Hearing on Stone Estates contractor yard at 504–508 Wareham Street continued amid neighbor concern; site visit scheduled

Stone Estates LLC (applicant: Eugene Kelly) presented a proposal to establish a contractor’s yard with multiple laydown storage areas and three garage buildings on parcels at 504 and 508 Wareham Street. The Feb. 27 hearing drew numerous abutters and neighboring residents who raised concerns about visual impacts, noise, traffic, stormwater, earth removal and historic preservation. The board continued the hearing to March 27, 2025, and scheduled a public site visit for March 9 at 9 a.m.

Project description and applicant comments: Shane Oates of Independence Engineering presented plan layouts showing a main recycled‑asphalt driveway leading to terraced gravel laydown areas, multiple stepped storage bays retained by block walls, and three proposed buildings of roughly 7,500 square feet each for maintenance and storage. Kevin Stacy (Coastal Marine Construction) and representatives said the business conducts marine construction and stores large equipment, beams and pipes on site and would use the buildings for vehicle and equipment maintenance and storage.

Permitting and departmental comments: Multiple town departments submitted review letters. DPW requested a MassDOT D5 state highway access permit for driveway modifications and for any water tie‑ins; it asked for a stormwater peer review and an earth‑removal permit for proposed material excavation in the back of the parcel. The building commissioner flagged that several proposed storage areas appeared unpaved and requested a detailed list of stored materials because the property lies in Water Resource Protection District (WRPD) Zone 3, which contains prohibitions and restrictions on certain storage and uses. The health department noted the property is not served by an on‑site septic permit and would require one for any sewage disposal work. The Conservation Commission confirmed wetlands and a perennial stream on the rear of the site and noted the applicant has a Notice of Intent pending (DEP file SE220‑1675); the commission’s letter also flagged that 504 Wareham Street has been designated a “preferably preserved significant structure” and that a 12‑month demolition delay was imposed on that house on Sept. 10, 2024.

Public comment and neighbor concerns: Dozens of neighbors and abutters spoke. Concerns included: visual impacts from heavy equipment and laydown yards visible from adjacent houses; anticipated noise from early‑morning loading and vehicle movements; potential traffic conflicts entering and exiting Route 28; dust and pollutant runoff into wetlands and downstream water supplies; the adequacy of proposed landscape buffering and whether berms, fences or dense plantings should be required; and historic preservation questions tied to the demolition delay on 504 Wareham. Several residents asked for a traffic study, a materials list for what will be stored on site (including any hazardous or petroleum‑related materials), and enforceable hours of operation.

Board action and next steps: The board voted unanimously to continue the hearing to March 27, 2025, to allow time for peer reviews, department comments and revised plans. The board set a site visit for Sunday, March 9 (9 a.m.) to let board members and staff view grades and wetland interfaces; the applicant requested attendees sign a release for private‑property access. The board directed the applicant to supply a detailed list of materials and vehicles to be stored on site, any septic design (for office use), final impervious area calculations for WRPD compliance, and documentation that addresses DPW and Conservation comments. The Conservation Commission will continue its Notice of Intent process and Ecosystem Solutions is conducting a peer review of the wetland delineation.

Why it matters: The proposal would change the use and scale of activity on parcels abutting residential properties and wetland resources in a WRPD Zone 3 area, potentially affecting neighbors, water resources and traffic. The continued hearing and requested technical reviews aim to resolve outstanding regulatory and neighborhood concerns before the board acts.