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Select Board grants 60-day extension, asks for milestones in 17 Elm Street public-way permit
Summary
After a contested public hearing, the Select Board extended the contractor's authorization to occupy the public way at 17 Elm Street for 60 days and ordered the developer to return with a detailed project schedule and milestones; the extension followed concerns about months-long delays, scaffolding, sidewalk closures and missing design elements.
Tim Spencer, the on-site contractor for Wakefield Associates, explained to the Select Board that redesign of a utility room and weather delays stalled the contractor's ability to bring utilities into the building and finish sidewalk restoration at 17 Elm Street. Spencer said crews had started water work and expected utility connections within about a week but could not provide a firm end date for re-opening the sidewalk or removing scaffolding.
Stephen King, the town's engineering official, told the board the project holds a street-opening/trench permit and typical bond arrangements; there was not a separate performance bond for the site work. King said the sidewalk will need a temporary paving solution to re-open the parking lane while vertical facade work continues. He estimated that vertical construction and exterior finish work could stretch six-to-eight months, meaning scaffolding could remain in place until the building facade is complete.
Board members and residents pressed developers for firm dates, raised concerns about trash pickup, noise, and neighborhood access, and asked for a detailed project schedule with firm milestone dates. The contractor said Page Street closures for crossings would be brief (1-2 days maximum) and that the water trenching had been rained out earlier in the week.
After discussion the board voted to extend the current permit for 60 days with the express condition that the applicant return within that 60-day window with a detailed timeline and high-level project milestones (utility completion, temporary sidewalk installation, scaffold removal schedule, sidewalk and curb restoration). The board said failure to present required details at the return date may trigger fines or further enforcement under permit rules.
