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NOTICE OF DECISION
Site Plan Review in Association with a Building Permit
for a Minor Modification to Allow Drainage Improvements for the
Hingham Municipal Light Plant Operations Center
IN THE MATTER OF:
Petitioners: Hingham Municipal Lighting Plant
Premises: 25 Bare Cove Park Drive
Hingham, MA 02043
Deed Reference: Plymouth County Registry of Deeds, Book 3961, Page 701
Date: June 14, 2017
SITE PLAN REFERENCE “Partial Site Plan - Grading and Drainage Plan”, prepared for Hingham Municipal Lighting Plant, prepared by Symmes Maini & McKee Associates, dated 5/5/17, revised to 6/7/17, one sheet #C-142.
SUMMARY OF PROCEEDINGS
In accordance with Section I-H of the Zoning By-Law, the Hingham Planning Board conducted Site Plan Review in Association with a Building Permit. This matter came before the Planning Board at a regularly scheduled meeting of the Hingham Planning Board on June 12, 2017 in the Hingham Town Hall at 210 Central Street. Members of the Planning Board present were: Jennifer Gay Smith, Chair, Gary Tondorf-Dick, Clerk, William Ramsey and Gordon Carr. The Applicant Team included Paul Heanue, HMLP Director, Attorney Jeffrey Tocchio, Drohan Tocchio & Morgan, and Peter Glick, P.E. Symmes, Maini & Mckee Associates. Also in attendance was Paul Brogna, P.E., Seacoast Engineering, consulting review engineer for the Planning Board.
This application is for a minor modification to the existing Site Plan with waivers for the purpose of authorizing minor drainage improvements. The Applicant explained that earlier this spring there was a period of time when the water table was very high, and we received an extraordinary amount of precipitation over a two week window. As a result, the water level in the basins on either side of the access drive from the Adams Court development was so high that it overtopped part of the access drive from Adams Court, and completely flooded the driveway to the HMLP facility. In an effort to provide a relief mechanism for drainage in the event of other exceptionally wet timeframes or periods, the Applicant team has designed and proposed an overflow pipe that will take the overflow during peak flow periods and drain it by gravity along the east side of the access drive up to the basin, crossing the access road at about 2' in depth. It will not likely flow frequently. There will be a deep sump basin added before the basin to contain sediments. The basin system will work as designed, with water ultimately flowing to the swamp before reaching the river and ocean. A few small to mid-size trees will come out, but none of the large ones. Vegetation in the basins will not be impacted. There is sufficient capacity for the flow. The purpose is to ensure that water is diverted before overtopping the access roads.
Because this land is under the care and control of the Selectmen, the Applicant will need to seek authorization from them before proceeding. The Town Engineer and DPW have been involved in the design process and are up to speed on the proposal as well.
FINDINGS
The Board considered the Applicant’s request for a waiver from the requirement for submittal of additional site plans and submittals beyond what has been provided, given the narrow focus of the proposed modification. The Board found that the materials provided are sufficient to review for the modification as proposed and that the scope of the modification is narrow. The Board then Moved, Seconded and So Voted to grant a partial waiver of Site Plan Review to accept the materials as submitted as sufficient and thus waive the requirement for submittal of additional site plans and submittals beyond what has been provided.
The Planning Board then made the following findings under the Site Plan Review criteria:
a. protection of abutting properties against detrimental uses by provision for surface water drainage, fire hydrant locations, sound and site buffers, and preservation of views, light and air, and protection of abutting properties from negative impacts from artificial outdoor site lighting.
The Board found that this proposal provides supplemental pipes to support peak surface water flows and eliminate any incidences of water over the Adams Court access and the HMLP access roads. The Board also found that no changes to the project beyond the pipe installation and associated trench installation are proposed.
b. convenience and safety of vehicular and pedestrian movement within the site and on adjacent streets; the location of driveway openings in relation to traffic or to adjacent streets, taking account of grades, sight distances and distances between such driveway entrances, exits and the nearest existing street or highway intersections; sufficiency of access for service, utility and emergency vehicles;
The Board found that this was Not Applicable.
c. adequacy of the arrangement of parking, loading spaces and traffic patterns in relation to the proposed uses of the premises; compliance with the off-street parking requirements of this By-Law;
The Board found that this was Not Applicable.
d. adequacy of open space and setbacks, including adequacy of landscaping of such areas;
The Board found that this was Not Applicable.
e. adequacy of the methods of disposal of refuse and other wastes resulting from the uses permitted on the site;
The Board found that this was Not Applicable.
f. prevention or mitigation of adverse impacts on the Town’s resources, including, without limitation, water supply, wastewater facilities, energy and public works and public safety resources;
The Board found that this project is supported by the Chief of Police in his memo of June 12, 2017 because it mitigates a safety concern at the access road intersections. They also found that there are no impacts on town resources otherwise.
g. assurance of positive stormwater drainage and snow-melt run-off from buildings, driveways and from all parking and loading areas on the site, and prevention of erosion, sedimentation and stormwater pollution and management problems through site design and erosion controls in accordance with the most current versions of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection’s Stormwater Management Policy and Standards, and Massachusetts Erosion and Sediment Control Guidelines.
The Board found that the project has been designed to provide an overflow to loop the drainage discharge back to the detention basins behind the HMLP building during times of peak flow. They also found that a preconstruction meeting is advisable before the start of work to include the Town Planner, DPW, construction team, and Peer Review Engineer to review the project.
h. protection of natural and historic features including minimizing: the volume of cut and fill, the number of removed trees of 6 inches caliper or larger, the removal of stone walls, and the obstruction of scenic views from publicly accessible locations: and
The Board found that this was Not Applicable.
i. minimizing unreasonable departure from the character and scale of buildings in the vicinity or as previously existing on or approved for the site.
The Board found that this was Not Applicable.
VOTE AND CONDITIONS
It was Moved, Seconded, and SO VOTED To APPROVE Site Plan Review for the Hingham Municipal Light Plant, 25 Bare Cove Park Drive, as shown on the Plan titled “Partial Site Plan - Grading and Drainage Plan”, prepared for Hingham Municipal Lighting Plant, prepared by Symmes Maini & McKee Associates, dated 5/5/17, revised to 6/7/17, one sheet #C-142, as presented at the hearing and within the application materials, with the partial waiver of site plan review, and subject to the findings discussed during the hearing, with the following conditions:
1. Applicant must secure all other local permits prior to the start of work.
2. A preconstruction meeting is required prior to the start of work to include the Peer Review engineer, Town Planner and DPW representative at a minimum.
3. An “As-Built” plan must be prepared and filed with the HMLP and the Town Planning Department upon completion of work.
4. Applicant shall seed or otherwise stabilize all disturbed soils upon completion of the drainage pipe installation.
Jennifer M. Gay Smith, Chairman
Hingham Planning Board
cc: Town Clerk, Selectmen, Building, Conservation, Assessor, DPW, Sewer, J. Tocchio DTM, P. Brogna/Seacoast
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