Below is a summarized version of the Community Planning & Development Commission (CPDC) meeting organized by timestamps and speakers, focusing on key points raised during the discussion in Reading, Massachusetts. This summary condenses the discussion into major themes, speaker contributions, and decisions, avoiding excessive detail while retaining the essence of the conversation. Timestamps correspond to the video linked at the bottom.
- 🔹 Meeting Opening & Attendance
- 🔹 Continued Public Hearing – Reading Center for Active Living (ReCAL) & Pickleball Courts
- 🔹 Final Decision – 885 Main Street (Primrose School)
- 🔹 ANR Plan – 244 & 256 Grove Street
- 🔹 Grand View Road Subdivision – Lot Release
- 🔹 Community Preservation Act (CPA) Study Committee Presentation
- 🔹 Key Outcomes Summary
🗓️ CPDC Meeting Summary – October 6, 2025
📍 Location: Select Board Room, Reading Town Hall & Zoom
🎙️ Chair: Heather Clish
🧭 Facilitator: Olivia Knightly (Senior Planner)
🔹 Meeting Opening & Attendance
⏰ 2:44–4:21
- Hybrid meeting protocols reviewed.
- Present: Heather Clish, Hillary Mateev, Tom Armstrong, John Arena, Andrew McLoughlin, Guy Manganiello (Zoom).
- Staff: Andrew MacNichol (Community Development Director), Olivia Knightly (Senior Planner).
🔹 Continued Public Hearing – Reading Center for Active Living (ReCAL) & Pickleball Courts
⏰ 4:28–51:36
Applicant: Town of Reading
Location: 0 Haverhill Street
Design Team: BH+A, Activitas, Brennan Consulting
Key Updates:
- Verbal agreement reached with Burbank Ice Arena for shared parking.
- Draft lease amendment presented; includes liability release and support for unified sports funding.
- CPDC reviewed two parking layout options:
- Original submission: Includes landscaped islands and curb cuts; preferred by applicant.
- Alternate layout: Adds 5 compact spaces, removes islands; less expensive but less protective.
Discussion Highlights:
- CPDC favored original design with waiver for 5 parking spaces.
- Concerns raised about long-term parking adequacy and striping of gravel lots.
- Generator and transformer protection discussed; applicant agreed to review bollard placement.
- CPDC agreed to condition approval on final execution of shared parking agreement or alternate plan.
✅ Outcome:
- Site plan, stormwater permit, and subdivision layout approved.
- Waiver for 5 parking spaces granted.
- Conditions include:
- Final shared parking agreement or alternate plan.
- Generator protection measures.
- Coordination with public safety.
- Subdivision layout for Range Road accepted.
🔹 Final Decision – 885 Main Street (Primrose School)
⏰ 57:04–3:12:32
Applicant: Primrose School Franchising Corp.
Proposal: Childcare facility for 175 children and 28 staff.
Key Topics:
- Traffic & Parking:
- 53 spaces provided; meets zoning.
- Drop-off/pick-up to be staggered; parking management plan required.
- Police department requested operational coordination and post-occupancy review.
- Safety & Emergency Access:
- Fire department confirmed adequacy of evacuation routes.
- Second egress from play area conditioned; must not trespass on abutting properties.
- Emergency management plan to be approved by EEC.
- Stormwater & Landscaping:
- Conservation Commission approved stormwater permit.
- Snow removal required within 72 hours; no on-site storage.
- Additional screening requested by abutters; applicant agreed to review landscaping.
- Lighting & Signage:
- Dark-sky approved fixtures.
- Signage illumination limited to operating hours.
- Wall-mounted signs not illuminated.
✅ Outcome:
- Site plan and stormwater permit approved with conditions.
- Conditions include:
- Parking management plan with staggered drop-off/pick-up.
- Post-occupancy parking utilization report by traffic engineer.
- Coordination with public safety prior to occupancy.
- Snow and trash removal restricted to daytime hours.
- Landscaping improvements and maintenance.
- Compliance with EEC licensing and emergency planning.
🔹 ANR Plan – 244 & 256 Grove Street
⏰ 3:18:10–3:24:25
Proposal: Lot line adjustment between two properties.
✅ Outcome: Approval Not Required (ANR) plan endorsed.
🔹 Grand View Road Subdivision – Lot Release
⏰ 3:24:25–3:33:16
Proposal: Release of Lots 3 and 4 for building permits.
✅ Outcome: Lot release approved; temporary license agreement for access to town land pending.
🔹 Community Preservation Act (CPA) Study Committee Presentation
⏰ 3:33:24–4:21:15
Presenters: CPA Study Committee
Overview:
- CPA enables towns to levy a small property tax surcharge to fund:
- Open space & conservation
- Recreation
- Historic preservation
- Affordable housing
- State match available (~14–39% historically).
- Reading previously rejected CPA in 2002.
- Committee seeks feedback on:
- Surcharge rate (e.g., 0.5%–1%)
- Project ideas
- Support for advancing CPA to Select Board and Town Meeting
Next Steps:
- Committee to present proposal to Select Board in early 2026.
- Potential town-wide vote in November 2026.
🔹 Key Outcomes Summary
- ✅ ReCAL site plan, stormwater permit, and subdivision layout approved with waiver and conditions.
- ✅ Primrose School site plan and stormwater permit approved with extensive conditions addressing traffic, safety, and operations.
- ✅ ANR plan for Grove Street endorsed.
- ✅ Grand View Road subdivision lot release approved for Lots 3 and 4.
- ✅ CPA Study Committee presented funding model and requested CPDC feedback on surcharge rates and project priorities.
