Planning board presses developer on traffic, parking and density for The Villages at 35 North Main Street

The Town of Charlton Planning Board on Aug. 13 continued the public hearing for a proposed multifamily development known as The Villages at 35 North Main Street to the boards Sept. 3 meeting, after an extended discussion about traffic, parking and site density.

Board members and neighbors pressed the applicant on whether a single private driveway and a proposed one‑way circulation plan would be safe, whether the project provides adequate parking, and whether the layout encroaches on nearby wetlands. The applicants representative described minor grading and plan corrections since the prior submission and defended a one‑way design as safer in practice than a two‑way layout on the narrow lot.

The planning boards concerns centered on three interlocking issues: traffic and sight distance at the North Main Street accesses; whether garage/driveway configurations should count as two parking spaces per unit; and proximity of the proposed roadway to wetlands reviewed by the conservation commission. A resident of L. Stevens Road told the board that the approach is "a deep downhill" and recounted near head‑on encounters at the corner; the planning board asked staff to evaluate sight distances and the need for a traffic study.

The applicants representative provided the developments trip estimate used in earlier reviews, saying the project is based on 7.5 daily trips per townhouse/condo unit (the applicant used that rate even though the units are proposed as rental). Using a rounded figure of 30 units for easier math, the representative said the site would generate roughly 225 trips per day and about 22 trips during a morning peak hour (in/out combined). The representative said the project team measured sight distances at several access points and proposed three on‑site measures at the driveway exit ("no‑enter" signage, a painted stop line and directional arrows) to reduce driver confusion.

Multiple board members said on‑site parking as currently drawn is inadequate. One planning board member said: "You can't count 2 lots per for a driveway in a garage. My opinion." Board members argued that counting a garage plus a stacked driveway as two spaces will frequently result in cars left in the lane or on the private road because a resident must move a car to retrieve the other. The board also noted several townhouse footprints less than 21 feet deep, shorter than many pickup trucks.

Board members and staff also noted the conservation commission requested the applicant pull building and pavement edges back from wetlands in several locations; the applicant said the one‑way alignment allowed them to shift some pavement away from the wetland but that a two‑foot width change would move surfaces closer in spots.

After argument and questions from board members and at least one nearby resident, the board voted to continue the hearing to the Sept. 3 meeting so the applicant can supply revised plans, answer parking calculations and (if the board requests) provide a traffic study. The boards motion to continue was seconded and approved by voice vote.