
202 • Perspectives from abutting properties
203 Mike Lozano &J.Keefe: Reviewed expanded, comprehensive Program Summary reflecting data from January
204 2021 compared to August 2021. First section outlines square footage: existing square footage of buildings on site,
205 square footage of proposed buildings(originally)and square footage of the proposed buildings,recently revised.
206 E. Goldberg: Existing current multi-family Royal Crest is 806,668 sf, in January 2021 the proposed was 2,200,000
207 sf; current proposal is for 1,857,222 sf. which is broken down into mrilti-family,town homes, student housing,
208 retail and other. Total building square footage without parking is approx.2,175,000 and with parking is 2,700,000.
209 This shows the iterations of the plan as compared to today.
210 P. Boynton: Confirmed percent change of building square feet today compared to the current proposal is 170%
211 taking into account the update to the plan.
212 J. Simons: Confirmed two townhouse numbers reflect town homes and the clubhouse amenity space.
213 M. Lozano: Identified residential unit mix within each of the program elements: existing Royal Crest(all one type
214 of housing, unrestricted rental housing) 588 units versus January 2021 and today. Student housing,boutique hotel
215 and Affordable units are reflected(97 Affordable units).
216 P. Boynton: Confirmed student housing shown at 250 and noted again at 1,000 beds equal apartment style
217 dormitory units (4-beds per unit).
5
Torun of North Andover
PLANNING BOARD
Eitan Goldberg, Chahwian John Sinrarrs
Peter Boynton
. •• Kelly Coi,mier
Alissa Koenig
Thtirs(laV, September,9 2021 C(b, 7 .rn. 120 Maur Street Torun Hrrll North Amlovei MA 01845
218 E. Goldbert : Confirmed current program calls for 1,309 units, an additional 721 units beyond existing; a reduction
219 of 20% from what was previously proposed in January 202 L Royal Crest currently has no affordable units. Ainico
220 estimates 8-900 students currently rent at Royal Crest.Existing Royal Crest is all faruily style, 2-3 bedroom units;
221 480 are 2-bedroom, 108 are 3-bedroom. Total Royal Crest occupants currently is 1,926 people. Recent proposal
222 has 2,400 bedrooms (little under double)and total occupants on site is estimated at 4,249. (238, l-bedroom), (I88,
223 2-bedrooms) and(13, 3-bedrooms). The number of 2 &3-bedroom units is reduced significantly. (Excludes 55+
224 and town Domes).
225 M. Lozano: We are aiming to introduce more housing Options on site and introducing smaller units in line with the
226 market today versus 50 years ago when Royal Crest was created.
227 K. Cormier: Current occupants on site shows 1,926; proposed plan shows an increase estimate of 2,323 more
228 occupants which is roughly over 2K more than exists today. Are there other significant workers there, e.g. retail?
229 I'm trying to consider numbers for traffic counts, etc.
230 M. Lozano: That includes estimations for office occupants; as far as traffic is concerned, that is captured. It isn't
231 necessarily captured in this surnmary chart. We didn't have a good estimate or a metric to apply but it is captured
232 within traffic trips. lit terms of site wide metrics as compared to the existing site: the site is very large at over 77
233 acres or 3.3 million s£ Today there is approx. 12 acres of buffer area; current proposal reflects 18.6 acres of
234 undisturbed, unbuilt buffer area to surrounding neighborhoods.
235 E. Goldberg: We now have metrics for school aged children and financials. (Current metrics have not yet been
236 peer reviewed, initial metrics were)Existing estimates show: 213 school aged children at Royal Crest and based
237 on the current proposal that number reduces to 188 school aged children. Existing vehicle trips is 4,488 and the
238 current proposal estimates an increase to 14,000 vehicle trips. Fiscal impact estimate is the tax and other revenues
239 minus costs of town services: existing estimate is negative %Z million to 1.5 million; proposed net benefit based on
240 the current proposal is between 2-4 million. (excludes other development agreements that would potentially be
241 reached outside of this project; based on the tax data and potential services only)
242 J. Simons: I would like to know how you calculated this-the existing plan shows the pervious area equals the
243 amount of open space and in the proposed plan you show more open space than pervious area. Intuitively,that
244 does not make sense. How can you have open space that's impervious? If the buffer is only 18 acres how do you
245 end up with 45 acres of open space? Does the road count as open space?If so, that is disingenuous?
246 M. Lozano: We are introducing a number of lardscape areas. The existing Royal Crest campus has no sidewalks.
247 We are introducing pedestrian bicycling infrastructure and hardscape public gathering spaces. We are counting
248 sidewalks and unbuilt space as open space; don't believe we are including the roadways.
249 P. Boynton: Total daily vehicle trips increase from 4,488-13,992 representing a 212% increase,triples(3.1).
250 M. Lozano: Reviewed viewpoints frorn 5 residential areas-(I Berkeley Rd., 57 Berkeley Rd., 113 Berkeley Rd., 53
251 Monteiro Way and 5 Hillside Rd.) Reviewed property lines to existing Royal Crest v. proposed. Proposed
252 buildings are further way. The existing buffer area obscures the viewpoint of the buildings to be built on site.
253 J. Simons: Voiced concern with scale of drawings.
254 E. Goldberg:Is there a better way to figure this out?Additional visuals or utilizing the drone tool might work.
255 K. Cormier: I would agree with John. Avalon was more realistic and property owner feedback might be helpful.
256 P.P. Boynton: I agree that these are not informative. We need the Rt.114 perspectives. Requested explanation of
257 methodology used. (Simulations taken from average eye-height camera to model).
258 J. Enright: Agreed to provide viewpoint perspectives provided by MINCO and AvalonBay for reference. Clarified
259 55+housing is relocated in the reduction Master Plan to Building G 1, further away from the dorms and closer to
260 the office building and some of the multi-family.
6
Town of Not•th Andovej-
PLANNING BOARD
Eitrrrr Goldbe►g, Chairman � John Simons
Peter'BOyIlt01r Kelly Co►'r)rler
Alissa I(oenig
Thurs&iV, Se ter►rbe►'9 202I 7 .►►r. 120 Main Street Town Hall North Andover MA 01545
261 P. Bo. n�: Confirmed that Building C2 on the chart noted as "4/3"means the building is partly 3-stories and
262 partly 4-stories.
263 M. Lozano: 01 was reduced-it was originally 5-stories @ 67.4 ft. and reduced to 4-stories @ 53 ft. (reduced in
264 footprint as well). Reviewed catalog of building axonometric showing heights of proposed.
265 J. Enright: Confirmed, per RCG the for Converse headquarters building measures 63/64ft. Corner roof structures
266 (unoccupied)take it to approximately 73 ft.
267 E. Goldberg: The tallest buildings are DI, D2 and F2 along Rt. 114. Then the hotel which is in the middle of the
268 property. Everything else is under 70 ft.
269 Jim Keefe: We have discussed heights at length. We are prepared to make a commitment that there will not be a
270 building over 70 ft. It means eliminating some of the architecture we had hoped to put on top of the building
271 (gable ends, etc.)to provide a New England vernacular. 70 ft. seems to be an important number. Having said that,
272 we feel the hotel is going to be a beautiful building that thematically brings the site together. I would like you to
273 thoughtfully consider an exception be made in the case of the hotel as a defining element to the site. (Distance
274 from Rt. 114 to hotel is 402 ft.)
275 A. Koenig: Are you then proposing all flat roofs along Rt. 114 eliminating the pitched roofs?
276 M. Lozano: tf we are limited to 70 ft. we would have to eliminate the pitched roofs.
277 K. Cormier: Is 70 ft.the magic number?
278 E. Goldberg: Before I polled the Board, I wanted to hear from the developers as to what they would concede. Are
279 we comfortable with the density and number of units and what height are we comfortable with? Historically,
280 Board members felt adamant about approving certain heights for the AvalonBay development. Do people have
281 magic numbers?This helps inform how we are to proceed.
282 K. Cormier: I don't know if 70 ft. is the magic number; thinking of 70 ft, building set back 35 ft. from Rt. 114
283 concerns me where sufficient viewpoints are not provided. More comfortable with the density. The number of
284 people and vehicle trips seems extensive relative to Rt. 114. Traffic studies need further review regarding wait
285 times, general traffic on Rt. 114 is worse. Decrease in school aged children is a benefit.
286 M. Lozano: Clarified setbacks along Rt. 114; the numbers to the curb line to the actual street are wider than 35 ft.
287 It is 35 ft. from face of building to property line. Building to the curb line is 51 ft.At the proposed garages the
288 setback is 73 ft. It's wider at the student dorm; 64 ft. to the curb line. (Jean noted recent abutter comments relative
289 to questions related dimensions of right-of-way and setbacks).
290 P.Boynton: Clarified numbers(bottom of page 10, in green along Rt. 114)Are those the setbacks and is that from
291 the curb or the property line? Where is the 60 and 90?1 am not comfortable with the heights or the density.
292 M. Lozano: Those are to the property line; there's quite a bit of right of way.At the next meeting we will address
293 detailed numbers as they relate to the curb line, the right-of-way, distances to the property line and utility easement
294 that exists in that area.
295 A. Koenig: The development feels close to the road; like a continual brick wall. Other buildings along Rt. 114
296 have pitched roofs which is appropriate. The building heights should fit within North Andover. We are a quaint
297 New England town v. urban. I have concerns about the traffic density and we need more study on that piece which
298 is a holdback for me. I am concerned about the amount of people.
299 J. Simons: I am concerned about what you see looking into the property coming rip from Rt. 125 onto Rt. 114.
300 Driving by that 1,000 ft. stretch of frontage,you currently can't see buildings. You see tree cover which will be
301 replaced by a 1,000 ft, stretch of 4-5 story buildings that are larger than anything in town. That's a stunning
302 change to that area. There is nothing that comes close to that anywhere in town. If this were proposed at the old
303 Lucent site or Tuscan Village in Salem,NH it might be a good fit, but this property is bordered on three sides by
7
Town of North Andover
PLANNING BOARD
Eitan Goldberg; Chai-mall • 6r L lwa John Simons
Kelly Cor
Peter Boynton •rnier
• Alissa Koenig
Thasrsdan Septerraber 9, 2021 a, 7 p.m., I20 Mama Street, Towit Hall, North Andover, MA 01845
304 single family residential homes. It's too dense, too urban, too much. I love the design, a lot of great work went into
305 this, but not for this location.
306 E. Goldberg: People drive past Royal Crest today and keep going. That doesn't change with what is being
307 proposed. We can discuss heights and traffic which affects everyone daily. Instead, there will be a"different view"
308 which doesn't concern me as much due to its transitory location. It does impact people in the surrounding
309 neighborhoods, but I feel confident those concerns have been addressed. We will talk about Merrimack College
310 and those questions will be sufficiently answered. The traffic, school and financial data has been addressed. I am
311 comfortable with the density, the design and how the video was portrayed. This is a different type of proposal than
312 anything in town. The location lends itself to an isolated campus. We haven't entertained any complaints from
313 those across the street who will be looking at it. This proposal has less school aged children, based on tax revenues
314 has a better financial impact and a potential separate development agreement. This will mean millions of dollars
315 for the town and offers a redeveloped area with more retail that the town could utilize. I don't have an issue with
316 the building heights.
317 P. Boynton: A number of us admire certain aspects of the design,that if it were elsewhere it would fit, but it's
318 here. We are being asked to"compromise". We are being asked to put something bigger, taller and closer than
319 North Andover has that most of us have concerns about. The view shed along Rt. 114 will be a significant change
320 to the gateway experience to North Andover.No longer are you driving past a wooded section across from an
321 attractive,New England college campus.You're now driving past a small version of a Manhattan city street
322 "canyon". It dramatically changes the view shed on the entry experience from the bypass. I object to the notion
323 that we have to compromise to allow this to fit into that parcel. It doesn't fit.
324 E. Goldberg: Disagrees with the entry to town experience.
325 K. Cormier: This is a portal to North Andover for anyone commuting frorn Rt. 93. You come off the Andover
326 Bypass to this location; this will have additional traffic and look like a"mini-Assembly Square".
327 E. Goldberg: Will we find the pet-feet project for this site? What are our next steps and what happens if this project
328 doesn't succeed? What constructive suggestions can we make to help make it more appropriate?
329 P. Bo ram: An alternative to compromise would be, "We'll commit to no more than 70 ft. by reducing the
330 building by a floor, keeping the architectural details of the pitched roofs; lowering the building height and
331 retaining the architectural details"that they've told us are important. We like the architectural details; it would also
332 go an additional distance to dealing with the density. Tripling the number of cars in this area is another
333 compromise.
334 E. Goldberg: I like the density because we need the housing and it addresses our affordable housing issue. The
335 financial numbers help the town; whether they are considered trade-offs or compromises.
336 J. Simons: This project is completely different than anywhere in town and what's to prevent a second or third one
337 from coming along? What is positive about Royal Crest today, is that it doesn't feel urban. I understand it's old
338 and in need of something new, but what we have come up with, while excellent for other locations, is not a good
339 fit for this location.
340 E. Goldberg: We obviously don't have a Board consensus; however, it should be something the town weighs in on
341 collectively. We agree Royal Crest is past its prime and the owners want to do something with it. We have heard
342 from Merrimack and they need student housing; part of this plan is a potential down. What happens next?I would
343 like to hear from Aimco and Merrimack regarding alternatives at the next meeting. If not approved at Town
344 Meeting what are our other options? Is Merrimack planning to utilize any other adjacent property nearby?
345 K. Cormier: Asked for clarification on retail square footage proposed.
8
Town of North Andover
PLANNING BOARD
Eitan Goldberg, Chairman John Sllrlons
Peter Boynton '• Kelly Cormier
Alissa Koenig
Thmsda Se 2tember 9 20.21 7 .m. 120 Main Sheet Town Hall North Andover MA 01845
346 M. Lozano: A small, 28,000 sf boutique grocery store is planned for Building D1; some of that storefront fronts
347 Rt. H 4, not all of it, as we want to activate the area around the town green and additional retail will occur in the
348 student housing building with frontage on Rt. 114 to activate that corner.
349 [Conlin tied to the September,21, 2021 Planning Board meeting]
350
351 MINUTES APPROVAL:
352 MOTION: J. Simons made a motion to approve the August 17, 2021 Planning Board meeting minutes. A. Koenig
353 seconded the motion. Roll Call vote: P. Boynton voted yes. A. Koenig voted yes. J. Simons voted yes. E. Goldberg
354 voted yes.The vote was 4-0, unanimous in favor
355
356 ADJOURNMENT
357 MOTION: J. Simons made a motion to adjourn the meeting. The motion was seconded by P. Boynton. Meeting
358 adjourned cr 9:52 p.m. Roll Call vote: P. Boynton voted yes. K. Cormier voted yes. A. Koenig voted yes. J.
359 Simons voted yes. E. Goldberg voted yes. The vote was 5-0, unanimous in favor.
360
361 J. Eawi tat:No comments were received this evening.)
362
363 MEETING MATERIALS: Planning Board Meeting Agenda September 9, 2021, Meeting Minutes August 17,
364 2021; Staff Report: Planning Board: Tnclusionary Zoning PB Presentation_9.2Update, 210909 REV
365 lnclusionary Zoning PB Presentation; Watershed Plan Update: 210909 Watershed Plan Update;R, pyal
366 Ci•est(1& 28 Royal Crest Drive),Trinity Financial,Jim Keefe: Resident Comment: 210909 Abutter Comment
367 —Schaalman, 210830 Resident Comment: - Waters; 210909 FINAL Packet—Program, Heights,Visual
368 Perspectives,
369
9