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70-92.5 Boston Street schematic design recommendation 1 Memorandum To: Members of the Planning Board From: Paul Durand, Chairman, Design Review Board (DRB) Subject: DRB Board Recommendation: 70-90 ½ Boston Street (Pediatric Associates of Greater Boston, Inc. / DHM Realty Trust – Medical Office Building) Date: April 8, 2014 Cc: Lynn Goonin Duncan, AICP Director, Department of Planning and Community Development All projects proposed in the North River Canal Corridor (NRCC) Neighborhood Mixed Use District that require Site Plan Review are required to receive a recommendation by the Design Review Board (DRB). The DRB’s role is to review proposals to ensure that they are designed to complement and harmonize with adjacent land uses with respect to architecture, scale, landscaping and screening. At the Design Review Board meeting held on March 26, 2014, the DRB voted unanimously to recommend approval of the proposed project at 70-90 ½ Boston Street as modified by the applicant in revised plans dated March 25, 2014. As part of its recommendation, the DRB requested future review of details on exterior building and site lighting, screening of mechanical elements and dumpsters, and signage. The DRB also requests a review of the final construction plans prior to the issuance of a building permit. Landscaping and material treatments should be in accordance to what was recommended for approval by the DRB on March 25, 2014. Proposal The Applicant appeared before the DRB for the first time on March 5, 2014, to present plans for the construction of a proposed medical office building with a total of 40,000 square feet of office and a 17,806 sf parking garage. The building has two stories fronting Boston Street and four stories fronting Goodhue Street as the grade drops significantly from Boston to Goodhue Streets. Exterior finishes primarily include corrugated metal siding, perforated metal screening for the parking lot on the Goodhue Street side, wood at the soffit of the roof overhang on the Boston Street side, and aluminum for door and window frames. The original submittal is on file in the Department of Planning and Community Development dated February 24, 2014. The DRB subsequently discussed this project on March 26, 2014. Revised drawings for 2 elevations and landscaping were dated March 25, 2014, and a presentation was shown, dated March 26, 2014. At the March 5, 2014 DRB meeting, among the comments the Board expressed were concerns with the pedestrian access to the building and site from Goodhue Street, the screening of dumpsters at Goodhue Street, the treatment of a retaining wall at Goodhue Street, the concentration and color of the metal siding (especially on the Goodhue Street side), reinforcement of the site’s edge along Boston Street (especially in regards to street trees), and site lighting. The Applicant next appeared before the DRB on March 25, 2014, to discuss the DRB’s comments from the previous meeting. Although the February 24, 2014 plans (presented on March 5, 2014) were not presented again to the DRB; the only revised plans presented were the landscape plan and elevations (dated March 25, 2014). Modifications to the proposal included: • The addition of low shrubbery and additional street trees along Goodhue Street to improve screening and the pedestrian experience • Air condenser unit location is on Goodhue Street o Specific details were not provided • An entrance was added on the Goodhue Street side for pedestrian/public/patient access o This was shown in the presentation as an update to plans that were submitted • The applicant presented a live-sample “champagne” color option for the corrugated metal siding, as well as a metal screen with smaller perforations for the screening for the staff parking garage The DRB indicated the revised plans addressed their concerns with massing, placement of the ground floor uses, landscaping, the buffer, the atrium, and the transition between the two and four story sections of the building. The Board indicated concerns remained with the treatment of the corner at Boston and Bridge streets and requested more information on the lobby and the central pass-through. Revised drawings dated April 8, 2010, were submitted for review at the DRB special meeting on April 13, 2010. The modifications to the proposal were as follows: - The design of the corner at Boston and Bridge streets was revised. - The Boston Street entrance was modified. - The central pass-through lobby was modified. The Board did not express further concerns about the materials or pedestrian access on Goodhue Street. Board Member David Jaquith noted that he did not feel a previous 3 suggestion to have a planting cover the retaining wall on Goodhue Street was addressed. Additionally, the Board would still like to see final outcomes for the screening of mechanical elements, screening of dumpsters, and a lighting plan. These and other conditions were mandated conditions for recommended approval by the Planning Board. Recommendation At their meeting on March 25, 2014, the Design Review Board voted unanimously to recommend approval of the plans submitted March 5, 2014 and amended in plans dated March 26, 2014, as well as presented in slides shown on and dated March 26, 2014, for the project at 70-92 ½ Boston Street with the following conditions: 1. The applicant will submit final construction plans for review and approval by the DRB prior to obtaining a building permit. 2. The landscape plan is in accordance with the landscaping plan dated March 25, 2014. 3. The materials and color samples are in accordance with samples submitted and approved by the DRB – the “champagne” color that was presented to the DRB on March 26, 2014 should be used for the corrugated metal siding and the metal screening with the larger perforations of the two samples shown should be used. 4. The applicant will submit plans for the screening of dumpsters and mechanical elements to the DRB for final approval prior to obtaining a building permit. 5. The applicant will submit a plan for lighting the site and the building to the DRB for review prior to obtaining a building permit. 6. The signage for the building and the site must be reviewed and approved prior to obtaining a sign permit The Applicant is strictly required to construct the project in accordance with all details of the approved drawings. Permission to make changes from such approved drawings must be requested by the Applicant in writing to the Director of Planning and Community Development who, in turn, will reply in writing giving her approval or disapproval of the changes. No changes in the work are to be undertaken until such approval has been obtained. Please contact Andrew Shapiro, Economic Development Planner, at 978-619-5685 or ashapiro@salem.com if you have any questions regarding this recommendation.