Design Review Committee

DESIGN REVIEW COMMITTEE By City Clerk at 2:28 pm, Jan 18, 2023 TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20th, 2022 1. Call to Order/Roll Call – Matt S. call the meeting to order at 6:05pm 2. Minutes – Motion to accept minutes for 9/06/2022 by Matt. Rachel suggests minor revision. Approved as amended. 3. Public Comments – None 4. Communications – None 5. Continued Applications 130 Market Street – Multi-family residential development, Special Permit & Site Plan The Applicant’s representative Nick Cracknell made a brief presentation before the DRC on the proposed site plan and building design. The following comments and recommendations were made: Architectural Drawings: - Provide detailed floor plans for each building type. - Review primary entrances on the duplex structures, number of steps and pro- jection over porches and supporting columns vs brackets in relation to parked cars in driveways. Consider elimination of side entrances. - Use gable roofs on all duplexes. Review placement of the full former and de- sign for the duplex most visible from S Hampton Road - Pair the entrances in the four-unit building. Line up the dormers over the win- dows rather than equal spacing them. - Pull roof dog dormers so that they are visually paired over each unit. Break the mass of the shed dormer by breaking it into two dormers. Review the number of windows in each shed dormer and center them in each dormer. - Review support for balconies; add supporting brackets; provide details for bal- cony partition between units DRC Minutes 09-20-2022 1  Landscaping/fencing/open space In general, DRC recommends that the overall landscaping plan should be en- hanced as suggested below: - Need to create some formal landscaping at the entrance from S Hampton Rd. - Add mature evergreen trees to provide privacy from South Hampton Road to the closest building unit. - Add details for the different type of fences. - Consider a berm along the property line behind the existing residential struc- tures along Market Street to manage stormwater runoff - Add pilasters to define the entrance along S Hampton Road. This would also indicate that it is private residences and not a cut-through street. - Formalize landscaping along market st in front yard and along the 4-unit build- ing Site Layout: - Replace sidewalk along S Hampton from entrance for about 125ft + towards Market Street. Maintain grass strip between sidewalk and curb. - Add sidewalk along Market Street in front of the 4 unit building; - Replace chain link fences along abutting properties 6. New Applications Sign – 58 Macy Street: Children’s Orchard The Applicant presented the application. The proposed sign generally meets the location and dimensional requirements. However, there is an issue with the sign color. The signs for various stores in this complex are approved to be red in color. This sign is proposed to be as franchise color. DRC has no objection to the sign design or placement. However, it recommends that the applicant first seek relief from prior approval from the Board. Site Plan - 79 Monroe Street, Parking Lot expansion The application was presented by representatives from Munters Corp and GM2. Upon review of the application material, the committee recommends: - Add curb cut along the parking lot edge along Monroe Street to protect the swale and other grass areas - Remove private exterior lights from the public electric pole. Show location of exterior parking lot lights, if any proposed DRC Minutes 09-20-2022 - Approved 2  - Clearly show parking spaces for electric charging stations - Add different planting types along Monroe Street that include both evergreen trees and shrubs along with other flowering shrubs - Consider the re-alignment the entrance driveway along Monroe Street DRC made a positive recommendation to the PB provided the plan is revised as per DRC recommendations above. Motion by Rachel, Seconded by Matt. Unanimous 7. Other Business East End Smart Growth Overlay District (EEOD) – Nipun Jain gave a brief over- view of the purpose and intent of the design standards. There were members from the public present who shared photos of some other buildings and developments as examples that should be considered for mid to high density residential multifamily development and for mixed use developments. DRC discussed how the design standards for the zoning ordinance will need to re- flect the neighborhood character for the existing Smart Growth district separately from the proposed Smart Growth District as the neighborhoods that they encom- pass are very different in character as well as the intended uses within those dis- tricts. The City has recently completed the Merrimack River District planning study. It was stated that there were several recommendations made in that report pertaining to building design, new development and redevelopment in this area. DRC will re- view those recommendations and see how the current design standards for the pro- posed overlay district could be revised accordingly. Motion by Rachel to continue discussion on EEOD design standards to the next meeting. Second by Matt. Continued DRC meeting on October 4th – Due to schedule conflicts, enough members are not available for the next meeting. Hence the next meeting of the DRC will be posted for October 18th, 2022. Motion by Rachel, seconded by Matt. Unanimously approved. 8. Adjourn - Matt moved to adjourn @ 8:30pm. Rachel seconded. Approved unani- mously. DRC Minutes 09-20-2022 - Approved 3