| | Town of Smithfield Planning Board 64 FARNUM PIKE ESMOND, RHODE ISLAND 02917 March 17, 2022 Meeting Minutes |
Members Present: Al Gizzarelli, Richard Colavecchio, Jennifer Hawkins, Mike Moan, Al Nani, Ken Orabona, Curtis Ruotolo, John Yoakum
Members Absent: Mike Pinelli
Others Present: Michael Phillips, Town Planner, Scott Levesque, Assistant Town Solicitor
Chairman Al Gizzarelli opened the March 17, 2022 meeting of the Smithfield Planning Board at 7:00 p.m.
Discuss and approve the February 17, 2022 meeting minutes.
Ken Orabona made a motion, seconded by Al Nani, to approve the Planning Board meeting minutes for February 17, 2022. The vote on the motion was all in favor and the motion carried.
Informational Meeting
Major Land Development - AP 45 / Lot 18 and AP 46 / Lots 71, 72, 73, 74 & 76
295 George Washington Highway
92 Acres (approx.) / Highway Commercial (HC), Planned Corporate (PC)/ Economic Growth Overlay (EGO)
Applicant: Wharton Smithfield, LLC
Owners: Jake Development Co., LLC & Rollingwood Acres, Inc.
Engineer: DiPrete Engineering
a. The Board will review and discuss the proposed submission with the project proponent.
b. The Board will conduct a public informational hearing to receive input on the proposed project.
c. The Board may schedule a site visit or waive the requirement.
d. The Board may approve the Master Plan as submitted, approve with changes and/or conditions, deny the application or continue the meeting to a future date.
e. The Board may make a recommendation to the Zoning Board of Review on required dimensional relief required for the project.
f. The Board may make a recommendation to the Town Council on requested zoning ordinance amendments, zoning map amendments and Comprehensive Plan amendments as may be required for the project.
g. The Board may authorize the Town Planner to prepare a written decision consistent with the Board’s findings of fact and motion for signature by the Chair and subsequent recording.
Attorney Michael Kelly represented the owner and applicant and stated that the application was continued from February 17th. Atty. Kelly stated that, since that time, Crossman Engineering has been engaged by the Town to do a peer review and the applicant has received a wetland verification from DEM. Atty. Kelly asked Paul Bannon to address the Crossman peer review.
Paul Bannon, with Beta Group, stated that there were no major comments from the Crossman review but more clarifications on base traffic volumes and that he provided backup for the numbers used. Mr. Bannon stated that there were also clarifications on trip generation and safety issues and Crossman is recommending continuing to work with DOT on the traffic.
Curtis Ruotolo questioned the Technical Review Committee comment by the Public Works Director regarding concerns with the lack of pedestrian traffic. Paul Bannon stated that they will have sidewalks, crosswalks and pedestrian signal accommodations.
Richard Colavecchio questioned the distance between the existing traffic signal at Routes 7 and 116 and the proposed new signal and Paul Bannon replied it is about 800 to 1,000 feet.
Mike Moan questioned how many lanes of traffic will pedestrians have to cross at the driveway intersection and Paul Bannon replied 5 lanes.
Attorney Michael Kelly asked Paul Bannon if there are any negative impacts and Mr. Bannon replied that the proposed mitigation efforts will address any new increase in traffic and have no adverse impact to traffic along the corridors.
Attorney Michael Kelly stated that he invited John Bolton, who represents Mr. Conti, to a meeting to discuss the access issues on Route 7 but that this is only a master plan and things may change at preliminary particularly with RIDOT having to approve any mitigation efforts. Atty. Kelly stated that they will continue to work with them to coordinate with them and all abutting property owners on access issues.
Mike Moan referenced a Technical Review Committee comment from the Town Planner who suggested a future access easement on the north lot. Attorney Kelly replied that believes the lot to be the salt barn property and that he will work with Mr. Conti on both properties that he owns.
John Carter, Registered Landscape Architect having offices at 960 Boston Neck Road in Narragansett, stated that he was asked to develop a landscape plan that focused on street views from Routes 7 and 116. Mr. Carter stated that the buildings and truck activity are set back from the roads and automobile parking will be screened from the main roads with evergreen plantings.
John Carter addressed the TRC comment with regard to drainage basins and stated that the basins will be raised above the water table and vegetated and included as part of the open space. Mr. Carter stated that the applicant is required to provide 5 percent open space but that they have provided 21 percent with 17.7 percent being usable open space. Mr. Carter stated that there will also be interior plantings in the parking areas and internal sidewalks throughout the site with the ability to connect to other offsite areas.
Curtis Ruotolo questioned how tall the plantings will be for screening and John Carter replied they are typically evergreens of 6-8 feet with deciduous trees and shrubs below.
Richard Colavecchio questioned whether the landscaping is hiding the cars in the parking area and not the building and John Carter replied that most visibility is from the road and the landscaping will help to mitigate the view of the building. Attorney Michael Kelly stated that they will work to provide a landscape plan that has as much screening as possible and one that will grow rapidly.
Brian Cohen, Sr. Vice President with CBRE, stated that he prepared an economic impact analysis marked as Applicant’s Exhibit #1. Mr. Cohen stated that he looked at direct impacts from construction costs and employee’s compensation conservatively estimating a $99 million construction project and 500 warehouse workers which will result in $25 million dollars per year in spending in the community and which will have a broader benefit of $1.9 million to the state with sales tax and employer income tax.
Jennifer Hawkins questioned whether the applicant is seeking any tax relief from the town and Atty. Kelly replied that they have not sought any agreements with the Town and are currently undecided if they will pursue any with the state but if so his understanding is that the State would reimburse all of a portion of the taxes abated to the town. Ms. Hawkins requested that any agreements be shared with the Board at a later stage of approval.
At 8:10 p.m. the public hearing was opened.
Anthony Capo, owner of Fiberglass Fabricators located at 964 Douglas Pike, stated that he has experienced runoff from the applicant’s property and piping and unregulated swales running under Douglas Pike onto his property. Mr. Capo stated that the pipe has been used by the applicant as default engineering to control runoff from his property and the detrimental downstream effects have been compounded from increased development. Mr. Capo stated his concern that predevelopment rates will not be achieved and will be worse and that he is concerned with stormwater runoff and arsenic on the property. Mr. Capo questioned where the fueling station will be located for trucks and what type of trucks they will be? Attorney Kelly responded that issue was caused by RIDOT with the construction on Route 7 through installing a larger pipe at a different elevation. Atty. Kelly stated that this all will be changed with this development and the stormwater plan will alleviate the issue. Atty. Kelly added that they will work to see that the issue is addressed.
Curtis Ruotolo questioned whether Len Bradley will design the drainage pipe to the original pipe size and Len Bradley replied that he is aware of the drainage concerns in the area and will prepare a drainage analysis as part of the Preliminary Plan to help mitigate flooding issues if they can.
There being no one further to speak to this application the public informational hearing was closed at 8:28 p.m.
Town Planner Mike Phillips suggested the Board require an environmental impact study on noise, air pollution, soil, solid waste, fuel trucks, and that the Town be a part of any traffic mitigation meetings, and also that the applicant look at a southern access as well.
Solicitor Scott Levesque requested that the Planner Phillips memo dated March 10th be marked as Board’s Exhibit #1 and the Findings of Fact marked as Board’s Exhibit #2.
Ken Orabona made a motion, seconded by Al Nani, to approve the Stillwater Distribution master plan based on the findings of facts prepared by the Town Planner and marked as Board’s Exhibit #2, incorporating Town Planner’s memo dated March 10, 2022 marked as Board Exhibit #1, finding the application consistent with the Comprehensive Community Plan, subject to the applicant working on mitigating runoff concerns at 964 Douglas Avenue and requiring an environmental impact study on noise, air, soil, fueling, solid waste, lighting and access management communications between the applicant, RIDOT, Mr. Conti, and the Town. The vote on the motion was all in favor and the motion carried.
Minor Subdivision – Pre-Application/Concept Review
AP 45 / Lots 77, 78 & 171 – 305 Mountaindale Road
4.6 Acres (approx.)/3 Lots/Zone: R-20
Applicant/Owner: Richard D. Cesaro
Surveyor: Richard T. Bzdyra, PLS #1786 – Ocean State Planners
a. The Board will review the submission with the applicant and provide input for future review stages.
Attorney Tim Kane, with offices at 627 Putnam Pike, represented the applicant on this request for a 3 lot minor subdivision located in an R-20 zone. Atty. Kane stated that all lots exceed the 20,000 square foot requirement, being serviced by sewer, having access to Mountaindale Road through an existing private road and having a Homeowner’s Association to maintain the roadway.
Curtis Ruotolo questioned the proposed 15 foot right of way with the intent of leaving a 12 foot wide gravel road and spurring off to a 24 foot right of way in the back and that the Fire Department will need to sign off on that.
Chairman Al Gizzarelli questioned whether anything has been done with DEM at this point and the applicant Richard Cesaro replied that this property is already permitted through DEM for one house with the existing proposed right of way.
Michael Moan questioned how far the sewer line goes and Dennis Cesaro replied it goes to the base of the hill and will be extended soon by Boyle & Fogarty.
a. Discuss the application with planning staff.
b. Vote to certify that the application is consistent with the Comprehensive Community Plan.
Town Planner Phillips stated that the Town is seeking funding through the Community Development Block Grant for improvements at the Senior Center.
Curtis Ruotolo made a motion, seconded by Ken Orabona, that the Board finds the CDBG application consistent with the Comprehensive Community Plan. The vote on the motion was all in favor and the motion carried.
Ken Orabona made a motion, seconded by Al Nani, to adjourn the meeting at 8:42 pm. The vote on the motion was all in favor and the motion carried.
The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, March 31, 2022 at 6:00 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Donna A. Corrao, Recording Secretary