Planning Board approves Old Lincoln Street land‑disturbance permit with conditions; cease‑and‑desist lifted

The Town of Blackstone Planning Board voted to approve a land‑disturbance (stormwater) permit application for 1 and 3 Old Lincoln Street and removed a cease‑and‑desist order previously placed on the property.

The approval, made after a presentation by the applicants’ engineer and follow‑up questions from town staff and public‑works officials, includes conditions requiring preservation of existing stone walls “as much as possible,” signage indicating the road is private, owner responsibility for road and drainage maintenance, submission of an annual detention‑basin report to the town, and review by Tetra Tech (peer reviewer). The board also approved an applicant deposit of $300 to pay for a Tetra Tech peer review and authorized lifting the cease‑and‑desist tied to the stormwater submittal.

Engineer Mike Rosati of Machander and Associates, representing property owners Brian and Susan Inman, outlined the two‑phase plan the applicants submitted. Rosati described a 20‑foot‑wide paved private road, a four‑bay detention basin and treatment elements intended to meet the town’s stormwater bylaw and state permitting guidance. “My name is Mike Rosati. I work for the firm of Machander and Associates representing Brian and Susan Inman…,” Rosati told the board during his presentation.

Rosati said the submission covers phase 1 (site access, road paving to serve the first house and on‑site stormwater controls) and an optional phase 2 (extending frontage and roadwork to serve a second house). The plan also includes a small wetland crossing that the conservation commission previously approved and an infiltration/treatment sequence intended to meet phosphorus and TSS removal expectations described in the town’s bylaw and in state guidance.

Town public‑works superintendent Jimmy Sullivan pressed for clarity on long‑term maintenance and monitoring of the detention system. “Nope. We're not doing any maintenance. So the big thing's the stormwater for me,” Sullivan said, stressing that the town will not plow or maintain the private road and that annual reporting on detention‑basin function should be required so the DPW can include results in its records.

The board attached several conditions to the approval: maintain stone walls where feasible; label the road as private at its entrance; require the property owners to be responsible for road and drainage maintenance; submit annual detention‑basin inspection/maintenance reports to the town; have Tetra Tech or the town’s peer reviewer review the application; and allow the two‑phase construction only if consistent with the town’s subdivision/bylaw requirements. The Planning Board motion approving the land‑disturbance application passed by voice vote; members present signaled aye and the chair announced the motion carried.

Separately, the Planning Board voted to lift the cease‑and‑desist that had been issued for the property after the applicants submitted the stormwater materials and satisfied the board that the submission was complete enough to allow the town’s review process to proceed.

Town staff said the applicant will submit an electronic copy of the application to the town’s reviewer, Tetra Tech, and the board recorded the requirement that the applicant deposit $300 to cover a peer‑review estimate. The board also asked staff to confirm whether any peer‑review funds in excess of the deposit will be billed back and how any unused funds will be returned to the applicant.

The board concluded by asking staff and the consultant to coordinate follow‑up inspections and to notify the applicants promptly if the peer reviewer identifies issues.

Votes at a glance: The Planning Board approved the land‑disturbance permit with the conditions above (voice vote; ayes announced). The board also approved an applicant deposit of $300 for a Tetra Tech peer review and voted to remove the property’s cease‑and‑desist order.

The Planning Board and town staff said they will circulate the peer‑review results and confirm any remaining items to be addressed before construction beyond the permitted phase may occur.