Planning board continues review of 11,050-square-foot contractor-bay at 180 Route 125

The Brentwood Planning Board continued a site-plan hearing on a proposal to build an 11,050-square-foot contractor-bay building on a 2.77-acre parcel at 180 Route 125 and scheduled the next hearing for Sept. 4.

The applicant’s representative, Ryan Lavelle of Lavelle Associates, said he was acting on behalf of the Mastriano Group and that “this project involves the construction of a new 11,050 square foot contractor bay building on a 2.77 acre parcel, located along Route 125.” Lavelle said the site currently contains two existing buildings totaling 3,520 square feet, a paved access driveway and gravel parking areas; the new building would be located behind the existing structures and accessed by a 24-foot drive aisle with a 26-foot circulation aisle around the building.

The plan as presented would add 31 new parking spaces built to the Brentwood zoning bylaw standard of 9 feet by 20 feet and keep two existing businesses — an automotive sales business and a dog day care — operating in the front structures. Lavelle described the proposed bays as intended to “support tradespeople, such as electricians, plumbers, small contractors by offering a flexible, cost effective space that combines garage access, storage, and small office areas.”

Nut graf: The board found the application complete but deferred formal action to allow the applicant time to resolve technical-review comments and to obtain a fire-department review and required sign-off. The applicant said third-party reviewer TEC provided mostly minor technical comments, and the New Hampshire Department of Transportation provided an updated entrance plan for Route 125.

Board discussion centered on stormwater, septic and fire-department access. Lavelle said the stormwater system is designed to “fully comply with current standards” using gravel trenches, a sediment forebay and an infiltration basin to maintain or reduce peak flows, including the 50-year storm referenced in the review. He also said the project proposes a new combined septic system intended to serve the proposed contractor bays, the dog day-care and the auto-sales business; he added that the septic design was not complete and will be submitted for town and state approval as part of permitting.

A resident-abutter, Frank Hilton, urged a fire-department review focused on possible cistern or suppression requirements: “I was just concerned with the, review by the fire department for a cistern or some sort of fire suppression.” Board members noted previous local practices that sometimes require cisterns or other measures for buildings over certain sizes, and one member said a fire-department endorsement letter would be required as a condition of approval.

Board members raised other technical items: setback lines and whether they were clearly shown on the submitted sheets, lighting compliance with the town’s dark-skies ordinance, turning-radius issues called out by TEC, and the need for building elevations. Lavelle said Engineering Alliance is the civil engineer on the project and that Engineering Alliance is addressing the reviewer comments; he offered to coordinate with Engineering Alliance and the town to provide updated materials prior to the September hearing.

A motion to invoke jurisdiction over the application was made and approved, the board agreed that the plan should be reviewed by the fire department, and the hearing was continued to Sept. 4 so the applicant can return with revised plans addressing Glenn’s comments, TEC items and the fire-department review. The applicant was reminded to provide material copies requested by staff for the next meeting.

Ending: The board did not vote to approve the proposal at the meeting; instead it continued the hearing to Sept. 4 and instructed the applicant to return with revised plans, a fire-department endorsement/sign-off and responses to TEC comments and site-plan clarifications.