The Fall River Planning Board convened on May 14, 2025, for a relatively short meeting primarily focused on the review and endorsement of five Form A applications for Approval Not Required (ANR) plans. Dan Aguia, Director of Engineering and Planning, provided detailed explanations for each application. The first application, File 25-1621 for Ernest Costa Jr. and Robert Costa at 99 Jones Street, involved subdividing a singular piece of land into two parcels, which was approved unanimously by a 3-0 vote. Similarly, the second application, File 25-1622 for RMA Realty Trust, Inc. at 395 Goodwin Street, for subdividing land into two parcels, also received unanimous endorsement with a 3-0 vote. The board then considered File 25-1623 for Mario Z Benvites, concerning properties at 84 Everett Street, 94 Everett Street, and 310 Alden Street, which involved subdividing a parcel with three multi-family dwellings, including an access easement; this was also approved 3-0. The fourth application, File 25-1624 for Janet J. Harrison at 18 Holland Street, sought to subdivide a parcel into two, creating an additional lot with a variance for frontage and area, and was approved unanimously. Finally, File 25-1625 for Eddie Felicio at 47 Detroit Street, proposing to create two non-buildable parcels to be conveyed to an adjacent abutter, was also approved 3-0. Additionally, the board unanimously approved the meeting minutes from April 9, 2025. No citizens offered input, and the meeting was adjourned.
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City Officials
Public / Other
Uh good evening. Uh it is May 14th, 2025. This is the planning board meeting. Uh we have a open uh meeting law that I need to read. Pursuit uh to the open meeting law, any person may make an audio or visual recording of this public meeting and may transmit the meeting through any media. Attendees are therefore advised that such recordings and transmissions are being made whether perceived or unpersceived by those
0:31present or deemed acknowledged and permissible. The city of Fall River Charter section 9-18 mandates that all mult uh multiple member bodies develop and adopt rules or policies for public comment. We have adopted such a policy which in short provides for citizens input on planning board specific matters at the end of the meeting. Any individual may sign up in the back of the room on the sheets to be heard
1:01during the planning board meeting. At that time I will uh introduce who is on the planning board. If you don't mind state your name and who you're with. My name is Gloria Pacico, planning board member.
1:15I'm Mario Luchi. Any member? I'm Michael Feras, vice chair planning board. Daddy, Dan Aguia, director of engineering and planning. We also have here uh Chris Lec, admin, assistant uh city planner and televising is Craig Salvador from Fred TV. in the back of the room. We have it should be a relatively uh short uh meeting. We just have a couple of ANR plans. The first um plan or new business
1:55is a form A application for the endorsement of a plan believed not to require approval, an ANR plan. The file number is 25-1621. The owner/applicant at Ernest Costa Jr. and Robert Costa. The property location is 99 Jones Street. And we will let Dan explain to us what this situation is. This is a subdivision of this singular piece of land into two parcels. They did receive zoning relief
2:27which had to deal with the um sideyard setback to the existing dwelling on Jones Street. That variance recording information is noted on the plan. Uh also just above the title block you will see the intent of the plan um that that we always ask you to put on there as well. So with that the um the plan is afforded endorsement as the what is submitted is in compliance with what the variant showed. It would
2:53be creating a vacant lot number two which actually complies with the zoning district. You have any questions? I'd be glad to answer them. Anybody from the planning board with any questions? I had the opportunity to review this and it's a pretty straightforward. This is a good one.
3:10Yeah, this is simple. Can I make a motion to approve? I make the motion to approve the plan as submitted. A second.
3:21May we have a roll call? Uh, I vote yes.
3:24Mario, yes. And Michael Ferris votes yes. Approved.
3:33The second form A application to endorse a plan believed not to require approvals. The file number is 25-1622. The owner applicant is RMA Realy Trust, Inc. The location of the property is 395 Goodwin Street and Dan if you don't mind. Certainly. Um similarly again singular piece of land subdividing it into two leaving an existing single family dwelling on one parcel and creating a second parcel. You'll notice
4:07in the section plan notes note number six gives you the description and the purpose of the plan. Note number seven references the recorded zoning relief that was granted for this property. The plan has been submitted in accordance with what was approved on the variance plan. And I didn't say it on the last one, but you'll also notice under the signature block that the note that no
4:28determination as to compliance with the applicable zoning bylaws is made intended or implied as a result of this endorsement. With that, I would recommend endorsement of the plan.
4:39Uh, one question, Dan, on this one. Um this one here is has it gone through site plan approval um received it um for any type of development? Nothing yet.
4:50Nothing yet. We can't do any of that until this lot's actually been created.
4:54Okay, great. With that, um I motion to vote uh endorse. I make motion to endorse. I second the motion. Roll call.
5:05I vote yes. Yes. And I vote yes as well.
5:20The third form A is an application to endorse a plan believed not to require approval. The file number is 25-1623. The owner/applicant is Mario Z Benvites. The property is located at 84 Everett Street and 94 Everett Street and 310 Alden Street. Dan, if you don't mind. So, this is a subdivision of a parcel of land that contains three multif family dwellings through the special permit process which is allowed
5:53through zoning in the city of Fall River. As you see noted on seven, a special permit was granted allowing the subdivision of these parcels of these buildings as they were all constructed prior to subdivision control law. So the plan that has been submitted uh is in compliance with the plan approved through the zoning board of appeals. Uh with that you'll also see uh item number
6:14six in the plan notes that describes the purpose of the plan. And specifically on this there was a requirement um for uh showing the uh proposed access easement that runs up through because of the proximity of the houses to each other.
6:30There is an access easement that runs along the lot line through the middle of the mall so that all of the properties still have the same access to their buildings as they currently do. Now, any questions from the planning board?
6:45Just a quick question. Is that easement any type of utility or just access? Just access easement. Yeah. As you see, this is one where every lot has substantial frontage, street frontage. So all of their utilities, they are required to separate them all, but they will all be going out to the street directly in front of them, not through that easement. This was strictly for access to the rear of the of the property.
7:07Thank you.
7:10Make a motion to approve the clean.
7:13I'll second. Roll call. I vote yes.
7:17Marta, yes. And I vote yes.
7:23Uh the fourth form a application to endorse a plan believed not to require approval. It's file number 25-1624. The owner/applicant is Janet J.
7:36Harrison. The property location is 18 Holland Street.
7:41Dan. So again, singular parcel of land that contains a single family dwelling.
7:47You will see in the um general notes uh note number three which is the purpose of the plan to subdivide the parcel into two leaving the single family home on one lot while creating uh an additional lot lot number two. Uh note number four references the recorded zoning relief that was granted for this allowing this subdivision um as lot number two does not meet the frontage and area
8:12requirement for the zoning district. So that's what the variance was for on this one.
8:17Um with that additional note in the title block regarding no determination as compliance to zoning with that I would offer that the plans should be afforded endorsement. Any questions from the planning board? Just a quick question. You're this is zon uh single family. That is correct. Okay. And then they were also given a variance I'm assuming on the square footage. Yes. So so so the the variance again was for
8:42area and frontage for lot two. Okay.
8:45Thank you. And they are they're restricted to only building a single family home on that lot, too. And if I if I'm uh correct, this has been in front of us several times in the past for it. It had it had come through it had received zoning relief before, but it had not it never went to the actual subdivision. Okay. Um process, but it had received before the zoning board of appeals three times, and
9:10they just never acted upon it. So, okay.
9:13if this is actually one of the properties in the city that had been determined to be somewhat um of a nuisance property. Um trying to get either back taxes paid or the lot cleaned up. And then finally now we have an applicant that um that is looking to get that resolved. We're thankful for that. Excellent. Have a motion to approve or deny. I'll make a motion to approve. I'll second the motion. Uh
9:36vote, please. Vote yes. Yes. And I vote yes.
9:44The last form A, the application to endorse a plan believed not to require approval. File number 25-1625. The owner is slapplicant is Eddie Felicio and the property location is 47 Detroit Street. Okay. Again, very large singular lot containing one single family home at 47 Detroit Street. Uh, as you'll notice on note number six, what the intent of this plan is is to create two nonbuildable parcels, parcel B and
10:20parcel C. Those parcels are to be conveyed to the adjacent abutter. Uh, leaving the existing single family home on parcel A, which is a conforming lot to the zoning district. As I often used to tell people, they don't make land next door to you often. So, when it comes available, you ought to buy it. So that's that's an excellent observation.
10:42I didn't I read through these and I was wondering what the purpose of Yeah. And that's why we do require them to label them as not a buildable parcel. And if you'll see in in the notes, it says specifically what map and lot number the parcel has. Perfect.
10:59I really like how it always states the purpose of the plan. Now that really helps me a lot. Yeah. That and and like there's a couple of them here that are excellent. They tell you the zoning, what the relief is, what the variants are, and then, you know, and then the um what the overall purpose of what the project is, but also getting there.
11:19Yeah. Some of them are great. Luckily, we have one surveyor that did five four out of the five plans. It gets pretty repetitive. So, he's cut and paste. Only problem is sometimes when he cut and paste, he doesn't change the information. Yeah, it happens, right?
11:32When they come in and we review them and say, "Nope, Jeff, that's the note for the last one."
11:37Yeah, they're all they were all very well done. I'd like to make a motion to approve or deny.
11:44I make a motion to approve. I second the motion. A vote, please. Yes. Yes. Yes.
11:51And yes. All right. I'd like to make a motion for approval of meeting minutes from April 9th, 2025. I make a motion to approve the minutes from the meeting of April 9th, 2025. I'll second. A vote, please.
12:10Yes. Yes. And yes. Uh citizens input. We have no citizens with any input. So at this point, uh I would like to thank everybody. Uh do we have a motion to adjourn?
12:23I'll make a motion to adjurnn. Second Myers motion. Vote. Yes. Yes. And yes. I thank everyone for uh the opportunity and both in the UN board here and also on television. Have a great night.