Planning Board Selects New Leadership

The Marion Planning Board on May 15 dispensed with the first order of business with little controversy, selecting its new leadership roster after the recent town elections. The board welcomed newcomer Christopher Collings to the board, as well as newly-elected but experienced Planning Board member Norm Hills.

Newly re-elected Planning Board member Eileen Marum was selected as the new chairman, with Stephen Kokkins remaining as vice-chair.

Hills, described by board member Jennifer Francis as “the best clerk I have ever known,” was unanimously selected for that position.

After asking for clarification on the duties of the board’s representative on the Community Preservation Committee, board member Will Saltonstall was nominated to fill that position, which he accepted. Marum will continue as the SRPEDD representative.

The Marion Arts Center was on the agenda that evening to request a change in lot lines for two non-conforming lots adjacent to the Center.

The Center’s goal for moving the lot lines, as described by Marion Arts Center board member Michael Sudofsky, was to create the space to provide handicap access to the building and an additional handicap parking space.

The Center will also be creating a small outdoor entertainment space.

When asked by Hills if the Center planned to build anything on the newly created lot, Sudofsky affirmed that the Center would be keeping the space as it is now, saying, “It is a level grassy area. We would add a little bluestone.”

Collings asked if the neighbor was okay with the proposal. Sudofsky assured the board that they were, and that the Center and the neighbor have a good relationship since the Center allows some encroachment by the neighbor onto their land.

Marum had contacted Town Counsel Jon Witten regarding the request, since the approval would be creating two non-conforming lots, one of which is intended to be absorbed into the Center’s existing lot. While the intent of the request is reasonable, counsel suggested to the board that if they were to approve the request, that endorsement be contingent on a note being added to the plan stating that their endorsement is “…not an endorsement of zoning compliance … or resulting parcels’ status as to conformance with the Marion Zoning Bylaw … or rights to future alterations, expansions or changes to any structures located on resulting parcels.”

Sudofsky, acknowledging his ability to speak for the Center’s board of directors, agreed to this contingency. The board voted to endorse the plan with this note attached.

After Planning Board member Steve Gonsalves recused himself, the board held a pre-submission discussion for 111 Wareham Road known as the Eden Landscaping property.

The applicants, Tad Wallenhaupt and Alex Urquart, provided details and illustrations of their proposal, but noted that they are hiring engineer David Davignon to develop the formal plans for the board.

The applicants propose to combine four existing lots into two lots, one with frontage along Route 6 and the other with frontage on Marvel Street.

Wallenhaupt stated they will build two steel Morton-style buildings with dimensions of 60 feet by 100 feet, totaling 6,000 square feet each. The buildings would each have four garage bays, and the applicants would each use one bay, with the other six bays rented out.

Francis mentioned that she had visited the Morton Building site and had observed many different style buildings, adding, “I am hoping you will pick out a building that looks nice?”

Wallenhaupt, an abutter to the property, assured her that he wants to look at something attractive as well, and suggested the board look at the steel building behind Rose and Vicki’s Pizza to get an idea of the proposed style of building.

The Marvel Street access was of some concern for Hills, who asked how wide the street was and if there was any plan to improve the road. Wallenhaupt stated that he thought the road was about 20 feet wide and there was probably not any room for widening it. The surface of the road is currently dirt.

Kokkins suggested it would be good to see the traffic flow pattern on the engineered plan, to which Marum added later in the meeting her safety concerns for that section of Route 6. She referenced a SRPEDD study in which the Point Road intersection, which lies west of the proposed site, is ranked as one of the most hazardous intersections in the state based on number of traffic incidents.

Marum’s concerns were underscored by Saltonstall who asked that the applicant “be very aware of the issues of traffic” as they design their plan.

Wallenhaupt noted that the intent is for trucks to enter the site from Route 6, but exit onto Marvel Street, minimizing traffic concerns on the busy road. However, Saltonstall also mentioned that if there are two owners in the co-development, that there will need to be a legal construct to allow for the one-way traffic circulation the applicant is proposing, including easements between owners.

The applicants agreed they would be addressing the legal issues with an attorney.

The board suggested there would need to be a full Site Plan Review, which includes a public hearing and a third-party engineer to work on the board’s behalf. Hills didn’t think an environmental assessment was warranted, although Marum did raise the question of possible hazardous waste on the site, saying she saw what appeared to be old rusty vehicles on the site.

Wallenhaupt assured the board that to his knowledge the site was free of hazardous waste.

The applicants will return to the board as soon as possible with engineered plans for the ANR plan to combine the lots. Saltonstall and Kokkins will act as liaisons and points of contact for this project.

In other business, Francis reported that the Transportation and Circulation Task Force has met twice and is making great progress. Francis said they would like to combine forces with Mattapoisett and obtain a Corridor Study, paid for by SRPEDD, to study the traffic in both towns. This study, Francis said, “is the first step toward getting money to work on a state road.”

The next scheduled meeting of the Marion Planning Board is June 5 at a location to be announced.

Marion Planning Board

By Sarah French Storer

 

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