Planning Board approves Saint Paul’s School site changes: sidewalk amendment and lot‑line adjustment

The Concord City Planning Board on June 18 approved a major site plan amendment for Saint Paul’s School that removes a sidewalk shown along a driveway and granted a separate lot‑line adjustment that increases the area of 310 Pleasant Street from 1 acre to 3 acres.

Morgan Dunson, the civil engineer with Novus Group, told the board that Saint Paul’s preferred to retain sod along the frontage and that the overflow parking and an existing crosswalk provide a pedestrian route to campus buildings. “They really liked the feel of the sod, and so they wanted to keep the sod the same and omit the sidewalk,” Dunson said. Board member Jeff (surname not recorded on the record) opposed the sidewalk omission for pedestrian safety and accessibility; he noted previous discussions and said observed vehicle/pedestrian conflicts argued for retaining a sidewalk and ADA provisions.

The board discussed ADA accessibility, existing campus shuttles and on‑site arrangements the school uses for large events; staff and the applicant noted Saint Paul’s provides shuttle and marked handicap parking for events. After debate, the board granted waivers from specified site‑plan sidewalk and accessibility requirements and approved the major site plan amendment subject to precedent and subsequent conditions. The board also approved the lot‑line adjustment: Mark Sargent of Richard D. Bartlett & Associates described the transfer of two acres to the 310 Pleasant Street parcel, leaving a 24.19‑acre remainder for the adjacent lot; staff found the application complete and recommended approval with conditions.

The approvals include requirements to revise easement language and to satisfy precedent conditions recorded in the staff packet before final sign‑off.