Chelsea board labels change from permeable pavers to standard pavers with added dry wells a minor modification

An applicant representing Washington Ave LLC asked the Chelsea Board of Appeals May 13 to modify an approved site plan that had called for permeable pavers. Hector Prieto said his contractor and engineer raised concerns that permeable pavers would not settle properly on the site’s slope and could fail within months. He asked to install standard pavers and add multiple dry wells to handle drainage instead.

Prieto said the revised approach would include additional dry wells—bringing the total to five—and that each driveway would have its own dry well. Planning Department staff told the board they had reviewed the revised plans and concluded the added dry wells would serve the drainage purpose of the originally approved permeable pavers while addressing the structural concerns raised by the applicant’s contractor.

Board members discussed whether the change was a major or minor modification. After brief discussion the board treated the change as a minor modification; a motion to classify the modification as minor was seconded and approved by voice vote. The board did not require the applicant to return with a full new site-plan approval; rather, staff review and the added dry wells were accepted as mitigating features.