We'll open the planning board meeting on May 13, 2025. I have an announcement I must read for an open meeting recordings. Any person may make a video or audio
recording of an open meeting or may transmit the meeting through any medium subject to a reasonable requirements of the chair as to the number of placement and operation of equipment used so as to
not to interfere with the conduct of the meeting. Any person intending to make such a recording shall notify the chair forth. All documents referenced or used during the meeting must be submitted in
duplicate to the director of community development planning pursu pursuant to the open meeting and public record law. All documents shall become part of the official record of the meeting.
I don't think anyone is recording or I see no equipment. So, we'll go by that one. We'll continue uh with the meeting. We'll reopen the uh public meeting that we had at our last meeting.
The first one is uh the it's a west mini storage self storage facility. Do you have anything you want to add? You can No, it should be real quick hopefully. So, uh for the record, Wesley Fis Marti Engineering um here
represent West Mini Storage. I know at the last meeting uh it seemed like most of the items were buttoned up except for some soil testing that was requested instead it being a condition of approval. Uh the board requested that we produce that soil testing and since the last meeting we did uh finish that soil
testing and so we brought the soil logs this evening. We also updated site plan showing the soil uh test pit locations in the basins and uh Mr. all of that did get a chance to review that and uh I'm sure I know Rob can speak for himself, but he did let us know that he was
comfortable with the testing and the the data that we showed there. So, we don't have to make any revisions to the the drainage infrastructure. Um and so those were the really the first two conditions that uh at the time was proposed as uh as part of the favorable approval. So, we took care of those two conditions
already and then I guess we're here in front of the board tonight to see if there's any last minute items and then hopefully uh get a vote tonight if possible from the board and start to move move forward with the project. Um they actually were in front of the uh conservation commission previously, got
all their approvals from them. So, uh hopefully we can wrap this up and uh get moving with the project. So, is the intent. Zoning hasn't made a decision yet. Uh, I don't know from a standpoint of of what you applied for.
I don't know if we we didn't apply for anything with the zoning. Oh, okay. Okay. No, I know the Yeah, this project was not in front of the ZBA. Okay. That's what I didn't No. Nope. It's uh No. So, there was nothing nothing in front of them right now. So, the only thing outstanding right now is this board and then once this is done, then
uh they'll get the the building plans together and get the building permit into the bill inspector and get that process rolling. Right. So, if it's into the intended use for the zoning for the property already. Okay. Y and Bob, you're okay with the test? Yeah, I saw the test results. Um checked
them against the basins. Everyone looks fine. I think I had a few other comments in my previous um letter from the second review that they had addressed in the last meeting and those those responses were were fine. So, I have nothing further at this point. Okay.
And in front of everyone are the drafted site plan review decisions. One of which we can actually move forward with on signing tonight if this were to be approved after that motion. Just to go through those conditions uh for the record. Those include condition one.
Prior to commencement of any con construction activities, the applicant shall submit a complete storm water management permit application to the city of gardener for review and approval. No site work shall begin until the permit has been issued in accordance with the city storm water management ordinance and applicable regulations.
Condition two, erosion control measures, including but not limited to silt fencing and sediment barriers, shall be properly installed and inspected prior to the commencement of any site disturbance or construction activity. These measures shall be maintained throughout all phases of construction to ensure compliance with applicable environmental and storm water
regulations. Condition three, upon completion of each construction phase phase, the perimeter of the developed area shall be secured with appropriate fencing to delineate finished sections, ensure site safety, and protect completed improvements from unauthorized usage or damage. Condition four,
operations and maintenance plan reports shall be submitted to the city engineer on an annual basis, no more than 30 days after completion. And finally, condition five, there shall be no external storage of debris, vehicles, and trailers on site. All storage on site shall be within the self-s storage buildings.
These are all things that we've already discussed. Um the only ones that have changed I think from what I had originally sent the board to now uh was originally what was condition one and two which had to do with the the soil testing uh but that's already been approved through Rob. Um, so those were
removed and the storm water uh management permit uh which I had forgotten originally to include in there was was added in um which uh I've already run past Justin uh the project engineer for for this and uh he was he
was amunable to the conditions proposed. So I have nothing else for myself. And the only question we have with that, and it goes to Rob, is is this just a cover letter at this point with the plans for that permit or is there um I know you said you're working on Yeah, we don't have a formal application. Just give me
a cover letter. Um requesting the approval under that if there's any other information you need to add. Okay, go ahead. We can talk about that. Okay. I just want to make sure that we have the procedure down. I know that's Yeah, I think we're the first ones or second ones maybe that you'll be doing. I think the city was the first. You'll be the second. Okay. So that was all the
conditions I had. Okay. Um to move forward with the project. So there's there's nothing else for me to add except for to let you you all uh make a decision on the the proposed plan. Okay. Unless there's any public comments. Is there anyone in the public
that wants to make comments about the storage unit off of Maker Drive? I don't think so. Okay. So, I need a motion to close the public meeting. I make a motion we close the public
meeting on the West Mini Storage. Second. Okay. And I too approve of the motion. All those in favor? I I No opposed. Everybody here is in favor. All
right. The public meeting for the West Mini Storage is closed. Thank you. Next thing is we'll open the uh public meeting on or the descented definitive site plan review with the city of Gardner for Elm H Elm Street.
The uh contractor or the developer can't not make it. So we'll just continue this meeting until the next meeting. Oh, the the the developers actually. Oh, you said Elmer Street. Emerald Street. Emerald Street. No, he is here. Oh,
okay. Yeah, it was from what I understand um Roy, our engineer, um submitted the answers to the questions to DPW. Y and we just needed to give you guys time to review them. So, I think the recommendation was just a
continuence to next month so that the DPW has time to review that information. Yeah, we also need time to review the revised plans for the site. Um, as well as I believe the drainage report was was also sent to us. Um, so we need time to review both of those because those were
sent over the weekend. Um, so just for the sake of the board. Um, just giving them time to do their due diligence and and review those documents. So, and I just wanted to make sure I was here tonight to request that in person and let you know that we're working with
you. Yeah. Okay. Thank you. Is there anyone in the public that might want to make comment about the Emerald Street housing development going on? I have a question about the soil testing. Was soil testing done? Yes, it was. But
we haven't reviewed the results already just because it was submitted over the weekend. We have to give time to review all the documents that were submitted. So, we will do that at the next uh planning board meeting on June 10th, the second Tuesday. Yes.
Anyone else in your name? Sorry. How much frontage do you need to build three homes? That's a good question. The question should be the three family I believe will be allowed by well is in front of ZBA. Yeah. Um for the use. Um it's I
believe at that point it's just the frontage for a building lot. Um which I don't know the zoning off the top of my head. Um but it's the standard frontage for for that district. And I believe I believe in compiance with Yes, we meet that requirement.
Area and frontage is better. How much frontage is there? Yeah there just curious. I I'd have to look at the plan to give me an exact number. A couple hundred feet I think is all of that. A couple hundred feet at least. It's all of that for sure. Maybe 300 maybe. I'm
not sure. Yeah, but it seems kind of tight for three buildings to me. Okay. And your name? Can't hear it that well. No worries. Thank you. So we'll continue. So we'll continue
this open meeting until the next meeting primarily because of their late submission of the responses that we made at our last meeting the questions and they provided us the answers. Haven't
had a chance to look at them. So until we'll move that till the next the next meeting. So motion to continue the public hearing to June 10th. Okay. Second. Second. All in favor? I. Okay. That's approved.
We'll move it a public meeting till the next meeting. June 10th. You said June 10th. June 10th. [Applause] Now we'll open up the regular meeting. Thank you. Like
to I think I'd probably prefer to do them separately. We'll do the u the public meeting minutes of April 8th. Have a motion to approve those as presented. Motion to approve minutes
from April 8th. A second. Second. Okay. Any further discussion? None. All in favor? I I planning the planning board and public meeting minutes April 8th are approved. Our um it would be the April 16th
minutes. That's what's on the the agenda for the regular meetings of April 16th and the public hearings from April 16th. Not included. I have those. I think those were included but those were not on the agenda. So we can make a motion on the April 8th minutes of
approving those at June 10th. Oh, okay. So I'll just hold those in advance. So that correction, it's the April 16th up meeting minutes. If we want to just do a a remotion for
that just for just for the record. The regular meeting minutes from April 16th as presented. I second it. Any further discussion? Okay. All in favor? I I I now they're officially approved. Okay.
The other two will hold till next month. But that we do have the public hearing meeting minutes from April 16th, too. So, we've approved the regular meeting minutes from April 16th. And we can also make a motion to approve the um
public hearing minutes from April 16th because those are separate. the regular meeting minutes. Okay. Motion to approve the regular meeting minutes on April 16th. The public hearing. The We did the public
hearing. We did the public hearing. I think my last motion was for regular regular. Your your motion was approving the regular minutes from April 16th and then now we're going to be approving the public hearing minutes from April 16th.
Motion to approve the public hearing minutes from April 16th. I second it. Now we're straight. So yes. All in favor. I Okay. Sorry for the confusion. Yeah, the more we have to divide the minutes. Yeah,
there was more than usual there. Bob, you're doing good. Two separate. I'm still learning. See, we did that. Now, we'll address the u the definitive uh site plan for the self storage facility off Maker Drive.
So again the close the public meeting the conditions and everything have already been drafted uh have been approved by myself um and the project engineer Rob has approved the soil testing so that doesn't need to be
included um so then all that's left yeah so I make a motion we approve the site plan uh review for the west mini storage would that be appropriate we want Second. Any further discussion?
All in favor? I I. So, they're approved, including the conditions that were they've been met. All right. Thank you. You want to wait one second because we'll have the planning board actually sign the have everyone sign. Eric, I'll put
down uh I'll put down Steve as uh absent and then we can file this. We can file this tomorrow. I think you have to sign it too. Nice meeting you. Wes question for you. Yeah. We want to be on the next agenda for a general conversation at a public
hearing that conversation for how long we need. Um, two weeks would be good. Okay. The clients are still having a conversation on what they want to do with it. But uh for the project if they want to do a development review meeting as well with myself as a yeah as a
representative for the planning board the building commissioner there to get input from a lot of different people then sooner rather than later because I have to like organize those as we need them. Okay. But we can talk offline. Okay. Has any uh anybody reached out to
you about Matthew Street either? No those yet. Okay. I wasn't sure if you're doing for that too. I know they were on the conservation commission meeting. That's Yes, they were. Yeah, that's curious if they are developing. No, they haven't. They haven't requested one. Thank you. Yeah, of course. Thank
you guys. Have a good night. So, the definitive site plan for the multif family residential units. We're holding it till next month. Go now. Yeah. Sorry. Thank you. Thank you. I'll file it tomorrow. Okay. Sounds
good. Thank you so much. Bye. Next on the agenda is uh updates to the flood plane overlay district ordinance. So the copies of the updated flood plane ordinance are in front of everyone. Um I would say red line, but they're
more blue line than red. Um with the edits that have been made thus far, um we've already discussed this at a previous meeting. Eric has made some additional uh adjustments that have been sent over to uh D. D has since given
their blessing uh for Eric's edits as well. Um so now the burden would be on us to then make a joint public hearing uh with the city council. So, with a um
future item uh actually having a public hearing planned to be on June 23rd, that would be the most advantageous time uh to schedule it for a joint public hearing at 6:30 p.m. on June
23rd, which is a Monday. That could be enough time to get it turned around by July 8th. It's going to be close. um depending on when the council schedule because I I don't honestly know the process. I haven't been through a zoning change. Um they'll
do the joint and then I don't know if it then goes out for first printing if it's approved that night. Um so actually you're on like a very similar timeline as to the historical zoning amendment. It
would go for first print. You said what what's the what's the timeline for it? So it's July 8th. It's supposed to be in place. Okay. Then maybe I mean we can't have it ear We could have it earlier if we have to, but
it would have to be. How long do you think it's going to have to be between first and second print? I I don't know. I think typically they do it just meeting to meeting. Yeah. Um I don't think there's a gap, you know, any other extent of gap between, but I I don't know that for
certain. Yeah. I thought you said you needed 30 days. It it just has to be approved by the council. So, whatever their timeline is from first to second printing. Okay. Um that's the key. if they can do if se if
second printing is approved at their I think they have a July 7th meeting. Um outside of that I think they only meet once in July. Um they go into their summer schedule. They meet once a month. I think July and
August they're once once a month. Okay. Do you need us to recommend a specific date tonight or can we just recommend that a joint hearing be held? I think we just just a joint hearing. Okay. Then we
can work with the city council in terms of planning out the the timeline for it because I think you're right cuz I'm looking at the dates that we have for the first and second print for the historical zoning ordinance and those are July 7th and August 4th. Yeah. So those are the only two days that they're
they'll be meeting for the for the summer. So we have to get it at least a week earlier. Um, so the other thing would be then to move the 23rd up to either uh what are their meetings? Um, the first and fourth, the
second and fourth. We could make it the June the 2nd or the 9th, whatever. It would be not too sure when they meet anymore. They would meet on the 2nd. They would meet on the 16th. And then we would have this um for the other the other public
hearing on the 23rd. So we can have it on the 16th. No, sorry. Well, I can have it on the 9th and then I can have first print on the 16th and second print
on the 7th. And that would be right before your deadline on the ETH. Mhm. That would be that would be un unavailable on June 9th. So, okay. So, we'd have to have the other three here need to be present.
Does that work with you, Rob? Yeah. I mean, for me, as long as as long as we can get it in that timeline, that's fine. Okay. Um, yeah, I'm looking at their their schedule. They have a June 2nd and a June 16th, so I don't know if they This
is right off the website, so I don't know if they changed it at some point. A June what? June 2nd and June 16th. Oh, so it's off of their normal. Yeah. So they maybe scheduled a special meeting. Okay. Then they did definitely schedule a second special meeting for
the 23rd. So then we can have it on We could still have it on the 9th and then have a public hearing on the 9th. I think they have a meeting on the second. The 2nd and the 16th. joint. No, I mean like having the the joint meeting another Yeah, another special meeting for the for the 9th about doing the
joint meeting before council meeting also on the second. That's what I was thinking. Unless they're kale, that should be enough time. I I'd much prefer to do it sooner rather than later. Yes. I'm just worried about getting on Gardener News's timeline because they don't do certain days of the week
publication or I'm not sure if they do a Monday publication. No, they don't. Yeah. So, I think we've already hit past I don't think we'd be able to make the the twoe timeline in order to make it for the second cuz we'd have to get a
publication on on or before the 19th uh in order to get on the second and that's what I'm worried about. Today's the only 13th. I mean, yeah, they require 48 hours notice, but then I don't think they do a Friday
either. Yeah, they do. They do a Friday. All right. Then and Saturday we can we can move forward from this [Music] making a tenative June 2nd joint hearing if I'm able to make like tomorrow
morning like right in the beginning of the morning like send off the joint public meeting advertising notice. I'll work with you to get that figured out with the clerk's office. Um, and then we can have it on the 2nd
and then we'll hit the 16th and then we'll be way ahead of the curve for the July 8th deadline. Sorry for the confusion. You confused me there on the 16th. So you're you're asking us to do two joint meetings on the month of June. No, we'll do we'll do the June 2nd. Yes. Before city council.
Yeah. Okay. And then then we can hit first printing for for the ordinance on Yes. had nothing to do with for us. Okay. No, it just uses June 2nd. Okay. Yep, that works for me. Yep. Me, too. So, motion to recommend scheduling of a joint hearing
for June 2nd or an alternate date as needed by by staff. Better than I could do. I second it. Any further discussion? Hearing none. All in favor? I I
That's done. [Applause] So, you'll keep us informed right away, Jason, on that. I'll let you guys know tomorrow morning if I'm able to get a confirmation from them for a publication before Monday because that's key.
That's it. We have the historical zoning ordinance that's back in front of us. I just wanted to provide some quick context as to why that's in front of us again. um it wasn't reviewed by city council prior to the deadline for them to advertise for a
public hearing themselves uh would have been required. So they've since resubmitted it through city council to restart the process and and extend the deadline. So, in order for us to hit it
now, they're now recommending a joint public hearing for this rather than separate public hearings, especially given with the summer months only meeting once. Um, so the date for that will be June 23rd uh for the joint public hearing. There will be a special
meeting at 6:30. We can't have that June 2nd either. No, the the attorney is is like uh the city solicitor Vinnie Pusetaryi and and the attorney for the um for the project uh
Christine have been going back and forth in terms of the timing for it and and this this is what they've um made work. Again, we can have one member of the planning board not present if there is something that that you know
you have to attend to for June 23rd, but we would need the other three members there either in person or virtually through you need a quorum. Yeah. Yeah. And we can hit quorum with people virtually, but we do need at least one person there in person uh to hold the
meeting. as I know I'll be there. And they have actually split this into two separate public hearings just to make it more complicated for us than it already is unfortunately. But just to reiterate that um these will be held on
the same day, these two joint hearings. One of them is item 11533, amendment to the code in city of gardener chapter 675 thereof entitled zoning to change and add commercial overlay classification on certain parcels of land on center street. So
it's actually an overlay district for historical properties um in gardener that they're recommending to us for the point for a joint public hearing. And the other one is the one that we've already since um made the motion on and has been resubmitted, which is the uh
historical zoning ordinance amendment change. So they want to make it into an overlay. Yes. Yeah. They want that as one of the joint hearings and the other as the amendment um being pushed move forward. Okay. So both of those will be hosted on June 23rd at 6:30. Are we
going to review the overlay in one of our meetings prior to that or we going to see it for the first time on the 23rd? I'll send it before June 10th. This was actually news to me after their meeting on May 5th that this was uh um an item that was added in as a a
referral. Um, so my question of are they going to include all of the historical buildings in the city or just the one in for the for the overlay district? Yeah. I'm not sure. Again, the
overlay district was 234 buildings. Yeah. I don't know what they were thinking of. I can't imagine what once I get the information from the um it would be the I say the clerk's
office as well as Christine Tree um I'll send it over to you all but I was just notified about the need to make sure that at this meeting we have separate we know that there are separate public hearings both on June 23rd for items
11533 and 115 amendment. Okay. Yeah. How to stir up the works. Okay. Where I forgot now. Where are we? So, we're just making a motion to have a joint. Oh, no. Joint meeting. The
two joint public hearings. Two joint public hearings on June 23rd at 6:30. from June 23rd at 6:30 for the zoning amendment for the historical project. So moved. And for the overlay district and overlay district.
He moved it and I second it. All in favor? I I done now. We're done. Yeah. Just have to motion to close the meeting. Moved. Make a motion we uh close the meeting
orjourn. Is that what you're asking? Make a motion we adjourn. Second. Any further discussion? None. All in favor? I. I. We are adjourned. [Music]
190.