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2010-01-27 DRB MinutesDRB 1/27/10 Page 1 of 13 City of Salem Massachusetts Public Meeting Minutes Board or Committee: Design Review Board, Regular Meeting Date and Time: Wednesday January 27, 2010, at 6:00pm Meeting Location: Third Floor Conference Room, 120 Washington St. Members Present: Chairperson Paul Durand, Michael Blier, Ernest DeMaio, David Jaquith, Glenn Kennedy, Helen Sides Members Absent: Others Present: Economic Development Manager Tom Daniel Recorder: Lindsay Howlett Board Member Glen Kennedy calls the meeting to order. Urban Renewal Area Projects under Review: 1. 83 Washington Street (Hip Baby Gear): Discussion of proposed signage Daniel preludes the discussion of the proposed signage with a reminder to the Board that the window decal has been eliminated. Rick Winter representing Hip Baby Gear states they are applying for a standard blade sign that will be 3’-0” x 2’-6”, blue with green with the lettering ‘Hip Baby Gear’ on top with ‘Two Girls Shop’ on the bottom. Winter states the blade sign meets all dimensional requirements. Winter states the sign will be hung with a standard ‘S’ bracket painted black to match the blade sign and refers the board to the provided image. David Jaquith and Paul Durand arrive late to the meeting. Durand takes over the chairing. DeMaio asks what color the sides of the sign will be. Bob answers the colors will wrap around and matches the sign. DeMaio asks if there is any planned lighting for the sign. Bob answers no. DeMaio thinks the sign looks fine but thinks some depth would add to it. Kennedy remarks though there is no plan for the lighting, currently there is lighting in the space and asks if that is planned to stay. Winter states that the lighting is currently run on a timer from the inside. Winter further adds he has never seen that sign come on and will have to talk to the Goldbergs about it. DRB 1/27/10 Page 2 of 13 Kennedy replies it is the only lighting on the building, is definitely visible and looks out of place. Kennedy adds if it were to stay it would be nice if it were painted to blend in. Kennedy states the board would like some clarification on whether or not the light is going to stay. DeMaio adds shielding of the light would be preferred if it stays. Kennedy describes where the bracket has a bend in it, the sign looks like it will fit into that space, and adds the sign will hang down 6” below the lights. Kennedy further adds that it was a good note to include that the hooks are black and states that he agrees it would be good if the letters or sign had a little depth but other than that the colors are great and it looks good. Blier states that it would be advantageous to light the sign especially since the lights are already there. Blier further states he thinks painting the lights are a good suggestion and that they will have to be covered. Blier adds otherwise he thinks the sign is fine, color is great and that he does not think the three dimensional quality is as critical as the other steps. Jaquith states he thinks everything has been covered. Durand states that he thinks the sign is simplistic with vibrant font and thinks it works. Durand further states that he does not know if the sign needs the dimensional detail that much but agrees it would not hurt if it had a low relief. Durand suggests possibly adding the relief to the flower detail. Durand states it was a nice presentation. Winter replies he could speak with the sign guy about the three dimensional detail to the sign as he is pretty creative and has a lot of experience. Kennedy states he would like to see some relief on the sign but it is not mandatory. Kennedy adds the existing lighting needs to be shielded if it is going to stay and the conduit needs to be painted to match the trim. Kennedy: Motions to approve with comments, seconded by Sides. Passes 6-0. North River Canal Corridor Projects under Review: 2. 401 Bridge Street (Gateway Center): Discussion of proposed Schematic Design Daniel passes out a letter with comments to the public in attendance. Harry Gunderson introduces himself and his presentation of the North River Canal Corridor Project at 401 Bridge Street. Summary of Presentation: DRB 1/27/10 Page 3 of 13 The presentation is split into three parts; 1) General orientation of project and site 2) Landscaping discussion being proposed 3) Presentation of building - schematic design 1) General Orientation of Project and Site • The site is approximately 5 acres. It currently has an existing building from the Sylvania days which will be demolished as part of this project scope. • There will be a single entrance off of Bridge Street and another off of Boston Street. • Developers have agreed to donate a portion of the land on Boston Street to create a turn lane adjacent to the site. • Overall the site is pretty flat however the Federal Street neighborhood has a pretty decent slope of about 12’ -14’ above the site. • As proposed the site will provide 374 parking spaces 22 of which are handicapped accessible only. o Code requires at minimum 8 handicapped accessible spaces be provided, but given the use of the building, additional handicapped accessible spaces are a positive aspect to the project. • As designed, there is 136,000 square feet of building. • The building gradually steps from two stories to three stories to four stories. • The ground floor will provide opportunity for a health club use located at the corner of Boston Street and Bridge Street. • There will be an atrium of approximately 3,600 square feet that will separate the health club from the Senior Center. • A lobby entrance for the office space above and a service entrance for loading and dumpster access are at the eastern end of the building. • The second, third and fourth floors will be used for office spaces occupying a little over 90,000 square feet. • By providing a wide 5’-0” side walk the building was held back from the street a total of about 7’-0”. • On the south side toward the parking there is a covered walkway • A porte cochere (a covered drop off area) is on the rear of the building where the Senior Center can pull up vans and busses. • The Boston Street side is a right turn only into and out of the parking lot controlled by a traffic island. Gunderson notes the landscape buffer per the zoning regulations require, at minimum, a 50’-0” buffer. Gunderson states they are asking for relief from the zoning board to utilize part of that buffer for parking reducing the 50’-0” to 23’-0”. • Down the property line the buffer will range from 23’ to 39’ to 42’ to 41’ to 26’ to 17’. DRB 1/27/10 Page 4 of 13 • The entrance along Bridge Street will be a single lane into the parking lot and a double lane out. Both a left and right hand turn will be permitted onto Bridge Street. Gunderson notes he has included three site sections in the presentation that has been submitted to the DRB. • The distance from houses to the new building varies a bit from 220’ to 250’ to 260’. As the building gets taller it is actually farther away from residential properties. Gunderson notes the proposed street lamps for the site will be presented more in detail at a later presentation. 2) Landscaping • The existing landscaping consists of large existing trees as indicated on the site plan located along the church side/eastern end of the property. Gunderson notes the new landscaping will go along the buffer and will need to survive amongst the existing trees. • The first element will be a new fence that goes the entire length of the property. Gunderson notes they are asking for a relief from the planning board for an 8’-0” fence. One idea is to have the fence lowered when it is located at higher ground. • Trees, mountain laurels, will be planted against the parking and street side of the sidewalk. Pedestrians would be able to walk between the building and the trees. As this is not really a safe street to be walking on it will be beneficial to provide this pedestrian friendly buffer. • There will be ground cover in the islands and along the street. Creeping juniper to be located at the rear of the property and in the buffer. Natural field grass will also be provided in the islands and between the trees. Permeable pavers will also be provided in the islands as typically the islands are very hard to maintain. Typically people walk across them and if mulched they will get messy. 3) Building First Floor • This is a corner building with a challenge of getting people in the parking lot— about three football fields away from the corner—into the building. • After laying the building out on the site it was figured that the office users will be parking at the end of the parking lot by the primary office entrance, the Senior DRB 1/27/10 Page 5 of 13 Center parking will be located in the middle by the primary entrance, and the health club users will park closest to the health club. • The NRCC suggests getting active users at the street side such as meeting areas, and dining. • The atrium is located directly adjacent to the porte cochere. • Handicapped accessible parking is to be located along the back of the building directly adjacent to the Senior Center. • The health club will have its primary entrance off the parking area with a minor secondary entrance off the atrium. Gunderson notes the Senior Center staff is excited about the health club and think they can create a relationship between the two uses. Second Floor: • There will be professional offices located on both sides of the atrium with a bridge connecting the two buildings. This allows one tenant the capability to lease the entire floor. Third Floor: • Consists of all professional offices. The mechanical equipment will be located on top of the atrium to keep the total height of the building down and to prevent the equipment from being seen when traveling down Boston Street. Fourth Floor: • Consists of all professional office space. Overall Building • Constructed of steel frame with composite slab floors. The structural system is the same as the storage building across the street. • It will have deep foundations with pressure injected footings. • The site is all filled land. • The floor to floor heights are 18’-0” on the ground level and 13’-0” for each successive floor. o That is about as low as they can go to get the medical office use in there comfortably. • The ground to roof height is approximately 57’-0”. This is about 7’-0” above the height limit but is within the four stories. • The atrium will have a glass canopy. • The exterior material can either be a brick and metal panel system with individual punch openings or a cast stone panel which Gunderson states as his preference. o A cast stone panel system will need a little more investigation. Gunderson notes the elevations have been provided to show the relationship to adjacent buildings as well as the relationship between the spaces, programs and uses. DRB 1/27/10 Page 6 of 13 • There is a canopy proposed over the walkway along the back of the building. To alleviate any concern about the Senior Center getting dark, the canopy will be constructed from glass. • There will be three elevators located in the building and exit stairs as required. • A lighter weight cap was designed on the fourth story to make the building look a little shorter than it actually is. This detail works very nicely with the stepped levels. • A glazing system and panel system would come back down to the street level at the corner on levels two, three and four. Active spaces are located so that movement can be seen in the building during the day. • A screen wall will be constructed to hide the generators and the transformers. Gunderson concludes the presentation and turns the floor over to comments and questions form the board as well as the public in attendance. Daniel reads a letter aloud from the Federal Street Neighborhood and Association that was mailed to Paul Durand on January 25th, 2010 containing a bulleted list of concerns. (See attached document for more information.) Durand states the Board would first like to hear a response from the people in attendance. Ed Wallace of 172 Federal Street states the presentation only shows a 23’-0” area of buffer space near the office building. Wallace adds it actually is on the border of one of the smallest pieces of property. Wallace requests the seven parking spaces at this location be removed not only because it’s close to the house line but because it will be difficult to back in and out of those spaces with the entrance located in this area as well. Dorothy Hayes of 329 Essex Street expresses her concern of how the proposed the building speaks as a gateway into Salem. Gunderson replies though it does not look like Old Town Hall it is designed to be very similar to the style of the building that previously existed on the site. Hayes reiterates her point adding her opinion that the design has a Metro West feel and does not feel like you are entering Salem. Hayes adds it seems more compatible with the storage center and that frankly she would like to see detail and reconfigurations that provide the feeling that you are about to enter a city with a rich architectural heritage. Hayes also adds that a roof garden would be a definite asset as well as tables at the parking level to provide a sense of green space and open air. Hayes comments otherwise the views consist of a large parking lot filled with cars. In summary Hayes focuses on the garden and a reconfiguration of the building design to sense a historical feel through modern interpretation. DRB 1/27/10 Page 7 of 13 Jim Treadwell of 36 Felt Street references the draft master plan document from June of 2003 and the final document from October of 2003; Treadwell states on page 54 there is a list of features that they felt were necessary at the Sylvania site and many of them have been accepted by this developer and many have not. Treadwell also references the center fold which recommends a landmark building at the corner of Bridge Street and Boston Street that is three to four stories tall and has a gateway feature that celebrates entry into downtown. Treadwell adds that the plan suggests placing the new building closest to the street with a small pedestrian plaza and locating parking at the rear of the building. Treadwell notes there is a considerable street frontage of parking on both Boston Street and Bridge Street – in reference to zoning there are requirements in place for screening vehicles from the street view and adjacent properties. Treadwell adds that he does not see this acknowledged in the design. Treadwell adds that he sorely objects to the decrease from a 50’-0” when a business zone has a requirement of 75’-0” which is a reasonable number considering the adjacent residential properties. Treadwell states the Saint James property should also have a buffer between their property and this as it is zoned R2. Treadwell adds the ground floor uses are supposed to be oriented to the neighborhood. Treadwell questions why the building is not split into two separate buildings especially if we are concerned about large distances from the parking lot. Treadwell adds the possibility of cutting down on the mass of the building and references page 54 of the June 2003 document for more traffic information. In regards to details, Treadwell discusses the zoning law and describes how the project should be designed to complement and harmonize with adjacent land uses with respect to architecture, materials and details consistent with the adjacent buildings. Treadwell comments there is a lack of a pedestrian circulation system from the parking area to the structure. Treadwell further comments that there is anecdotal evidence that there may have been vats from the whaling industry on site which could provide archeological value to the site. Treadwell suggests that the atrium is being compromised with the use of a bridge on the second level as well as the mechanics on the roof. Councilor at Large Joan Lovely states she was on the Senior Center Committee whom met over a year and half and this site was chosen in the end. Lovely adds they spoke extensively about the green space for seniors to get outside. Lovely states though the Willow’s site was desired as it afforded the outdoor opportunity, it was more expensive. DRB 1/27/10 Page 8 of 13 Lovely states during the deliberations with the Mayor they extensively talked about a roof garden or green space not only for sitting but to allow activity. Lovely would like to thank the neighborhood association for adding this concern to their letter. Lovely further states that there is an extensive evening plan for events at the Senior Center. Lovely concludes that this presentation is a good start and that she agrees that the architecture of the building needs to incorporate more of what Salem has. Alexa Ogno of 182 Federal Street (an abutting property) states that she moved into the neighborhood during the summer of 2004. Ogno adds their realtor told them how there would be a 50’-0” buffer zone and not to worry as there were provisions for retail use by the neighborhood and it all sounded great. Ogno states the closest eatery is Honga and that the idea of bringing in a ‘real’ mixed use development appealed to her. Ogno further adds she would like to see the required buffer zone preserved with pedestrian access through the parking lot. At this point the Design Review Board add their comments to Gunderson’s presentation. Jaquith states that he has to leave and will be brief. Jaquith agrees with the local group as far as the corner of Boston Street needing architectural work to make that corner more of a turning point. Jaquith adds that he has no problem with the style of the building dependent on the brick pattern and materials used. Jaquith adds to Treadwell’s previous comments; the atrium is compromised by other elements and Jaquith would not mind having three distinct elements. Jaquith further states that the Flint Street end remains unresolved with a loading zone and service entry; it is either too busy or does not have an element that bookends the building properly. Jaquith adds that he thinks the tree line should not break at the atrium but would rather like to see it go repeatedly down Bridge Street adding that the atrium will be well lit and will break through the trees on its own. Jaquith agrees that there needs to be a clearly defined path for pedestrians to way find how to get to the various entries vs. cutting through cars and islands. Jaquith states he thinks more attention should have been paid to getting out of the car and where you go. Jaquith adds that having a hard rule for a buffer does not make total sense but ensuring that it works for the adjacent neighborhood does. Jaquith states that does not agree with a Norway spruce and some of the other trees suggested as these sound like middle of the forest trees of which Salem is not. Jaquith also comments to consider trees with a root system that will clean up the site a bit. Jaquith exits the meeting at 7:25pm. DRB 1/27/10 Page 9 of 13 Sides comments that she is very excited about the project and thinks that it is great to see something happen at this corner. Sides states that adding the entrance to the new facility will complicate the traffic flowing down Pope Street into the already backed up traffic as well as make it difficult for users to enter and exit. Sides states that she thinks the Senior Center belongs on the corner and the health club on the opposite end allowing for more development of the site. Sides adds the vehicular entrance to the site is way down at the end of the site making it a long way to travel when it should be more of a primary entrance that should signify the building. Sides comments that the health club and offices will consist of people coming and going and would rather the seniors have a safer place/location on site where not all the traffic is passing through their area. Blier states that he agrees that the massing seems almost backwards and feels a lot of pressure on Bridge Street would be alleviated if the program were mirrored; Senior Center at the corner making up the heart of the building. Blier further adds that he totally agrees with having green space on the roof but would probably be more useful on the ground where stuff can grow. Blier comments roof gardens tend to get pretty hot and people would probably rather be on the ground in a garden. Blier suggests revisiting the outdoor relationship with the Senior Center as well as the public. Blier questions the extent in which storm water management has been incorporated into the parking lot and roof. Blier also notes that though the site was said to be flat in the presentation, it actually experiences 2’ of grade change which is a lot when talking about water runoff. Blier also asks if the curbs are lifted or low. Blier adds he is curious about the nighttime lighting in the parking lot in regards to the effects it may have on the adjacent neighborhood. Blier states as the idea progresses, planting of trees should increase as all of the trees referenced actually belong to the residents and not the site; this project needs to rely on its own screening and not the trees from the neighbors. Blier further states the letter from the neighborhood association was great. Blier adds researching what the fence really is will be important and adds that there is an extensive amount of parking exposed to the sidewalk along Bridge Street that will need to be addressed as well. Blier asks Gunderson what the parking space count is driven by. DRB 1/27/10 Page 10 of 13 Gunderson replies it is driven by a calculation by the Salem zoning ordinance mixed with what they anticipate the use of the Senior Center, office space and health club as well as overall square footages. Blier replies that he is more concerned about protecting the 50’-0” buffer. Daniel confirms with Gunderson that the parking number being proposed is actually below the zoning requirement. Gunderson confirms that yes the number is below the requirement. Daniel clarifies that the project is requesting a variance to provide less parking spaces than required by the zoning ordinance. Kennedy responds he thinks it would be a huge challenge to open up usable green space anywhere on the property on the ground level given the parking requirements. Durand replies this is not too hard of an issue; the building is too big, 90,000 square feet was never a given requirement. Durand adds that he is troubled by the buffer minimization. Durand suggests the project consist of a smaller building to ensure the correct amount of parking, green space, etc. which will actually be a cheaper and easier option. Durand adds that the design should respond to the site and adjacent neighborhood better knowing that the program is flexible. Kennedy agrees with a lot of good points made in the letter from the neighborhood association. Kennedy adds the corner view of the building is not what it needs to be, knowing that it is to be considered a gateway into Salem. Kennedy states with the materials and glass further in to the building, the project has a little more feel. Kennedy adds the design at the end of the building looks better than what was proposed for the corner of Bridge Street and Boston Street. Kennedy adds as far as the atrium, mechanical equipment location and bridge between the two spaces, he does not necessarily agree with some of the comments but adds that two separate buildings would only double both the mechanical equipment in quantity and in noise levels directly affecting the neighbors. Kennedy states he definitely agrees with the removal of the seven spaces interfering with the traffic entering the site, but there will need to be a bigger discussion about that. Kennedy further states that he agrees with Jaquith’s concerns about the types of trees chosen not fitting into the site but thinks it is right to have a lot of greenery in that area. Kennedy states that he certainly agrees with several of the comments in the letter, especially the request to stake out the boundary for the public to be able to walk it and visualize how it will affect flow and views. DRB 1/27/10 Page 11 of 13 Kennedy adds contamination is going to be an issue no matter what and that the proper steps do need to be taken. Kennedy agrees with a fence and a retaining wall but the heights will vary based on further conversation about the building itself. Kennedy adds that as the site inclines, the neighbors will have to work with the developer to define the height of the fence based on what they would prefer to see and what they would like to hide. DeMaio thanks Gunderson for the thoughtful presentation and thanks the neighborhood association for their letter of concern. DeMaio states it would have been good to review the letter prior to the meeting to be able to give more response to it. DeMaio provides overall general comments: he is concerned about the number of cars on the site, how access to the building is planned and the proximity of parking to residences in regards to the minimized buffer zone. DeMaio states he is big on precedents and how these things affect future projects, therefore disregarding a buffer zone requirement will require a lot of convincing. DeMaio adds with the new courthouse and this project, the site is not just a gateway but a bookend of the North River corridor and thinks this relationship needs to be considered over time. DeMaio states that he is of the belief that encouraging designers to make reference to history but move us forward in terms of design is a good thing; this is seen with both the design of PEM and the courthouse. Both of these projects serve as important design precedents in town. DeMaio comments that there are additional vantage points from above and along side the site that are not considered in the current design. DeMaio agrees that the presented design does not feel like a gateway project. DeMaio adds that the corner is of most concern but the design left him with no sense of arrival. DeMaio further states there is something about the massing that is counterintuitive to where it might be. Again DeMaio states the corner is lacking. DeMaio suggests the footprint of the building shrinking in size so that the site can gain some area back without sacrificing is one options. DeMaio adds that he appreciates that the building has four faces because of all the various vantage points. DRB 1/27/10 Page 12 of 13 DeMaio notes the budget of the building is has not been identified at this point. Once the budget is identified, DeMaio hopes that the quality of materials will not be sacrificed. He states that all sides of the building need to be considered important. DeMaio discusses the corner of the building with a long term perspective and encourages thought about how it would respond to potential uses that may occupy the health club space in the future. DeMaio adds that he appreciates the building is more set back from the sidewalks, but it needs to be looked at in the context of a future restaurant that may need outdoor seating; are those sidewalks conducive to outdoor seating? DeMaio additionally states that the health club may also not be there in ten to thirty years from now and asks if the space be conducive for another use. DeMaio states the low roof will be visible from a higher vantage point on Boston Street and is concerned with the mechanical equipment penthouse being visible. DeMaio comments that the atrium makes sense when viewed from the parking lot and it is centrally located. However, it doesn’t make sense from Bridge Street. DeMaio adds that the atrium design along Bridge Street is not going to be viewed in quite the same way but it has other functions such as breaking the mass of the building down and introducing new materials, but he still feels the corner is a non-event and only incidentally turns. DeMaio states this corner needs to be an event. Durand states that he does not disagree with anything that has been said or written. Durand reinforces a few previous statements; Durand senses the building design is overreaching at every point–asking for a height, parking and buffer variance. Durand states that he does not see any reason why this is necessary. Durand admits he does not know the programs of the uses. Durand states the atrium is understandable and is typically done in Metro West design and is more of a reaction of bringing the architectural masses together. Durand agrees that there is no sign of an architectural gateway and that he would not approve the site plan as designed today. Durand adds it is important to provide a buffer from one use to another and to maintain the required distance if possible. Durand further states the site should be landscaped densely and that he would defer to the neighbors on a lot of these issues. Durand thinks the fence can be granted any variance to be higher if needed to serve as a screen to the neighbors. DRB 1/27/10 Page 13 of 13 Durand adds the Senior Center switching with the health club location makes sense as there will be more traffic generating a lot of people to the health club from early morning to late at night. Durand suggests angling the parking spaces may help with the site layout. Durand adds the seniors may not want to be on the roof for safety and comfort reasons; the outdoor area for seniors should be contiguous to their space. Durand adds the importance of the corner and how that steps up may make everything else drop off. Durand states the form, scale and material need to connect to Salem. The red brick fits but he states not to hide behind that as the only architectural connection. Durand uses the courthouse and Peabody Essex Museums as examples of this connection without imitation. Durand concludes he would like to see a thoughtful and intelligent solution to the design. He adds craft and details can be discussed in the development stages. Sides: Motions to continue, seconded by Kennedy. Passes 5-0. Minutes Postpone minutes review for next meeting. Adjournment Sides: Motions to adjourns, seconded by DeMaio. Passes 5-0. Meeting is adjourned at 7:56 pm.