Selectman question Redstone traffic light plans
Published on March 31st, 1999
STONEHAM, MA - Following the objections of residents and a member of the Zoning Board of Appeals, the Board of Selectmen voted to continue the site plan hearing for the property at 104 Main Street until May on Tuesday night.
According to Charles Houghton, attorney for the petitioner, designs have been undertaken to tear down the existing structure on the property and replace it with a two-story, 2,176 square foot building with a mixed retail and office space use.
As was the case in the owner's two previous and unsuccessful attempts to gain a variance with the Board of Appeals, however, the logistics of rerouting traffic directly across from the main entrance to Redstone Shopping Plaza were questioned.
Bill Lyons, a traffic engineer hired by Dale Halchak, owner of the property, said that, based on a 1996 traffic study, plans now incorporated a set of lights which would be used to exit the 104 Main Street premises. Lyons said that a microwave detector located at the foot of the Main Street entrance/exit would alert the four-way traffic signal of cars in need of exiting and, on its next rotation, would allow those vehicles to leave with right turn and left turn green arrows.
Houghton explained that the originally proposed vehicular access to the site was on Nixon Lane. It was relocated due to the protests of Nixon Lane residents who claimed that the existing traffic jam on their street would be exacerbated if such a move were made.
"We've been working on this project a long time," Houghton said, referring to the two year application process which has yet to result in the necessary town approval.
In relation to the traffic signal, Lyons said that the signal would allow traffic to exit 104 Main Street at the same time vehicles were allowed to leave Redstone Shopping Plaza. Mass Highway had already approved the proposal, he explained, adding that the extra signals should not cause added traffic in the area.
The selectmen did not buy into this theory, however.
"I think this is an extremely busy intersection and I think it deserves a current study. I just can't fathom that anyone would say a left turn there (exiting 104 Main Street into the southbound lane) is the right thing to do," said Selectman Anthony Kennedy.
Patrick Jordan showed similar skepticism, saying, "It's probably the most dangerous section in town. I'm going to have a hard time voting for any of this. I have a hard time saying it's o.k. to increase traffic at that location."
Mark Shamon, a member of the Zoning Board of Appeals but speaking as an individual, questioned whether the proposal would be allowable under the zoning bylaws. He claimed that, since parking was proposed to the front of the building, the project didn't meet the necessary 50-foot setback necessitated in the bylaw.
Town Counsel William Solomon explained that the bylaw requires all structures along Main Street to have a 50 foot setback from the street. Since what is being proposed in this 50 foot buffer is parking, he said, and not a structure, it is allowable.
Nixon Lane residents also pleaded with the board, saying that a relocation of the traffic lights at Redstone would alleviate the problems they experience trying to exit their street. One resident explained that if the lights were moved 10 to 20 feet in a southerly direction, Nixon Lane residents could exit more easily and would stop cutting into oncoming traffic.
The board continue the site plan hearing to May 11 at 7:45 p.m. and ordered that a new traffic study be conducted taking the concerns of residents into account.
In other Board of Selectmen news:
o The board granted amended site plan approval to KLKM to construct its four-story office building at 105 Central Street, the former site of Mann Chemical.
Houghton, again the attorney for the petitioner, said that the final plans call for the owner to deed land to the town to allow for increased parking at the Middle School and proposed site for the new Central School. With this land, 43 new parking spaces would be added for town use.
"It made a lot of sense from a planning perspective," Houghton said. "It's not a large piece of land, but it had an impact on our site. We lost nine spaces."
The other change to the proposal originally brought before and approved by the board was that the building was relocated to within five feet of the railroad right of way. It had been 10 feet away, but Houghton explained that the right of way would serve as a natural, 50 foot buffer and that the building would not impose on any bike path which would take a route through the property.
The board's endorsement of the project was unanimous.
o The Board of Selectmen will hold a public hearing on April 15 to discuss the application by Ground Round to sell Keno at the restaurant.
According to Solomon, with the new Keno laws now in place, local town's have the right to oppose lottery systems and state their case at a public hearing. Following this hearing, the town will send correspondence to the state explaining the town's position on the matter.
o Finally, the board approved the site plan of Storage USA with little debate.
The three-story, 84,600 square foot building will be located at 95-99 Montvale Avenue and will be used for storage purposes.
Engineers for the project have explained that the building will be made to look like office space, with tinted windows concealing the building's interior. The proponent agreed to maintain landscaping to the front of the property.
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