City of Lowell - Planning Board


Planning Board Minutes
January 24, 2008 6:30 P.M.
City Council Chambers, City Hall
City of Lowell, 375 Merrimack Street, Lowell, MA

Note: These minutes are not completed verbatim. For further detail, video recordings are available
at the Division of Planning & Development, 50 Arcand Drive, Lowell, MA

Members Present
Thomas Linnehan, Chairman
Joseph Clermont, Vice Chairman
Richard Lockhart, Second Vice Chairman
Stephen Gendron, Member
Gerard Frechette, Member

Others
Aaron Clausen, Associate Planner


The following are the results of the January 24, 2008 Planning Board meeting held in the City Council
Chambers at Lowell City Hall at 6:30 p.m.

All Members were present

Minutes & Roll Call of Neighborhood Groups
None

Chairman Linnehan requested that old business be taken out of order with no objections from the
Board Members.

Old Business
392 Chelmsford St.
The Planning Board will review an updated site plan for the project at 392 Chelmsford St. The
applicant proposes a minor improvement to the site plan, showing the vehicle curb cut reduction to
28’ in place of 25’, accommodating delivery traffic. The applicant also altered the plan to show a
reduction in the curb cut for exiting vehicular traffic from its existing width of 37’ to 30’.

The following individuals spoke in favor of the project:
Huseyin Sevincgil (MHF Consultants, Engineer for Applicant)

A motion was made by J. Clermont and seconded by R. Lockhart to accept the updated site plan with
the minor adjustments to curb cut widths in order to accommodate delivery trucks to the site.

The updated and approved plan is entitled “Site Redevelopment Plans Proposed Burger King
Restaurant” prepared for Burger King Corp. of Miami, FL by MHF Design Consultants of Salem, NH
dated November, 30 2007 with a revision date of January 17, 2008.

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Planning Board Meeting Minutes – January 7, 2008
Page 2
Public Hearings
133 Clark Road
A Public Hearing will be held to hear all interested persons relative to an application by Jeremy
McSorley for Special Permit Review of a project located at 133 Clark Road. This proposal seeks to
modify plans that previously received a Special Permit in order to relocate the lot lines. One lot will
have forty (40) feet of frontage on Clark Road and consist of 51,393sqft of land area, and the second
lot will have sixty (60) feet of frontage on Clark Road and 20,064sqft of land area. The project is
located in the SSF (Suburban Single Family) zoning district. The project requires Special Permit
review under Section 5.2.9: Frontage Reduction for Large SSF Lots of the Lowell Zoning
Ordinance.

The following individuals spoke in favor of the project:
Jim Flood (Attorney for Applicant), Jack Lougee (Dana Perkins, Engineer for Applicant)

The following individuals spoke in opposition of the project:
None

Chairman Linnehan pointed out a letter was presented to the Board in opposition of the project from
Patricia Nichols, an abutting property owner. Concerns were related to an agreement with the applicant
that any buildings would not be constructed closer to Clark Rd. than her home and the placement of the
driveway and had expected to be contacted by the applicant to discuss its placement.

Board Discussion
Board Member S. Gendron was concerned the oddly shaped lots created by the subdivision may have a
negative impact on the neighborhood, and the area of land at the western portion of Lot 17 was not usable
space for the owner. There was also concern over the bulk of the single-family house located on Lot 18.

Board Members were generally concerned about the impacts of the driveway and size of the house to Ms.
Nichols property, suggesting the applicant apply for the Special Permit for driveways longer than 200 feet
simultaneously with the reduced frontage special permit. The additional time would allow time for the
applicant to contact Ms. Nichols and come to an agreement on the driveway, and address the stormwater
concerns raised by the City Engineer.

Motion:
Member S. Gendron motioned and Member J. Clermont seconded to CONTINUE the special permit
hearing to coincide with the hearing for the special permit required for a driveway length over 200’.
The motion passed with all attending members voting in favor (5-0).

Site Plan Review: 206 & 200 Rogers Street
A Public Hearing will be held to hear all interested persons relative to an application by the Rogers
Street Association LLC for a Special Permit and Site Plan Approval for a project located at 200 &
206 Rogers Street. The project includes the conversion of two existing buildings on site into 12
condominium units, ranging in size from 900 to 2000sqft of living space with over 3 parking spaces
per unit. This project requires a Special Permit under Section 8.1 Conversion of Existing Buildings
and requires site plan review under Section 11.4 of the Lowell Zoning Ordinance. The property is
located in the TTF (Traditional Neighborhood Two-Family) zoning district.


The following individuals spoke on behalf of the project:
David Plunkett (Attorney for Applicant)

The following individuals spoke in favor of the project:

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Planning Board Meeting Minutes – January 7, 2008
Page 3
None

The following individuals spoke in opposition of the project:
Arshi Singh (64-66 Hanks Street); Mr. Singh’s concern related to available street parking on Hanks
Street. He felt that the redevelopment of the YWCA buildings would further constrain parking.

Board Discussion
Chairman Linnehan pointed out that the duplexes and single-family buildings that were part of an
earlier phase of the project had already received site plan approval. He also pointed out that the
proposal included 3 parking spaces per unit, which is more than required under the zoning code.

Generally the Board applauded the quality of the work exhibited in the first phase of the project, and
the applicant’s willingness to work with the Historic Board to ensure the project would blend well with
the neighborhood. Member R. Lockhart noted they were requesting a waiver from the lot area /
dwelling unit minimum. Board members agreed that due to the redevelopment of the structures
warranted a reduced lot area, and the proximity of Fort Hill and Shedd Parks provided adequate
outdoor recreation opportunities for prospective resident. Member S. Gendron was concerned over the
congestion in the neighborhood but felt the additional parking would help alleviate impacts by the
development and echoed the proximity of public parks.

Motion:
Member J. Clermont motioned and Member R. Lockhart seconded to APPROVE the site plan and
special permit. The motion passed with all members voting in favor (5-0). The plan was approved
with the following conditions:

1. The lot area per dwelling unit reduction waiver was granted as Fort Hill Park and Shedd Park were
deemed to provide adequate recreational opportunities in close proximity to the project.
2. The applicant shall work with the Division of Planning Development to increase landscaping and tree
plantings subject to the approval of the DPD design planner and Historic Board staff.
3. The applicant shall work with the Division of Planning and Development to ensure proper location
and dimensions of handicap parking spaces to ADA specifications. Handicap ramps will be sloped to
ADA standards with a maximum 1:12 ratio according to the State of Massachusetts accessibility
standards.
4. Sidewalks shall match existing sidewalk material or be of cement concrete.
5. The applicant must show water infrastructure sizing and metering on plan to the water utility’s
specifications.
6. The applicant must show stormwater run-off controls for the parking lot area on plan.
7. The sewer connection must be sized to the City Engineer’s specification.

New Business
Pre-Application Sessions:
The following individuals have requested for the Planning Board to provide a preliminary review of
their proposed project at the addresses listed below. These are not public hearings. Each project
will require a public hearing as noted below.

Project Address: 229 Stedman Street
Applicant: Daly General Contracting, Inc.
Project: Commercial/Office Building
Zoning: Light Industrial (LI)
Required Review: Site Plan Review

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Planning Board Meeting Minutes – January 7, 2008
Page 4
Applicant is proposing a multi-tenant commercial building on the property to house administrative
offices for contracting and ambulance businesses. The ground floor will be used as a garage and
maintenance area for 20-25 ambulances. There may also be some additional space for office use to
be leased.

The applicant pointed out they will be incorporating “green building” concepts into the construction
of the building to conserve energy, such as a cantilevered roofline for solar access and 2” x 6”
construction. The applicant will also attempt to implement low impact development concepts into
the site to reduce stormwater impacts. The applicant expressed interested in working with DPD
and the City Engineer to that end.

Note: The Planning Board renders no decision nor guarantees any future decision, whether positive
or negative, on any project that receives pre-application review. This review process is for
information purposes only.

ZBA Notices
318 BRIDGE Street, et al
Petition Type: Variance & Special Permit
Applicant: G.B. New England, LLC - c/o James W. Flood, Jr., Esq.
Petition: To raze 3 buildings located on 6 parcels and construct a pharmacy building in excess of 5,000
s.f. , drive-thru and parking lot and,: relocate existing billboard according to Sects.12.4(a), 12.4(b), 4.5.3,
6.1.4(e), 6.1.9, 6.1.10, and 6.5.
S. Gendron: motion to recommend APPROVAL of variance and special permits for the project based on
conditions placed on site plan approval by the Planning Board.
R. Lockhart: Second the motion
All members voted in favor of APPROVAL (5-0).

720 Rogers Street
Petition Type: Special Permit - Signs
Applicant: KC Signs - Robin Casey for Saturn of Lowell
Petition: To remove and replace existing internally illuminated signage for Saturn of Lowell.
J. Clermont: motion to REFER to the DPD Design Planner for a report and recommendation on the
special permit.
R. Lockhart: Second the motion
All members voted in favor of REFERAL to DPD Design Planner (5-0).

868 Middlesex Street
Petition Type: Variance
Applicant: Juan Mejia
Petition: For the alteration and partial demolition of a vacant building to a church and (4) residential units
with insufficient parking as an approved repetitive petition, according to Art. VI, Sect. 6.1 of the
Zoning Ordinance.
R. Lockhart: motion to take NO ACTION to wait until the project appears before the Planning Board for
site plan review.
S. Gendron: Second the motion
All members voted in favor of taking NO ACTION (5-0).

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