Council grants special permit for 8 Morrow Drive after groundwater-protection findings

The Woburn City Council on Oct. 7 granted a special permit to allow an addition at 8 Morrow Drive after making two findings required by the city’s groundwater protection rules.

Petitioner Anthony Mergianis told the council he planned an addition to a split-level house to add a garage and a master suite and to repair a deteriorating three-season room. “Just trying to it's a split level house, so I wanted to do an addition, to add a garage and a master above it,” Mergianis said.

Councilors reviewed communications from the building commissioner and the planning director and discussed the required groundwater-protection measures. The petitioner told the council his engineer designed a groundwater system to offset the existing condition that already exceeded allowable impervious-area thresholds and to bring the property under the 2,500-square-foot standard.

Councilor motioned that the council make the two findings under Section 15, Subsection 7(c): (1) construction and thereafter would not adversely affect the existing or potential quality or quantity of water available in the Groundwater Protection District, and (2) the design would avoid substantial disturbance of soils, topography, drainage, vegetation and other water-related natural characteristics. The motion and second carried by voice vote and the special permit was granted with the two findings.

Councilors wished the petitioner luck with the project.