Sidewalks, Traffic, Parking Still Questions for Finnerty's Site

The Planning Board Tuesday thanked developers for responding to Design Review Board feedback, but asked them to continue tweaking the newest plan for 150 Main St.

Developers have proposed what they say is intended to be a plan that meets all of Wayland's setback, zoning, parking and other requirements, thereby making it a "by-right" development. , along with the necessary 103 parking spaces required by Wayland's bylaw based on the size of the proposed building.

Questions were raised Tuesday night, however, about whether the current proposal does in fact meet all those requirements, particularly as it relates to the construction of new sidewalk along Main Street.

There also continues to be debate about how much the developers should have to contribute to correct deficiencies at the existing intersection of East and West Plain Street and Main Street. Additionally, the Planning Board and developers have agreed that less parking would be desirable, but how to accomplish that without requesting a special permit is up for discussion.

Sidewalk Question

Town Planner Sarkis Sarkisian explained Tuesday night that the town's bylaw requires developments to construct a 5-foot sidewalk with a 4-foot green space buffer from the road on one side and from the development on the other.

The current plan before the Planning Board proposes new sidewalk only along West Plain Street and would therefore, according to Sarkisian, require a special permit to bypass putting in the sidewalk along the Main Street side.

"For a by-right plan, I guess we should expand some of the sidewalks and get rid of some of the landscaping,” responded Ann Sobolewski, attorney for the developers.

The current plan proposal doesn't show the new sidewalk, however, so board members have requested an updated plan accounting for the 13 feet of sidewalk and buffer needed along Main Street.

Traffic Mitigation

The town's independent traffic engineer Kevin Dandrade originally weighed in on a two-building plan for the site late last year. At that time, he recommended some significant improvements to the existing intersection at the abutting corner including new signal posts and heads, pedestrian push button signals, sidewalk improvements and some infrastructure rewiring. [Read his original PDF report].

Since the one-building plan now before the Planning Board is expected to generate far less traffic, Sobolewski argued that the developers should not be responsible for bearing the cost of so many intersection improvements.

Dandrade disagrees, Sarkisian said, explaining that the engineer's most recent opinion is that the same mitigation needs to be undertaken regardless of the reduced scope of the development.

"The reason for that is the conflicting movements; the number of movements both internally to the site and externally," Sarkisian said of Dandrade's current recommendation. "And this plan has a drive-through."

Sobolewski countered that the traffic impact of the one-building development is significantly less than for the previous two-building plan.

"The amount of mitigation that is being requested for this development -- for this plan -- is above and beyond any kind of mitigation that was required for the other CVS, the TD Bank,” Sobolewski said. “We’re more than willing to provide a fair share, but to foist it all on one CVS development that’s a by-right development seems a little aggressive."

Ultimately, the developers agreed to sit down with Planning Board members and discuss a possible compromise on the intersection improvements question.

Reduced Parking

Neither the Planning Board nor the developers believe they will need the 103 spots required by Wayland's bylaw, but, Sobolewski has said, the developers do not want to seek a special permit that would allow them to officially reduce the parking.

Instead, she recommended Tuesday night, the Planning Board can include as a condition of its site approval that developers not construct a particular number of parking spaces. The approved site plan would feature all the necessary spaces to satisfy the bylaw, but the spots wouldn't be built as a condition of the Planning Board's approval.

"As long as all the required parking spaces were shown on the plan, there could be a condition that certain ones not be installed," Sobolewski said, explaining that she had discussed such a situation with Wayland town counsel.

Planning Board Chair Kent Greenawalt, however, said he wants to talk with town counsel about how such a condition could impact the possibility of reconfiguring the entire site plan.

"I’ve been confused procedurally how we help the town and the applicant achieve less parking,” Greenawalt said.

Design Review Board Feedback

A scheduling snafu prevented developers from taking their one-building plan before the Design Review Board prior to the opening of the Planning Board hearing April 23.

Since then, developers have met with the DRB twice and have adjusted some architectural elements in response to the feedback receieved.

Specifically, architect Kevin Patton explained, he lowered the height of the mezzanine vertical wall by about 3 feet and enlarged the associated gable there. Additional windows and trellis have also been added.

The door through which shipments will be received has also been moved to face west down West Plain Street, Patton said.

"You’ve really responded to absolutely everything that was discussed last night," said Andrew Reck, a member of both the Planning and Design Review boards. "For an as-right building, I really commend you."

The building will still be painted a dark brown color, the same color that was approved in the two-building plan for the site, Patton added.

Next Steps

The Planning Board has asked to see developers again at a May 21 hearing with the expectation of reviewing a draft approval at that time.

In the meantime, developers will appear again before the DRB to discuss the changes to landscaping that will likely be necessary to complete the sidewalk along Main Street, as well as any additional issues.