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22B-113 Florence Fields 1-13-2013 Site Plan ApprovalPlanning - DecisionCity of Northampton Hearing No.:PLN-2012-0014Date: January 13, 2012 APPLICATION TYPE:SUBMISSION DATE: PB Major Site Plan12/14/2011 Applicant's Name:Owner's Name: NAME: NAME: City of Northampton Recreation DeptCity of Northampton Recreation Dept ADDRESS:ADDRESS: 90 Locust St90 Locust St TOWN:STATE:ZIP CODE:TOWN:STATE:ZIP CODE: NORTHAMPTONMA01060NORTHAMPTONMA01060 PHONE NO.:FAX NO.: PHONE NO.:FAX NO.: (413) 587-1040 () (413) 587-1040 () EMAIL ADDRESS: EMAIL ADDRESS: Site Information:Surveyor's Name: STREET NO.:COMPANY NAME: SITE ZONING: MEADOW ST wsp TOWN:ADDRESS: ACTION TAKEN: FLOREN CE MA 01062 Approved With Conditions MAP:BLOCK:LOT:MAP DATE: SECTION OF BYLAW: 22b113 Chpt. 350- 11: Site Plan Approval TOWN:STATE:ZIP CODE: Book:Page: PHONE NO.:FAX NO.: EMAIL ADDRESS: NATURE OF PROPOSED WORK: RECREATION AREA HARDSHIP: CONDITION OF APPROVAL: 1)1. A minimum of 24 spaces for bicycle storage shall be provided, distributed in 3 locations as follows: 1 series at the concession building/parking lot, 1 near the playground and 1 at the overflow/seasonal parking lot. 2. Prior to final sign off on construction, certification by a qualified professional must be submitted showing that finished grades are the same as shown on the designs. 3. There shall be an enclosed area to contain garbage in the building or on the back side of the concession building. 4. Plan Sheets shall be revised to address details as agreed to and noted in the letter submitted by Berkshire Design Group and dated January 12, 2012. 5. Irrigation of the fields should be accomplished through on-site wells to the extent feasible. FINDINGS: The Planning Board approved the project for construction of the recreational playing fields with associated facilities, restroom, two parking lots with two driveways based on the plans and information submitted with the plans as follows (and as will be amended in accordance with the conditions herein) 1. Joint NOI /Site Plan Review Florence Recreation Fields- Phase II, dated December 13, 2011 Prepared by The Berkshire design Group, Inc. Sheets L0-L20 2. Florence Fields Traffic Impact Statement by Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. dated January 6, 2012. 3. Letter dated January 3, 2012 from Northampton Recreation department re: Florence Fields Recreation Area Site Plan Approval Criteria. 4. Letter of Response to City Comments by the Berkshire Design Group, Inc (Carlos E. Nieto) dated January 12, 2012. 5. Memorandum dated January 12, 2012 in response to city comments by Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. (Juliet Locke). The Planning Board found the following criteria under section 11.6 have been met. A. The requested use protects adjoining premises against seriously detrimental uses. If applicable, this shall include provision for surface water drainage, sound and sight buffers and preservation of views, light, and air; RESPONSE: GeoTMS® 2012 Des Lauriers Municipal Solutions, Inc. Planning - DecisionCity of Northampton Hearing No.:PLN-2012-0014Date: January 13, 2012 1. The recreation area was part of the effort to protect adjoining premises from development. Had this area not been preserved, a number of homes could have been developed by-right (no special permit) or by a cluster (special permit and site plan approval) 2. Within the Bean/Allard property this area was chosen for recreation because: a. With access on two roads it can send traffic out in different directions, minimizing traffic impacts in anyone area. b. Unlike other areas of the property to the east and to the west, there is no housing development on a hill overlooking the site, which will minimize noise impacts from the property. c. The site can be developed so that baseball fields (which have bare soil more prone to erosion) can be installed completely outside of the floodplain). 3. The site is being landscaped to create attractive landscaping and preserve street trees, but not block the open and pastoral views. 4. The only building, a small bathroom/concession stand, is located far from property boundaries and will incorporate solar photovoltaic adequately sized to ensure that the entire Florence Recreation Fields has net zero use of electricity. 5. Drainage is exclusively by Low Impact Development drainage using enhanced natural treatment, with no pipes or detention ponds that have mixed track record. The virtually flat drainage trench will allow for both the required stormwater treatment and maximize water quality renovation. B. The requested use will promote the convenience and safety of vehicular and pedestrian movement within the site and on adjacent streets, minimize traffic impacts on the streets and roads in the area. If applicable, this shall include considering the location of driveway openings in relation to traffic and adjacent streets, access by public safety vehicles, the arrangement of parking and loading spaces, and provisions for persons with disabilities; 1.No reduction in the required parking. Parking is sufficient to address the needs without creating empty seas of asphalt. To further this effort, some of the parking is using pervious pavement. This parking will be designed to serve as overflow parking. 2. Municipal projects are exempt for the purpose of calculating off-site traffic mitigation. From Zoning: Industrial, manufacturing, tradesman, professional (but not medical and dental) offices, and municipal uses Exempt 3. VHB traffic engineers showed that the circulation patterns are safe. Although the project is exempt from off-site traffic mitigation. 4. The first phase of the project, which is nearly complete includes a multi-use trail from the Spring Street sidewalk west of the project to the easterly extent of the project, with a crosswalk across Meadow Street to the Community Gardens, providing some traffic mitigation. 5. A sidewalk (no site plan approval is required so it is not shown on the plans) from the Florence Fields to the existing sidewalks on Meadow and Corticelli Streets on the east side of the Mill River AND a second crosswalk to the main gathering place at the Community Gardens, providing additional traffic mitigation will be done. C. The requested use will promote a harmonious relationship of structures and open spaces to the natural landscape, existing buildings and other community assets in the area; 1. The drainage on the site will be Low Impact Development with no pipes or detention ponds. 2. The project includes planting 101 trees, which will shade the peripheral of the site and the road, but will retain distance vistas and the pastoral landscape. 3. The project will prevent trees and development from harming an important heritage landscape that has been a key part of Florence’s history for over a century and a half. 4. The property includes a right-of-way to the Mill River Greenway and two crosswalks to the Grow Food Northampton Community Gardens, to provide connections between different types of open space. 5. The solar photovoltaic on the one building will provide net zero electric use on the site and create a model for living with natural systems. D. The requested use will not overload, and will mitigate adverse impacts on, the City's resources, including the effect on the City's water supply and distribution system, sanitary and storm sewage collection and treatment systems, fire protection, streets and schools... 1. The project will provide traffic mitigation (sidewalk or multi-use trails from Spring Street to Corticelli Street, including off-site mitigation that arguably is not required. 2. The project will generate electricity and be a net-zero electric user. It will have either no significant impact on any other utility. 3.The project will use Low Impact Drainage and not discharge any new drainage above existing conditions. 4. The project will have extremely minimal impact on sanitary sewer. 5. Drinking water and bathroom uses are extremely minimal. The fields will be irrigated which both allows for a smaller footprint of the site (non-irrigated fields need to be rested for longer, requiring more land) and dramatically reduces future maintenance and capital improvement costs. Water for irrigation will be from City water, which has the capacity to serve the site. This avoids two major complications: First, developing an irrigation system in the floodplain with required underground water storage tanks would require extensive anchoring to avoid floatation. Second, developing a new high-yield well in Zone III of the City drinking water requires extensive analysis, design, and use constraints to avoid either taking water that could be pumped by the existing city well field AND avoid inducing flows of Mill River water into a drinking water aquifer. If issues ever change with the city, including water rate structure or water shortages, the city would be retrofitted in the future for drilled wells. 6. Police and fire needs are minimal. Recreation maintenance needs will increase, but this increase will be partially off-set by league support and largely offset by the value of a healthy population and a more attractive community in which to live. 7. As a city project, all construction plans are reviewed by DPW separate from the site plan process and their requirements are included. E. The requested use meets any special regulations set forth in this chapter. 1.The project will NOT have any light posts or outdoor lighting except for 100 watt wall packs on the building. The lighting levels are below that allowed in the zoning. F. Compliance with the following technical performance standards: GeoTMS® 2012 Des Lauriers Municipal Solutions, Inc. Planning - DecisionCity of Northampton Hearing No.:PLN-2012-0014Date: January 13, 2012 (1) Curb cuts onto streets shall be minimized. Access to businesses shall use common driveways, existing side streets, or loop service roads shared by adjacent lots when possible. More than one curb cut shall be permitted only when necessary to minimize traffic and safety impacts. 1. Two curb cuts one-quarter mile away from each other. This is a very large site and one curb cut would not meet recreation needs because it would require an ugly parking lot in the middle of the field instead of partially hidden parking lots on each end AND it would make it much more difficult to have a field rotation schedule. From a traffic standpoint, spreading out the traffic impacts by ¼ mile and sending traffic onto two separate roads should reduce impacts in any one area. (2) Pedestrian, bicycle and vehicular traffic movement on site must be separated, to the extent possible, and sidewalks must be provided between businesses within a development. 1. A new multi-use trail/sidewalk was developed this year along the road. Additional hard surface trails will be developed on the southern, western, and northerly side and will allow for complete separation of uses. In addition, this network has been connected to the Spring Street sidewalk and will be connected to the Meadow Street sidewalk at the Mill River. (3) As discussed above, this site has an extensive LID stormwater system that meets all of these standards. The site is large enough to require a DPW Stormwater Permit, which has already been applied for. COULD NOT DEROGATE BECAUSE: FILING DEADLINE:MAILING DATE:HEARING CONTINUED DATE:DECISION DRAFT BY:APPEAL DATE: 12/22/20111/5/20121/26/2012 REFERRALS IN DATE:HEARING DEADLINE DATE:HEARING CLOSE DATE:FINAL SIGNING BY:APPEAL DEADLINE: 12/29/20112/17/20121/12/20121/26/20122/2/2012 FIRST ADVERTISING DATE:HEARING DATE:VOTING DATE:DECISION DATE: 12/29/20111/12/20121/12/20121/13/2012 SECOND ADVERTISING DATE:HEARING TIME:VOTING DEADLINE:DECISION DEADLINE: 1/5/20129:45 PM4/11/20124/11/2012 MEMBERS PRESENT:VOTE: Andrew Weirvotes toGrant Marilyn Richardsvotes toGrant Katharine G. Bakervotes toGrant Stephen Gilsonvotes toGrant Jennifer Dieringervotes toGrant Mark Sullivanvotes toGrant Francis Johnsonvotes toGrant MOTION MADE BY:SECONDED BY:VOTE COUNT:DECISION: Mark SullivanAndrew Weir7Approved with Conditions MINUTES OF MEETING: Available in the Office of Planning & Development. I, Carolyn Misch, as agent to the Planning Board, certify that this is a true and accurate decision made by the Planning Board and certify that a copy of this and all plans have been filed with the Board and the City Clerk on the date shown above. I certify that a copy of this decision has been mailed to the Owner and Applicant. ___________________________________ Notice of Appeal An appeal from the decision of the Planning Board may be made by any person aggrieved pursuant to MGL Chapt. 40A, Section 17 as amended within twenty (20) days after the date of the filing of the notice of the decision with the City Clerk. The date is listed above. Such appeal may be made to the Hampshire Superior Court with a certified copy of the appeal sent to the City Clerk of the City of Northampton. GeoTMS® 2012 Des Lauriers Municipal Solutions, Inc.