Auburn Planning Board delays Brickyard Commons, asks for hydrogeologic and soil studies after public raises contamination, stormwater and traffic concerns

The Auburn Planning Board on May 13, 2025 voted to delay further action on the proposed 96‑unit Brickyard Commons housing development and asked the applicant to provide hydrogeologic and soils studies after residents and board members raised concerns about groundwater contamination, stormwater treatment, shoreline buffers and traffic safety.

The request for studies and the postponement came after more than two hours of technical presentation by the applicant’s engineering team and lengthy public comment from neighbors and abutters. The board first voted 5–2 to require a hydrogeologic study with soil contamination analysis, and later unanimously voted to postpone the application until the studies (or an update on them) are provided to the planning department.

Why it matters: The Brickyard Commons site abuts Taylor Brook, a waterway under local and state environmental attention; residents and conservation advocates said the project could undermine prior restoration work and that the parcel lies downstream from multiple reported spills at a neighboring commercial site. Board members expressed concern about whether existing state permits and the developer’s proposed stormwater measures are sufficient where contaminated soils or groundwater might be present.

The applicant’s team described stormwater controls and site grading. Michael…