Select Board continues Hawthorne Realty site-plan hearing after traffic, parking and housing-authority concerns

The Select Board continued a public hearing on Oct. 6 on a site-plan special permit application from Hawthorne Realty Company to combine 471 Great Road and 465-469 Great Road and construct two buildings for building-trade shops. The board voted to continue the hearing to Oct. 20 to allow members and staff to review peer-review comments and to seek additional input from MassDOT on access and the state right-of-way.

Applicant presentation and changes: Nathaniel of Stancy & McNary, representing the applicant, said the revised plans respond to previous staff and peer-review comments and noted the floor-area ratio and parking counts now meet the bylaw requirements. He said the project replaces on-site catch basins with deep-sump structures for improved sediment treatment, and that the applicant will submit a request for determination to MassDOT about access-permit requirements for changes adjacent to the state highway right-of-way.

Planning and peer-review concerns: Town planning staff and the town’s peer-review engineering consultant identified several outstanding items. The peer review noted two loading areas, but raised concerns that the eastern loading area creates a 20-foot turning aisle in front of Unit G — narrower than the zoning typical minimum of 24 feet — and asked the board to consider potential conflicts with dumpster pickup and tight turning radii. Planning staff recommended reducing the width of two nonconforming driveways "to the extent practical," even if the narrowing must occur landward of the state right-of-way.

Housing authority and neighborhood concerns: The Acton Housing Authority submitted comments raising tenant concerns about business hours, noise (including garage/overhead door locations facing housing), traffic and the presence of a school-bus stop at Great Road and Sachem Way. The applicant said building bays are approximately 150 feet from the rear lot line and that the intended use is for building-trade shops consistent with zoning; he said the project does not propose noise-generating industrial activities beyond what is allowed in the zoning bylaw.

Stormwater/Chapter X request: The applicant submitted a letter requesting a waiver from some Chapter X design standards, arguing that the project reduces impervious area, adds dry wells, and does not increase discharge; the planning division noted staff would review the waiver with GCG and bring recommended conditions to the board.

Board discussion and action: Select Board members said public safety and pedestrian safety near the existing Route 2A bus stop were priorities. Several board members favored narrower driveway openings where practical to shorten vehicle crossings for pedestrians, but the board also discussed the difficulty of narrowing only the portion of the openings on the town's side while leaving state right-of-way elements unchanged and the potential for creating awkward transitions. The town manager said MassDOT is designing a separate complete-streets project for intersections on Great Road, including Harris Street, and that the state project may include tightened curb radii in coming years.

The board voted to continue the hearing to Oct. 20 at 7:10 p.m. in the Francis Faulkner Hearing Room so members could review the latest peer review comments and staff recommendations and seek any additional input from MassDOT.