Beverly planning board approves minor modifications to 478 Rantoul Street site plan with parking, emergency-turnaround and stormwater conditions

The Beverly Planning Board voted unanimously Sept. 16 to grant a minor modification to Site Plan Review No. 167-24 for 478 Rantoul Street, approving a reconfigured parking layout, an emergency-vehicle turnaround and other changes provided in revised construction drawings.

The change removes a previously proposed tunnel between the new building and an existing structure and instead adds two parking spaces, a transformer pad, a relocated trash area and a stormwater system. “The site changes were relatively minor in nature,” Giovanni Ferrera, product engineer for the applicant, said, describing the revised layout and the decision to drop the tunnel. Ferrera told the board that the project team added “a stormwater system with the catch basin. This is sized to meet the 100-year storm and is also in compliance with the Massachusetts stormwater standards.”

Why it matters: The board's approval clears the way for the developer to revise construction drawings and proceed toward permitting while imposing conditions aimed at safety and regulatory compliance. The vote also resolved a disputed component of prior approvals (the tunnel) and required the applicant to show how the site will accommodate emergency vehicles, utilities and required parking standards.

Most important facts

- The board deemed the modification minor and approved the change unanimously. - Required revisions include: plans revised to five sheets titled “Proposed Development, 478 Rantoul Street, Beverly, Mass. 01915” (prepared by Fadero Engineering), a parking reconfiguration to show no more than eight compact parking spaces, and inclusion of an…