Design Review Board Minutes 07/07/2014 ADOPTED
DESIGN REVIEW BOARD ADOPTED MINUTES
JULY 7, 2014
REGULAR MEETING
I. CALL TO ORDER
Chairperson, Jennifer Murnane, called the Design Review Board meeting to order at 5:35 p.m. in the Main Meeting Room of the Simsbury Town Offices.
II. ROLL CALL
The following Board Members were present: John Carroll, Anca Dragulski, and Paul Lanza. Also in attendance were Hiram Peck, Director of Planning; Janis Prifti, Clerk; and other interested parties.
III. APPOINTMENT OF ALTERNATES
No alternates were seated.
IV. DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION
a. Application #14-30 of Christopher J. Smith, Esq., Applicant; Thomas Evans, Owner; petitioning for a Text Amendment regarding changes to Article Ten, Sections G(1) and G(2) of the Zoning Regulations of the Town of Simsbury.
b. Application #14-31 of Christopher J. Smith, Esq., Applicant; Thomas Evans, Owner; for a Site Plan Amendment and Zone Change from Zone I-1 to Zone PAD on the property located at 155 Hopmeadow Street (Map F17, Block 201, Lot 002A). Zone I-1.
The Applications were read into the record.
The Applicant's attorney summarized that Applications #14-30 and 14-31 are for a PAD and two text amendments for 155 Hopmeadow Street with the intent of preserving the historic pool barn and adding a Cumberland Farms Store with gas pumps as a necessary financial component. The Applicant's engineer reviewed the triangular 1.87-acre site layout with the rail trail located behind the site and the Farmington River further east. The cleared partly gravel site contains the pool barn building, with a drainage swale running around the property picking up some runoff from Hopmeadow Street. They proposed restoring the pool barn building with up to 2400 sq. ft. of retail at the front lower part of the building and warehousing on the upper level; and up to 3300 sq. ft. of commercial mixed use in the back of the building, including apartments.
They proposed constructing a 4213 sq. ft. convenience store with access provided to the rail trail via the existing culvert/bridge over the drainage ditch allowing trail users safe access to bathrooms and snacks. Under a proposed canopy would be 4 fuel islands with 8 dispensers and access to Hopmeadow Street through 2 driveways (1 existing and 1 to be added) which would allow circulation for fuel filling trucks as well as smaller delivery vehicles on the site, and patron access to the store. The proposed tanks are tertiary containment that would be triple lined with triple lined piping and would provide monitoring for any release between the piping and any groundwater or release from primary piping. They indicated Zoning Regulations under Article Ten G(2) limit gas station driveway widths to 30 feet at the property line and 40 feet at the curbing which are incompatible with DOT requirements. DOT requires for safe vehicle access to enter a site that turning movements can be made that do not encroach into oncoming traffic or that will stay in the extreme right hand lane. The proposed plan provides radii acceptable to DOT with the Application requesting the minimum width exceed 30 feet at the property line and 40 feet at the curb line to accommodate the radii transition between the driveway curb line and the curb line on the State highway; their plan requested a transition of up to 65 feet, although they believe 35-40 feet would be adequate for DOT. Because this is a State highway, it is at DOT's discretion to decide the radii from a public safety perspective and DOT would not undertake review until action was taken by the Town; the widths would then be determined in DOT's encroachment process.
Proposed parking spaces were shown shaded in gray and an area at the pavement edge for patrons to put air in their tires. The plan also showed electric recharge stations, which may be relocated elsewhere on the site. Storm water management facilities included catch basins for runoff, a water quality treatment facility before reduced rate discharge into the intermittent watercourse behind the property and hydrodynamic separator concrete structures which capture and settle 80% total solids as required by DEEP, and they would also capture and contain floating material including hydrocarbons from parking areas. Information on erosion control devices were provided to the Board on GR1, and also a site lighting analysis with perimeter fixtures at 14 feet, pedestrian lighting at 7 feet, and canopy lighting. Landscape architecture would include evergreen and deciduous trees, flowering fauna and species friendly to the watercourse, and a gray stonewall integrated with a freestanding sign in the site center. A front portion of the building would be removed and the remaining foundation would become a garden patio with plantings to be determined.
The Applicant's representative described the history of the 100+ year old pool barn which has a very sturdy heavy timber frame and has been fairly well preserved. The building is about 4 feet from the road and has a poor site line coming from the north. They proposed removing the front 40 feet of the building while retaining the existing brick foundation for a garden wall and possible adjunct building use. The front portion of the building would be retail with handicapped access and a covered porch; the other portion of the building would be mixed use with a potential combination of commercial on the lower floor and upper floor residential one-bedroom apartments or two-bedroom townhouses. The Board was shown a proposed reconstructed end elevation from the parking area with enhanced contemporary pre-finished windows. Major materials would include the existing fiberglass shingle roof which would be retained; the retail section roof would probably be metal; and siding would be horizontal lapsed pre-finished fiber cement.
The Board was shown a rendering of the pool barn elevation, proposed fuel canopy, and convenience store with stone wall/sign. The front elevation from Hopmeadow Street was shown with interface between the trail and store. From the sidewalk, a 3 foot high stone facade with brown/gray colors and a water table just above that with vinyl clapboard material and synthetic wood trim with a green band, gutter downspouts, additional gray trim to the roof line; roof details included a small band with a flatter portion standing seam metal roof and the remaining roof in architectural shingle. Shed dormers would match those proposed for the pool barn building; gable features would have 3-dimensional columns; the signs in front would have gooseneck illumination lighting from above in white fiberglass material. The landscaped wall in front would provide continuity, as would the stone treatment in the freestanding sign in front.
The Board asked about the water quality basin near the trail with black chain link fence. The Applicant noted they received wetlands approval and water would only be present in the basin after a storm. It is a 3-foot high concrete masonry block wall feature with a 4-foot high fence on top for an area depressed above existing grade to match the elevation of the watercourse behind and designed to handle runoff from the site, typically 1-inch of runoff. The Board suggested improving the look of the fencing given the trail traffic, e.g. a slat fence. The Applicant indicated they need to have visibility for maintenance into the site and it is similar to the manmade ditch. The Board asked to see what is proposed for the back of the building. The Applicant noted that the mechanicals would be mounted and protected by fencing and the dumpster enclosed in steel frame opaque vinyl fencing. The water quality basin would be checked by store personnel as part of maintenance and subsequent to each storm. Utility connections were shown on a building corner, and the Board expressed concern for pedestrian safety with people coming by that location from the trail. The Applicant responded that putting utilities on the dumpster side would be prohibitive due to an existing sanitary easement and utilities coming in on that side. The Applicant agreed that slat fencing along the back could be used that would look better and meet observational purposes and could also be used on the roof. The 4-foot fence elevation was described as 2-feet higher than the berm; the first floor elevation of the building was 180 and the top of the berm was 179.
Regarding impervious coverage, Town Staff indicated storm water would be treated on site to the maximum extent possible and the Town Engineer was comfortable with the storm water treatment coverage shown in this plan.
It was noted by the Board that decisions are based on the Guidelines for Community Design; on page 11, under Circulation Vehicular and Pedestrian, it states, "Does the site design provide vehicles and pedestrians with a safe logical approach and entry to all site use areas and buildings. Is equal importance given to the pedestrian as to the vehicle in terms of comfort and access." Looking at the center of the site plan, it was discussed as comparable to Cumberland Farms sites in Granby and Bloomfield which are extremely busy with vehicular and pedestrian traffic. This plan proposes a significant number of parking spaces and subsequently significant vehicular and pedestrian traffic which was not acceptable to some Board members and thought to be extremely dangerous, especially for young people coming onto the site. The Applicant explained the design circulation for the convenience store and fuel parking as a high turnover in front of the store; parking space in back where pedestrians enter from the trail would provide a bike rack and safe access door to the store and would have only 3 low turnover parking spaces for employee parking. The Board suggested keeping the pedestrian path out of the parking lot and the Applicant will review that. A Board member remained concerned about the unpredictability of young people's movements in the parking lot, and questioned this design.
Regarding the requirement for a gas station on the property in order to make this project viable, the Applicant indicated the property was on the market for almost 5 years with no significant demand shown; and the pool barn building would need significant restoration which is more costly than putting up a new building. Before the Applicant moved forward with this project, he wanted to receive various Commission/Board approvals. The area was described as not very dense and currently zoned industrial; a Cumberland Farms store would provide a center of activity. The Board agreed that the gas station architecture was fine, but a Board Member remained concerned about how each structure's traffic issues affect the activities of the other and continued to believe it to be too dangerous. The Applicant reviewed that many layouts were considered and this design was determined to be the best and safest with interest expressed by a variety of potential occupants. Restoring the pool barn was estimated by the Applicant to cost about $1 Million and putting in a Cumberland Farms operation was estimated to cost about $2 Million and they would only be involved in a project they think is safe.
The Board commended the Applicant for working to preserve the historic pool barn.
Board Member Lanza made a motion that Application #14-30 of Christopher J. Smith, Esq., Applicant; Thomas Evans, Owner; petitioning for a Text Amendment regarding changes to Article Ten, Sections G(1) and G(2) of the Zoning Regulations of the Town of Simsbury, and Application #14-31 of Christopher J. Smith, Esq., Applicant; Thomas Evans, Owner; for a Site Plan Amendment and Zone Change from Zone I-1 to Zone PAD on the property located at 155 Hopmeadow Street (Map F17, Block 201, Lot 002A). Zone I-1 be approved. The Chairperson summarized the Board's referral to the Zoning Commission that Applications #14-30 and #14-31 meet the Guidelines for Community Design, with the following comments: 1) that the rear pedestrian bike path be re-looked at and taken out of the parking lot; 2) that the water quality basin design of the fencing and appearance of the entire back elevation be further reviewed and studied to make it more aesthetically pleasing to the people on the bike path; and 3) that the fence on the roof should match the fence around the water quality basin.
Board Member Dragulski seconded the motion, and it was passed with Board Members Murnane, Dragulski and Lanza voting in favor of the motion and Board Member Carroll voting against the motion.
V. INFORMAL DISCUSSION
a. Informal presentation by Christopher Millard, Phase Zero Design, of proposed exterior renovations to Mitchell Auto Mall on the property located at 416 Hopmeadow Street (Map F14, Block 143, Lot 003). Zone B-2.
The Application was read into the record.
The Applicant's representative expressed appreciation for the Board's activities and the work done in the Village of Weatogue. Mitchell Auto's franchise with Chrysler Dodge requires them to upgrade their facility with installation of a prototype Millenium Arch. The existing building which currently has no branding would have the prototype applied to it wrapping the existing soffit with metal paneling and adding the pre-fabicated Millenium Arch set down on footing. This building would have the smallest arch proportion at 20 feet tall.
A second more traditional option would be to re-paint the existing fascia of the building in a buff color (the color could be discussed) and put the arch in in a more traditional brick veneer which would be more in keeping with the Town's design characteristics. The existing Dodge sign would be expanded to include Jeep and also needs to be upgraded. The Board was shown the location and depth of the Millenium Arch's small extension at the front entrance door. A site plan was provided to the Board for discussion of signage as the site is divided by the existing Mobil station; one sign was proposed to be replaced and the other two signs left as is; the 33.9 sq. ft. sign area elevation proposed by Chrysler would be 10 feet and is the smallest size. The more traditional brick arch option ties things together and the Board suggested adding brick to the base of the sign. Town Staff noted that the sign sizes need to comply with regulations. The Board discussed moving to a formal Application.
The Applicant noted that tonight in keeping with progressive values, following a couple of months of work, they are the 2nd auto dealership in the State to go solar.
Board Member Carroll made a motion that the informal presentation by Christopher Millard, Phase Zero Design, of the proposed exterior renovations to Mitchell Auto Mall on the property located at 416 Hopmeadow Street (Map F14, Block 143, Lot 003). Zone B-2. become an Application.
Board Member Dragulski seconded the motion, and it was passed unanimously.
Board Member Carroll made a motion regarding the Application presented by Christopher Millard, Phase Zero Design, of the proposed exterior renovations to Mitchell Auto Mall on the property located at 416 Hopmeadow Street (Map F14, Block 143, Lot 003). Zone B-2. that the Design Review Board finds that Option II of the Millenium Arch Brick on Phase Zero Design's drawing dated 7/2/2014, substantially meets the criteria of the Guidelines for Community Design and recommends approval. The Board recommends that the base of the sign be made of brick that matches the Millenium Arch, and finds that Option I is not acceptable under the Guidelines for Community Design.
Board Member Dragulski seconded the motion, and it was passed unanimously.
V. APPROVAL OF MINUTES of June 2, 2014
Board Member Carroll made a motion to move approval of the minutes to the next meeting's Agenda.
Board Member Dragulski seconded the motion, and it was passed unanimously.
VI. ADJOURNMENT
Board Member Lanza made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 7:00 p.m.
Board Member Dragulski seconded the motion, and it was passed unanimously.
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John Carroll, Secretary