Contractors‑yard site at 250 Turnpike Road: hearing continued after peer‑review referral, DCR flags 100‑foot wetland buffer

The Planning Board on Feb. 10 opened and then continued multiple hearings for a proposed contractors‑yard building at 250 Turnpike Road after staff referred revised materials to the board’s on‑call peer reviewer and after the Division of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) flagged a potential 100‑foot buffer requirement for septic systems tributary to a surface drinking‑water supply.

Applicant updates and scope

Attorney George Bonon, representing FD 250 Turnpike LLC, told the board the building footprint was revised to include a second‑level mezzanine occupying roughly one‑third of the interior, increasing gross floor area from the earlier 14,400 sq ft to about 19,200 sq ft to provide more storage space. The plan shows 10 contractor bays within a building located in an industrial zoning district.

Key technical issues raised during public comment and staff review

- Wetlands and water‑supply buffer: Planning staff said a DCR letter (from the Division of Water Supply regional director) indicated a 100‑foot separation to septic systems is required where the area is tributary to a surface drinking‑water supply; the applicant’s engineer and town staff will evaluate whether the detention basins/tributaries at the site trigger that requirement. Staff asked the project engineer to confirm and revise plans if necessary.

- Peer review and schedule: The planning office handed the project to the town’s on‑call peer reviewer (Niche Engineering). Because the revised submission arrived on short notice, the board agreed to extend the decision deadline and continue the hearings to allow peer review and departmental comments.

- Landscaping waivers and buffers: Conservation and several board members opposed proposed waivers for landscaping and buffers, noting older plans had preserved trees along Route 9 and along the western property line; board members requested clearer depiction of existing trees and replacement plantings and resisted counting trees that sit on abutting 40B parcels that may be cleared in future development.

- Parking, loading and tenant controls: Board members asked for clarity on parking layout, loading, location of ADA spaces (some were missing in the latest submission and staff asked that they be restored), and how tenant use will be controlled so a high‑parking‑demand tenant cannot occupy a space intended for low‑parking uses. The applicant agreed to a parking assignment protocol and a tenant‑use disclosure procedure to be attached to the board’s decision.

- Indoor drains and pollution control: The building commissioner asked that indoor drains be routed to an oil‑water separator and that details be shown in MEP plans; the applicant agreed that mechanical details and a plan for indoor drainage and separators will be provided to the building department and peer reviewer.

Board actions

- The board voted to extend the formal decision due date for the 250 Turnpike Road major site plan/LID special‑permit application to April 22, 2025, to allow time for peer review and revisions.

- The board also continued the public hearings for the major site plan and the LID special permit to March 10, 2025, to give the applicant time to respond to peer‑review comments and department reviews.

Ending

The applicant will submit full‑size plan sets, revise landscaping and parking sheets to show required existing trees and ADA stalls, provide clearer photo documentation of forested screening and provide mechanical plumbing details for indoor drains and separators. Peer review comments will be returned to the applicant and posted to the planning office agenda packet prior to the next hearing.