UPDATE: Watch the Planning Board meeting here: http://andovertv.org/sites/default/files/videos/planning_20170425.mp4
The Town Planning Board voted this evening to endorse the Warrant Articles related to this project and recommend that the Board of Selectmen and the Town Residents approve at Town Meeting.
The Vote was:
Joan Duff (Chair) = YES
Austin Simko = YES
Zachary Bergeron = YES
Vincent Chiozzi, Jr = NO
Ann Knowles = NO
The board entertained some questions regarding the project and details but was adamant that only thing before the board was the Warrant Article and the concept of adding Residential component to a new ID3 district and changing the parcels in this existing ID2 district to ID3.
Although several people brought up the points that the details of the project should be considered by the board, the board has no “project” in front of it, only the warrant article.
If the Warrant Article passes at Town Meeting, then a project is presented to the board for a special permit and the process of approvals begin on the details of the project.
A major point of discussion between the board members was whether the money for the Mass Works grant was real and 100% guaranteed at this time. There is question of how the amount was arrived at given that there was “no project” but in order to apply for the grant, a project had to be attached to the grant application. The town applied for the grant in partnership with the developer.
Several questions came up about the traffic impact and the board said repeatedly that by the zoning law the traffic issues must be re-mediated as part of the special permit process.