Town of Sharon Planning Board

Meeting Minutes of 9/18/08

Amended and Approved on 9/24/08

 

 

Planning Board Attendees

Arnold Cohen, Chair 

Susan Price

Paul Lauenstein, Vice Chair

Amanda Sloan - absent

Eli Hauser, Clerk 

 

 

Peter O’Cain, Town Engineer, Consultant

 

Attendees

Attorney Bob Shelmerdine

Attorney Mark Bobrowski

 

Chair’s Report

The meeting began at 6:45 PM. Chair Cohen read the Chair’s Report at 9:15 PM

 

Meeting Minutes

Mr. Cohen moved to accept the minutes of 9/10/08 as amended.  Ms. Price seconded the motion. The Board voted 3-0-1 in favor of accepting the minutes of 9/10/08 as amended.

 

Sharon Commons and 40R

Attorney Bob Shelmerdine representing Intoccia Companies came before the Board to reiterate his comments from the previous meeting that they are submitting the LIP for 168 units shortly and have been meeting with the Selectmen regarding the configuration of the property.  They are petitioning the State by 9/30/08, regarding the zoning petition for an overlay district under the 40R law. The draft, prepared by Attorney Bobrowski is for the Sharon Commons Smart Growth Overlay District.   Mark Bobrowski, a land use consultant, was engaged by the Selectmen to shepherd through the petition regarding the residences at Sharon Commons.

 

Mr. Bobrowski said that the 40R regulation was adopted three years ago by the State of Massachusetts. It is a housing production law that is a friendly alternative to 40B. It can consist of mixed use or housing alone. If the density is met, if the location is met (one half mile from transportation), or if it is a mixed use project, then the development can likely be approved as a 40R. The program is flexible and he stated that Sharon Commons would be a suitable site. The required density under 40R includes 12 town houses per acre, 20 multi-family homes per net acreage and/or 8 single family homes per acre.

 

Mr. Bobrowski said the State pays the Town $100,000 for the first 100 units; $200,000 for 101-200 units; $350,000 for 201-500 units and $600,000 for a project of 501 plus residential units. There is a second payment incentive of $3,000 per unit at the issuance of the building permits. If a LIP is done, the State does not provide these fees and that is why 40R makes sense. Mr. Hauser said that the Town still needs more units to satisfy 40B. Mr. Bobrowski stated that in 40R, 20% needs to be affordable. The Town, however, could require 25% to be affordable.

 

Mr. Cohen asked what the sequence of events would be and Mr. Bobrowski said that the DHCD guidelines are that there is a public hearing on the application which is about the zoning map and design standards. The project then goes to Boston for a completeness review. If the site is deemed eligible, a public hearing is held and then it is brought before Town Meeting to be approved by a two-thirds vote. After approval by Town Meeting, the plan approval authority has to review this, which would be the ZBA. The advantage to a developer is that there is no audit, the appraisal is off the table and there is no profit limitation.

 

Mr. Lauenstein asked if in the financial interest of the Town, would an economic study be done, and Mr.  Bobrowski said there would be. He recommended consultant, Judy Barrett who can calculate the gross tax revenues and costs to determine revenue and can study any other relevant economic issues. Mr. Hauser said that the tax revenue to the Town would be about $6,500 per unit or about $1.1 million in gross tax revenue, less the cost of the new 65 – 70 students the 168 units might contribute. At a cost of about $8,500 per student, the site might net the Town $350,000 to $450,000 dollars when other services are considered.

 

Mr. Bobrowski stated that he would keep the Board posted with the 40R process.

 

Mr. Shelmerdine presented two charts to the Board representing the layout for Sharon Commons housing as a 40B LIP versus a 40R project. On a 40R, you do not need cost certification, there is more money to free up and so with a 40R, they would propose to put much of the parking under or inside the buildings, and the green space would be expanded.   With a 40R the buildings, parking and green space can be expanded given the difference in the required cost reporting. 

 

In addition to this 40R process, Mr. Shelmerdine submitted the already discussed standard 40B LIP application to the Selectmen to be signed and he asked the Planning Board to review it as well. Peter O’Cain accepted this task.

 

Zoning Bylaw Updates

Mr. O’Cain contacted Attorney Gelerman’s office regarding the placement of the sign bylaws in the Zoning or General Bylaws and stated we should have a response within the week.

 

Sign/Bond Approval

None

 

Inclusionary Housing

The Board decided that given the late entry of additional zoning articles in Fall Town Meeting there are more critical issues than Inclusionary Housing and so it is being put off until a later date. Ms. Levitts will inform Ms. Thaler to withdraw this bylaw from the warrant.

 

Other

·         The need for a meeting with Brickstone regarding Inclusionary Housing was determined not be needed at this time and so Mr. Hauser was asked to cancel the request to have them attend the Planning Board meeting.

 

·         It was agreed that Attorney Macchi who requested to come before the Planning Board to discuss the light industrial district could occur on the 24th prior to the Public Hearing on Lakeview sidewalks.

 

Next meeting dates

9/24, 10/15, 10/29, 11/5 (tentative for public hearing on 40R), 11/12.

 

Meeting Adjournment

Meeting adjourned at 10:00 PM. Mr. Lauenstein moved to close the meeting and Ms. Price seconded the motion. The Board voted 4-0-0 in favor.