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News/Events - Meeting Minutes

Traffic Rules and Regulations Committee
May 1, 2007

MEMBERS PRESENT: Dorothy Cook, Chairman; Art Wood; Paul Scott; Tom Nash.

ALSO PRESENT: Paul Reidy, Board of Selectmen Liaison; Rosemary Jewett and Diane Dunbar, Beautification Committee; Mavis Nash, Scituate resident.

1. Chairman Dorothy Cook called the meeting to order at 7:10 PM in the Selectmen’s Meeting Room at the Town Hall.

Ms. Cook suggested taking the agenda out of order in order to accommodate Rosemary Jewett and Diane Dunbar of the Beautification Committee; there were no objections.

6A. NEW BUSINESS. Ms. Jewett presented plans for planting MBTA traffic islands at First Parish Road, Beaver Dam Road, Captain Pierce Road, and Hollett Street. Ms. Jewett stressed that they are aware that plantings must be low-growing. Mr. Scott commented that as per the Town zoning bylaws, no foliage must exceed a certain height. Ms. Jewett said that they will keep plantings below three feet in height. Ms. Cook said that there is an evergreen growing in the median at the intersection of Country Way and Branch Street that obstructs sight lines. Ms. Dunbar commented that the Commission had been trimming back the vegetation in this area. Mr. Scott said that he did not see any problem with any of the plans brought before the TRRC; all TRRC members present were in agreement. Mr. Wood said that at times the median at the intersection of Hollett and Gannett roads has various plants such as the sunflowers that grow too high. Mr. Scott also said that police details are lacking when the Committee is doing planting at the medians and that the Police Chief had expressed concerns for the safety of those doing the planting. There was a discussion about where trucks loaded with soil and plants could pull off the road in the sites where planting is to take place.

1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF MARCH 6, 2007 MEETING. Mr. Scott made a MOTION to approve the Minutes with one amendment; Mr. Wood SECONDED the motion; all voted in favor and the motion passed unanimously 4-0.

2. REVIEW OF CORRESPONDENCE. A. Ms. Cook read a letter from Police Chief Stewart requesting that the easternmost curb cut be designated as the entrance and the westernmost curb cut as the egress at the North Scituate Business District parking lot on Gannett Road. Mr. Scott suggested that Streetscapes be made aware of this request. He suggested that the TRRC send a memo in reply saying that the TRRC concurs with these recommendations and that the committee will forward the request to Al Bangert, MBTA Ombudsman asking the MBTA to install appropriate signage and pavement markings.

B. The review of correspondence continued with a review of the traffic analysis provided by Sullivan and Sullivan for 80 Front Street/Special Permit. Mr. Scott read a paragraph dealing with parking in which the engineer indicated that although 24 additional parking spaces would be required for the new use, that this usage could be controlled by office workers being asked to park in the lesser used municipal parking spaces (at Cole Parkway).The applicant has requested a waiver from the Zoning Board of Appeals, in that they say that the new usage would not be “more detrimental” than the current use. Mr. Scott said that an issue that is not addressed is provisions for access and egress of emergency vehicles. Mr. Reidy said that a major concern of the Selectmen had been rental apartments on the third floor; this part of the plan has been dropped. He suggested a condition be placed that would prevent a change of usage from the current proposal. It was agreed to send a memorandum to the Zoning Board of Appeals saying that the TRRC has reviewed the traffic study and that the study shows an additional 24 parking spaces would be needed for the proposed usage; the TRRC has continued concerns about multiple uses of Cole Parkway by businesses etc that do not provide their own parking; and that approval be on the condition that the second and third floor remain office space. Mr. Scott said that a walkway is being provided between Cole Parkway and Front Street, and that a covenant should be placed on it in perpetuity that it is and will remain a public space. Ms. Martin said that at their presentation at a Commission on Disabilities meeting, the applicant showed plans for the handicapped accessible ramp and lighting in the proposed walkway area.

3. There were no new plans to review.

4. OLD BUSINESS. A) Herring Brook Meadow Peer Review. The TRRC reviewed the traffic impact portion of this document. Mr. Scott said that the peer review indicates that the impact of the 1100-space MBTA parking lot at Greenbush has not been taken into consideration. The TRRC agreed to send a response to the ZBA saying that the TRRC concurs with the peer review’s assertion of the incompleteness of the traffic analysis; and further, the TRRC requests a gap analysis be provided which the TRRC had previously suggested. The TRRC also strongly urges the applicant pursue, as part of his State access permit from MassHighway, their permission to construct pedestrian/bicycle access to the Greenbush business district and railroad station along the Route 3A corridor. The TRRC is unaware at this time of any proposed pedestrian access from Herring Brook via the old railroad bed to the Greenbush business district.

TK O’Malley’s Marina. Ms. Cook read a copy of a letter received from SITEC Environmental dated April 20, 2007 to the Planning Board containing their justification for a request for fewer parking spaces per marina slip at the proposed marina. Mr. Scott said that the TRRC’s concern is that there is already inadequate parking in the area for the restaurant and that there is insufficient parking for the proposed marina. It was agreed to send a memo to the Planning Board saying that the TRRC has reviewed the parking analysis provided by SITEC Environmental for the proposed marina at TK O’Malley’s. The report deals with the required number of parking spaces per slip for marinas throughout the US. However, this committee feels that this proposal should be held to the same parking standards as all other proposals within the Town of Scituate. The main question this committee has irrespective of how many spaces needed per slip, is where those spaces are going to be provided; and until this can be determined we cannot endorse this proposal.

Mr. Scott referred to a TRRC memo dated March 7, 2007 regarding Great Rock Island. Mr. Scott asked a memo be sent to the Planning Board asking whether the information requested in the memo has been received and if so please forward to the TRRC for comment at our June 2007 meeting.

Regarding the Greenbush Roundabout, Mr. Scott brought up the previous issue of the problems of emergency vehicles and school buses entering and exiting the roundabout; and said that he does not think that this has been addressed yet. It was agreed to send the following memo to the MBTA Ombudsman Mr. Bangert : The TRRC understands that you have informed the Selectmen that you were going to have a meeting with STV and the Town’s engineering consultant Don Cooke, and possibly MassHighway representatives, to discuss the issues raised by Don Cooke in his memo of March 29, 2007; more specifically, the ability of the proposed design to adequately service vehicles other than the WB-50 design vehicle. Mr. Cooke suggested that the Town be provided with AUTOTURN data to detail the ability of emergency vehicles and school buses to properly navigate through the roundabout; and further, to provide access and egress to local streets.

Ms. Cook said that there is a problem with the design of the intersection at Booth Hill Road and Country Way, that it is too narrow to accommodate school buses. Mr. Scott suggested that the School Department take this issue up with Mr. Bangert and continue to pursue it until resolved to their satisfaction.

5. NEW BUSINESS. Mr. Nash said that the lenses on the traffic lights in front of the fire house on First Parish Road are burned out. Ms. Cook said that the school zone lights have been flashing at the wrong times. It was agreed to send a memo to Mr. Breen of the Highway Department of the DPW cc: Mr. Antoniello and Mr. Agnew: Please check the timing of the school zone lights at all Scituate schools, as we have observed that they have not been reset since the recent power outage and they are flashing at the wrong times. It has also been brought to our attention that the lenses on the traffic signals at Fire Department Headquarters on First Parish Road need to be replaced. We request that you address these issues as soon as possible, as they are a matter of public safety.

Mr. Wood said that Jenkins School would like to name a driveway after Mr. Grassie who is retiring this year. Mr. Reidy said that this request could go to Mr. Agnew.

Annual Appointment Process. Ms. Cook made the committee aware of this.

The next meeting was scheduled for June 5.

6. Mr. Scott made a MOTION to adjourn the meeting at 8:30 PM, the motion was SECONDED by Mr. Nash, all were in favor and the meeting was adjourned at 8:30 PM.

Respectfully submitted,

Jean Martin