W-2992

Planning Board

Town of Douglas

April 4, 2017

RE:Definitive Subdivision Plan – Sleepy Hollow (Appl. # DEF-160316)

439 Northeast Main Street (Assessors Map 141, Parcel 71)

34 Davis Street (Assessors Map 164, Parcel 8)

36 Davis Street (Assessors Map 164, Parcel 9)

Dear Board Members:

The following responses refer to the Definitive Comments review letter dated April 12, 2016 prepared by William J. Cundiff, P.E. of the Community Development Department. Responses by Guerriere & Halnon, Inc. follow each comment.

General Comments:

1)The existing lot lines for Assessors Map 164 Lots 8 and 9 as well as Assessors Map 141 Lot 71 need to be shown on this plan so that it is clear what land is being transferred to and from whom. The submitted drawing fails to show the existing lines of ownership. Please revise the drawings to clearly show the existing lines and how the various parcels are to be transferred.

  • Existing property lines are shown on the existing conditions sheets 4 & 5 of the plan set. The method of ownership transfer has not yet been determined.It may involve a conveyance of all existing subject parcels to a single ownership entity with an immediately subsequent conveyance out of the new lots, thereby avoiding the confusion of transfer of numerous unbuildable “parcels”.

2)Please show the centerline roadway layout, with stationing, on the recordable plans.

  • Has been added.

3)Please show limits of work in the public way and associated repair details.

  • Detail L added, sheet 11.

4)Provide a detail showing the sidewalk/driveway crossings. Also, detail how drainage will be accommodated at the driveway/road edge to ensure no ponding or improper drainage flow occurs. Refer also to Section 6.1 #8

  • Detail E, sheet 10 revised.

5)Is a Drainage easement required across Assessors Parcel 164-1 from the overflow spillway from the pond.

  • The outlet is approximately 60 feet from the lot line and has been placed at the same location as an existing naturally occurring low swale area which currently carries most of any existing overland flow from the site. The stormwater system has been designed in compliance with the Massachusetts Stormwater Management Standard 1 which requires that post-development peak rates of flow do not exceed pre-development peak rates of flow.

6)Enclosed please find comments from various boards and departments that have been received to date.

  • Acknowledged.

7)Plans need to indicate that the stormwater structures are constructed fully prior to other areas of construction.

  • Drainage Note 1 added to sheets 6 & 7.

8)Indicate date of survey on the plans.

  • Note added sheets 4 and 5.

9)An Earth Removal special permit is required for the proposed volume of excavation associated with this project. Specific reference is made to Section 6.1.6 #3 which states: “Excavation not intended for approved building purposes or any other activity or building shall not be within one hundred (100) feet of an existing public way or an adjacent property line.” Please indicate how the enclosed plan would comply with this bylaw requirement.

  • An Earth Removal Special Permit application is being updated and will be submitted shortly.

Regulatory Comments:

10)Section 4.2.2 #1.d states: “Any person who submits a Definitive Plan of a subdivision to the Planning Board for approval shall file with the Board …Written Narrative description of the existing conditions of the project and the proposed improvements to the project site. The description shall include sections on Environmental Impacts, Water Supply Impacts, Drainage Impacts, Sewage Disposal Impacts, Soils/Topographic Impacts, Traffic Impacts, and School Impacts, Natural and Cultural Resource Impacts;”

Staff Comments: The narrative provided does not address each of the topics required in this section. I recommend providing a section for each topic to discuss.

  • A waiver has been requested for this requirement.

11)Section 4.2.2 #1.j states: “Any person who submits a Definitive Plan of a subdivision to the Planning Board for approval shall file with the Board … Waiver list from Definitive Plan Requirements and explanation of how the granting of the waiver would be in the public interest. Demonstrate how the subdivision could be built without any waivers from the definitive plan (MGL Ch41 §81R)”

Staff Comments: The Application is accompanied by a list of waiver requests from the regulations, however fails to explain how the granting of the waivers would be in the public interest and further does not demonstrate how the subdivision could be built without the granting of any waivers from the definitive plan requirements.

  • Revised list of Waiver Requests enclosed herewith.

12)Section 4.2.2 #2 states: “Any person who submits a Definitive Plan of a subdivision to the Planning Board for approval shall file with the Board … Application Fee(s) as detailed in the Douglas Planning Board Regulations Governing Fees and Fee Schedules”

Staff Comments: The Calculations provided were based upon 26 lots as opposed to 28 new lots. Accordingly, the Fee Calculations should be properly updated and the difference submitted.

Thus far, a Project Review and Inspection fee was submitted in the amount of $7,753.33 of which $4,651.99 was deposited into an Outside Consultant Review & Inspection Account (MGL Ch 44 Sec. 53G) and $3,101.34 was deposited into a Staff Review & Inspection Account (MGL Ch 44 Sec. 53 E½). The Balance of the funds from the Preliminary Plan Outside Consultant Review will be transferred into the Definitive Plan Outside Consultant Review Account.

  • The Fee Calculation Sheet has been revised(based upon 24 lots) and enclosed herewith.

13)Section 4.2.3c. states: “…The Definitive Plan Drawings shall consist of the following plan sheets … Overall Site Plan –This sheet will show the entire site on one sheet with both existing and proposed conditions shown. The Key Plan and Overall Site Plan may be combined if they can be presented in a clear and legible manner”

Staff Comments: Please prepare and submit an overall site plan which shows the entire project, existing and proposed conditions, on a single sheet.

  • Additional sheet added – sheet 12.

14)Section 4.2.3f. states: “The Definitive Plan Drawings shall consist of the following … Proposed Conditions Sheet(s) – This sheet will reflect the proposed site improvements and shall be presented in a clear and logical manner so it is easily legible for the scale that it is drawn and so it is easily distinguishable from the existing conditions that are shown on the drawing. Furthermore, the proposed conditions sheets shall use leaders and labels referencing specific details by detail letter and detail sheet number (see figure below for example).”

Staff Comments: Please reference the detail sheet and detail for all corresponding leader call outs.

  • Added – sheet 6.

15)Section 4.2.3 g.states:“The Definitive Plan Drawings shall consist of the following … Plan & Profile Sheet(s) – This sheet will present the road and utility profiles. It will also show any centerline soil testing performed and show the approximate elevation for high groundwater and refusal at each hole. Compliance with the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Horizontal and Vertical Curve design requirements and sight distance requirements shall be included on these sheets. This set of sheets shall also include a corner sight distance profile demonstrating compliance with the AASHTO.”

Staff Comments: Please show centerline soil testing, if available. Otherwise, please provide appropriate notes regarding soil testing, or lack thereof. Additionally, please provide relevant information pertaining to corner sight distance at Northeast Main Street.

  • Soil testing waiver has been requested.
  • Corner sight distance plan/profile has been added as sheet 13.

16)Section 4.2.3 i.1.states: “the Drawings shall contain … Subdivision name including the way or ways on which it is situated, boundaries, north point, scale, benchmark and datum. All elevations to refer to North American Datum 1983 (NAD83) datum and horizontal control shall be tied to the Massachusetts State Plane coordinate system.”

Staff Comments: Please provide reference to the horizontal and vertical datum on the drawings.

  • Horizontal datum reference is included on all north arrows – NAD83.
  • Vertical datum reference is shown within the title block notes – NAVD88.

17)Section 4.2.3 i. 13.states: “the Drawings shall contain the following information … A storm drainage system will be shown on a separate sheet. The Plan shall include invert and rim elevations of all catch basins and manholes together with surface elevations of all waterways within the subdivision at 100-foot intervals. Test pits or borings shall be performed at the expense of the applicant at 100-foot intervals along the centerline of the proposed roadways to determine the foundation material for road construction and to determine the seasonal high ground water elevation. Surface elevation and approximate depth of water shall be shown at each point where the drainage pipe ends at a waterway.”

Staff Comments: This information has not been provided. Either provide this information, or request a waiver.

  • Soil testing waiver has been requested.

18)Section 4.2.4k. states:“Profiles shall be drawn with: All center lines, street lines and curb lines (with elevations every 25 feet) of streets for a distance sufficient to meet AASHTO regulation either side of each intersection on a connecting street.”

Staff Comments: Please provide spot grades on the plan as indicated above.

  • Corner sight distance plan/profile has been added as sheet 13.

19)Section 5.0.states: “Unless specified otherwise, definitions, terms and standards referenced in the current version of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Highway Department Standard Specifications for Highways and Bridges shall apply herein.”

Staff Comments: Please add the above note to each page of the Civil Design Sheets and the Detail Sheets.

  • Note added.

20)Section 5.1.1. b. states:“Provision satisfactory to the Board shall be made for the proper projection of streets, or for access to adjoining property which is not yet subdivided. These access ways are to be deeded either in fee or byeasement to the town prior to release of any bond.”

Staff Comments: Please provide a copy of proposed easement language for the roadway projection, for Town Counsel review.

  • A waiver has been requested for this requirement.

21)Section 5.2 #5. states:“Gravel drives providing access to public improvements shall be a minimum of 12' wide with an 8" layer of gravel meeting the Mass Highway specifications for gravel borrow.”

Staff Comments: Please extend the gravel access road around the full perimeter of the drainage structures. Also, provide a detail for the gravel access road construction.

  • Gravel access road has been extended
  • Detail “K” added – sheet 11

22)Section 6.1 #3.states: “All roadways shall be brought to a finished grade as shown on the profiles of the Definitive Plan with at least the top twelve (12) inches of gravel borrow conforming to MassHighway M 1.03.0 type b compacted to 95% dry density to a width of the roadway base course plus two (2) feet on both shoulders.”

Staff Comments: Detail A on Plan sheet 10 needs to be improved to show all aspects of the above regulation.

  • Additional specification added to Detail A, sheet 10, note 5.

23)Section 6.1 #4.states: “Adequate disposal of surface water shall be provided and shall meet the standards of treatment outlined in the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Stormwater Policy Manual. Catch basins shall be pre-cast concrete structures with extended base sections that are located at low points and sags in the roadway, near the corners of the roadway at intersecting streets, and at intervals along the roadway that are determined by the contributing flowrate and the inlet grate capacities but in no instance shall they be located more than 300-feet apart from each other.”

Staff Comments: Catch Basins shall have extended base sections and shall be located at low points or sags in the road. Spot grades and rim elevations at the proposed roadway intersection are confusing. The profile view shows a uniform grade not consistent with the plan view spot elevations.

  • The proposed roadway maintains a uniform grade beginning at the first drainage structures, however, the short distance between the existing roadway and these structures must vary to provide a smooth transition to the existing sloped roadway.
  • Left/right gutter line transitions have been added to the profile for clarification.
  • Extended base section has been added to catch basin detail.

24)Section 6.1 #5.states: “A four (4) inch compacted thickness of Class I bituminous concrete pavement, Type I-1, shall be placed on all roadways in conformance with the Massachusetts Highway Department Standard Specifications for Highways and Bridges. Two and one half (2 ½) inches of coarse mix (binder) bituminous concrete shall be laid, then upon which shall be laid a one and one half (1 ½) inch course of fine mix (finish) bituminous concrete.”

Staff Comments: Please revise Detail A, Plan Sheet 10 to be consistent with the above regulation.

  • Detail has been revised.

25)Section 6.1 #9.states: “Underdrains shall be provided along the roadway in all areas where groundwater is indicated by mottles within 36" of the finished grade and where required in cuts along the right of way to ensure no ground water seeps onto the roadway or driveways.”

Staff Comments: Underdrains are not shown on the plans.

  • Ground water monitor wells and additional site testing performed in compliance with the current Earth Removal Special Permit do not indicate any areas of the roadway which would be within 36” of groundwater.

26)Section 6.3 #4.states: “Hydrants shall be installed by the developer so that all dwellings in the development are within 300 feet of a hydrant when public water is available.”

Staff Comments: Hydrants are proposed at Stations 3+05, 8+75 and 14+01which are 570 feet and 526 feet apart from one another. This does not meet the regulatory requirement of hydrants at 300-feet spacing. For a 1,400 foot long road, approximately 4 to 5 hydrants would be expected.

  • The requirement that all dwellingsin the development are within 300’ of a hydrant would yield a hydrant spacing of roughly 600’ (a little less considering the house setback distance from the street).

27)Section 6.3 #5.states: “Underground distribution systems shall be provided for any and all utility services, including electrical and telephone services. Adequate street lighting shall be provided of a design subject to approval by the Planning Board when required.”

Staff Comments: Currently, no street lights are proposed. The Board should indicate if any are desired.

  • No response required.

28)Section 6.7 #3.states: “The Applicant shall provide permanent central mailbox units (CMU) as part of the project. These CMU’s shall be approved as to style and location by the local Postmaster General of the United States Post Office. Post Office authorization shall be forwarded to the Planning Board for their record.”

Staff Comments: Do you have any documentation regarding the local Postmaster Approval? Also, provide a detail and or specification for the specific mailbox unit.

  • The following email response was received by G&H on March 14, 2016.

“Good Morning, Just a note to acknowledge that I have received the plans for the development off NE Main Street and I approve the proposed site of the centralized mail boxes. Carol Bloniasz, Postmaster, Douglas”

  • Mailbox detail “G2” , sheet 10 added

Sincerely,

Bruce Williams

Guerriere & Halnon, Inc.

cc:Jim Pyne

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