Town of Sharon Planning Board

Meeting Minutes of 5/9/12

Amended and Approved on 5/23/12

Sharon Community Center

Filmed by SCTV

 

Planning Board Attendees

Susan Price, Chair

Anne Bingham

Eli Hauser, Vice Chair

Pat Pannone, Clerk 

David Milowe

Peter O’Cain, Town Engineer

 

Attendees

Michelle Crosby , Landscape Architect

Jim and Christina Zafirson 80 Canton St.

Bob Shelmerdine

Pearl and Alan Siegal 24 Indian Lane

Ken McKenzie Moose Hill Development Corp.

Michael Gray 26 Maskwonicut

Kevin Weber Tree Warden

 

 

Chair Report

Ms. Price read the Chair’s Report and associated correspondence.

 

Minutes

Mr. Milowe moved to accept the 4/25/12 minutes as amended. Mr. Pannone seconded the motion. The Board voted 4-0-1 (Bingham was absent) in favor of approval.

 

Mr. Milowe moved to accept the 8/7/12 minutes as amended. Mr. Pannone seconded the motion. The Board voted 5-0-0 in favor of approval.

 

Tedeschi’s Decision

Ms. Price reviewed the 5/7/12 decision with the Board and recapped the meeting.

 

Mr. Milowe moved to accept the 5/7/12 decision on the application for the site plan approval for Tedeschi Food Shops with the exception of changing item #9 from 9 PM to 8 PM. Mr. Pannone seconded the motion and the Board voted

5-0-0 in favor of the decision. The Board signed the decision

 

 

Ms. Levitts will provide a copy of the signed decision to both the Town Clerk and the Zoning Board of Appeals.

 

Mr. Shelmerdine said he will submit paper copies of the other plans to Mr. O’Cain tomorrow.

 

 

 

Public Hearing - Notice of Tree Removal Scenic Roadway Hearing

Ms. Bingham moved to open the public hearing. Mr. Milowe seconded the motion and the Board voted 5-0-0 in favor of opening the hearing.

 

Mr. Pannone read the public hearing notices as appeared in the Sharon Advocate on 4/13/12 and 4/20/12.

 

1. Tree Warden Weber discussed a 34” white pine located at 80 Canton Street. There was a request from the resident to remove the tree due to site view issues when exiting their driveway. The tree is in the right of way on Town owned property. Mr. Zafirson of 80 Canton Street said he cannot see when exiting his property and it is a safety issue.

 

The Tree Warden said the tree is not deemed a structural hazard. The property owner may be asked to remove it or he would ask for a replacement tree for the tree fund.

 

Ms. Bingham moved to approve the removal of the white pine at 80 Canton Street and directed the Tree Warden to work with the home owner regarding compensation to the tree fund or paying for the removal. Mr. Milowe seconded the motion and the Board voted 4-0-1 (Hauser) in approval.

 

2. The Tree Warden presented a request to cut down a 34”ash tree located at 26 Maskwonicut that is in decline. Michael Gray is the owner at this property and is concerned with traffic speeding down the street once the tree is removed. He is concerned with safety. There is a question if the utility poles can be moved to make the street wider.

 

Mr. O’Cain said that the DPW is starting a traffic study on Maskwonicut Street. He knows that the road is a problem and the right of way is not large enough. There will be a discussion with the Board of Selectmen. The Tree Warden will discuss the planting of a new tree with the homeowners.

 

Ms. Bingham moved to approve the removal of the 34” ash tree at 26 Maskwonicut. Mr. Milowe seconded the motion and the Board voted 5-0-0 in favor of approval.

 

3. Ken McKenzie developer of lots 2-11 on the east side of South Walpole Street came to discuss the removal of trees in this area. These included a 16” white pine in the northernmost corner of lot 3, and a 12” white pine in the southernmost corner of lot 3.They discussed a 10” white pine on lot 4, 18” oak on lot 6 that is not a street tree, a 20’ stone wall that is proposed to be removed on lot 6, a 9” and 12” white pine on lot 7 as well as a 20 ‘ stone wall proposed to be removed on this lot, also a 20’ stone wall on lot 8 and a 28” maple on lot 11 which the Tree Warden said should structurally come down.

 

Ms. Bingham said that the regulations do not set a dollar amount per stem. She sees the need to break the stone wall and take down the smaller trees but there will be an impact on the scenic road. She wants to know the renumeration for this type of development.

The Tree Warden said that sometimes trees have to be planted on private property and the homeowners need to be asked.

Mr. Hauser said that scenic roads are uniquely identified. He would like to see the same number of trees taken down, replanted. The Tree Warden suggested a stem for stem replacement for trees in the right of way.

 

Ms. Price said that she wants to see the stone wall that is removed, filled in.

 

Mr. Hauser made a motion that the Tree Warden reviews the trees and stone walls with the developer in lots 2-8, 10, 11 on South Walpole Street. He wants the Tree Warden to ascertain the number of diseased trees, the number of the trees in the right of way, discuss the renumeration amount and make sure the stone wall is made as full as possible.

 

Mr. Pannone seconded the motion and the Board voted 5-0-0 in favor of approval.

 

Ms. Bingham moved to close the public hearing and Mr. Milowe seconded the motion. The Board voted 5-0-0 in favor of approval.  

 

Ms. Bingham moved to open the Public Hearing on tree removal at 120 Lakeview Street and Mr. Pannone seconded the motion. The Board voted 5-0-0 in favor.

 

Discussed were a 14” oak on the northern most corner and a 14” oak on the southernmost corner. Michelle Crosby, Landscape Architect for the Petite Prince Montessori School; wants the trees removed for line of sight problems.

The Tree Warden stated that previously the new owner took down a lot of trees for the septic system and he was not consulted on all of them.

 

Ms. Bingham said she has a hard time accepting the line of sight issue.

 

Ms. Crosby said they are proposing to plant dogwoods and sweet magnolias to replace some of the trees that were removed. The Tree Warden said he wants more trees planted.

 

Ms. Bingham moved to close the Public Hearing for 120 Lakeview Street. Mr. Pannone seconded the motion and the Board voted 5-0-0 in favor of closing the hearing

 

Ms. Bingham said she was concerned with the number of trees that were cut down. She wants to make sure the replanting is copious with what was taken down.

Mr. O’Cain said he would like to see the trees out of site from a traffic point of view.

 

The Tree Warden said he will request two replacement trees for those in the right of way.

 

Mr. Hauser moved to approve the removal of two trees on 120 Lakeview Street with replacement of the two trees on the site subject to the approval of the tree warden as well as additional plantings on the site to fill in the empty space of where trees were previously cut down. Ms. Bingham seconded the motion and the Board voted 5-0-0 in favor of approval.

 

Bella Bond

Mr. O’Cain said he does not have the bond so he is holding off on providing building permits.

 

Mr. Milowe said he is looking for a guarantee that the developer will follow through with their promises.

 

Mr. Shelmerdine said he has not been involved with the bond but will contact Mr. Hickey to try to resolve the issues.

 

Mr. Milowe said that his confidence has dwindled to zero with the developer.

 

Adjournment

Mr. Hauser moved to adjourn the meeting at 9:45 PM and Mr. Milowe seconded the motion. The Board voted 5-0-0 in favor of adjournment.

 

Attachments

1. Legal notice for public hearings on tree removal.

2. Le Petite Prince Montessori School plan.