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Applicant withdraws Chapel Street clearing special permit application to refile after engineering and wetlands work
Summary
Greg Antonelis withdrew his special permit application for clearing at 0 Chapel Street without prejudice after the city engineer raised concerns about wetlands, stormwater and scope; the board advised the applicant to return when a fuller engineering package is ready.
Property owner Gregory Antonelis asked the Gardner Zoning Board on June 17 to withdraw his special permit application for clearing at 0 Chapel Street without prejudice after city staff and the city engineer raised concerns about the project’s scope, potential wetlands impacts and stormwater requirements. The board granted the request.
Antonelis told the board he had cleared roughly one acre and plans to clear about 3.5 acres in total to create a storage yard permitted in the Industrial 2 district. City Engineer Robert Oliver had submitted written comments that the application downplayed the proposed use, understated likely impacts to wetlands and runoff, and that any disturbance over 10,000 square feet would trigger stormwater‑management permitting under Chapter 5‑65. Oliver recommended a wetland delineation, a detailed stormwater plan, and likely Planning Board site‑plan review.
Why it matters: the city engineer’s letter flagged substantial engineering and permitting needs — a stormwater management permit, wetland delineation and potentially Planning Board review — before large‑scale land clearing and storage yard use could proceed. Rather than have the board deny an incomplete package, Antonelis requested withdrawal without prejudice so he could assemble the requested materials and return.
Motion and outcome: the applicant requested withdrawal without prejudice; a motion to accept the withdrawal without prejudice was seconded and carried.
Next steps: the applicant plans to consult Community Development/Planning and city engineering, obtain a wetland delineation and prepare a full stormwater/site‑plan submission before reapplying. City staff will provide the city engineer’s comments to the applicant; the board said staff will accept a formal withdrawal letter to document the action.
