Planning board reviews phased West Main Storage plan; board asks for soil testing before final action

West Main Storage presented a definitive site plan April 8 to the Gardner City Planning Board proposing a phased self‑storage facility off Maker Drive, with the project shown in three phases and multiple infiltration basins for stormwater recharge.

Justin McLaren of Henry Engineering presented the revised plan and told the board the full project requires recharge volume of about 0.048 acre‑feet; the applicants have 0.141 acre‑feet between two basins, which McLaren said exceeds the requirement even if phase 3 is not built. He said some soil testing was completed in parts of the site but additional testing is needed in the two basins added in the revised design; the team agreed to perform test pits in those locations prior to construction.

The applicant, Al Belanger of West Main Storage, described site phasing: phase 1 is the front area and would operate with the primary single entrance; phase 2 would expand middle units and add a second entrance; phase 3 covers the rear area with additional buildings and an underground basin. The applicant said site gates and yard lighting will be solar powered and self‑contained, with small panel/battery units at gate controllers rather than a large solar field. Lighting panels are integrated into individual light fixtures, the applicant said.

Board and staff focused questions on stormwater compliance if the project is built in phases, erosion‑control staging and temporary fencing during phased construction, and emergency‑vehicle turnaround during early phases. The applicant said erosion controls would be installed incrementally for each phase and that temporary fencing and a construction entrance/turnaround would be provided to separate construction traffic from finished areas.

Planning staff (Rob Alva) and board members emphasized that additional soil testing should be completed early to avoid construction delays: "it's at their risk if there's a change in the design due to soil conditions or groundwater elevations," a staff reviewer said. The applicant agreed to notify the city when testing is scheduled and to submit results; the applicant also asked the board for a draft conditional approval the next meeting, subject to receipt of test results and finalized plans.

The board voted to continue the item to the May 13 meeting and to have staff prepare draft approval language with conditions so the board can act after receipt of the testing data.

Next steps: field test pits in the two revised basin locations, submission of test results to the planning department for review, and return to the board with draft conditions and any needed plan revisions.