Gardner Planning Board continues Hemel Street site-plan review after revisions on parking and stormwater

Developers of the Stephenson/Hemel Street definitive site plan presented a revised driveway layout and parking plan and the Gardner City Planning Board voted to continue the public hearing to July, asking for additional stormwater information and a revised plan submittal.

The revised plan, presented by Steven Senning (representing the proposed builder) and Greg Royer (Hills and Roy Silverside Group), consolidated driveway openings and mirrored garage locations to reduce curb cuts and preserve on‑street parking where possible. At the hearing the applicants said the revised layout preserved about four on‑street spaces in front of the site compared with roughly eight spaces measured under standard parallel‑parking counts, and acknowledged some loss of on‑street spaces where driveways are placed.

Why it matters: board members and nearby residents flagged on‑street parking and stormwater management as the main outstanding issues. The board asked for additional technical documentation before final approval to ensure the project both minimizes on‑street impacts and meets the city’s stormwater standards.

Board staff reviewer Rob issued a June 9 memo listing remaining items, and the planner Jason issued a separate memo recommending a traffic study; the applicants said they sought to address parking concerns with the revised driveway configuration so the project might avoid a full traffic study for a development of this size. The applicants acknowledged that certain stormwater items remain outstanding, specifically additional calculations for hydraulics and water quality (TSS and phosphorus) and documentation showing required separation from groundwater for subsurface systems. Board members asked for more information about separation to groundwater, additional BMPs to meet the roughly 5% additional TSS reduction identified in staff comments, and whether the infiltration chambers could be reconfigured or retested at the site’s higher grade corner.

Public comments: several abutters attended the hearing and described neighborhood parking pressures; one abutter thanked the applicants for the revised layout, saying it “looks much better.” Applicants said each new unit will include at least two off‑street spaces so the project “wouldn't be further increasing the issue of on‑street parking” because most added vehicles would be stored off site.

Next steps: the board asked the applicants to submit a consolidated revised plan and all outstanding stormwater documentation together so staff can review the package at once. The applicants agreed to try to provide a revised plan in time for the next board cycle and to coordinate with the Zoning Board of Appeals, which has a related hearing next week. The board formally continued the public hearing until its July meeting.

Details the board emphasized included: a) a consolidated plan showing the driveway and parking revisions for distribution to the ZBA and the planning board; b) additional stormwater calculations (TSS, phosphorus, peak flow attenuation) and field test or rerun to confirm groundwater separation; and c) a mounting analysis for the infiltration system given less than 4 feet of separation at some locations.