Planning Board approves addition of eight attached units at Parmenter Place

The Concord City Planning Board on July 16 approved a site-plan and architectural design-review application to add eight attached dwelling units to the Parmenter Place development at 15 Parmenter Road. The board and staff said the expansion will increase the complex from 25 to 33 units, and approved the application subject to precedent and subsequent conditions listed in the planning packet. Staff recommended denying two waiver requests: one to omit utility location details and one to omit sidewalks on- and off-site; the board denied both waiver requests and required the applicant to show utilities and provide sidewalk connections. The developer and project team described a loop road and retention measures to fit the new buildings into the sloped site. Matt Peterson of Keach Nordstrom Associates, the applicant's engineer, said the design uses underground detention and riprap where needed and that the units will be served by city sewer and water. "These are affordable housing units. We do not put in basements to do walkouts and stuff like that which would help with a wall and stuff like that but to try and keep the building cost down, we do not have basements in these units," Peterson said. Peterson told the board the proposal includes four three-bedroom units and four two-bedroom units in two-story buildings and that landscaping, drainage, lighting and erosion-control plans were provided. The board asked for clarifications including confirmation of accessible parking locations, truck-turning movements for emergency vehicles and a pedestrian connection between the existing complex and the new loop road; the applicant agreed to revise plans where needed. Board members discussed the location and appearance of retaining walls and riprap on the steeper rear slope, and a board member asked that truck-turning diagrams be included in the plan set; the applicant confirmed such information will be submitted. The board also required landscaping and noted staff will review final materials and colors. The motion to grant site-plan approval and architectural design review, together with the conditions and required revisions in staff's recommendation, passed by voice vote. The decision imposes precedent conditions the applicant must satisfy before permits are issued and subsequent conditions for construction-phase work. Staff will verify the final design, utility locations and sidewalk connections before sign-off.