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Neighbors press Falmouth ZBA on drainage, playground and traffic at 85 Brick Kiln 40B hearing
Summary
At a continued ZBA hearing on the 85 Brick Kiln 40B project, residents raised concerns about a proposed playground over a leaching field, snow-storage and concentrated drainage, traffic and the unit mix; the board continued the matter to Oct. 3 for further peer review and Board of Health input.
The Falmouth Zoning Board of Appeals continued its review of a proposed multiunit 40B project at 85 Brick Kiln after sustained public comment raising drainage, snow-storage, density and traffic concerns.
Several neighbors said the project places a children’s play area over the site’s proposed leaching/septic field and that the applicant’s plan to store snow on the paved area could concentrate runoff onto adjacent yards. "If we got a playscape in the middle of the parking lot, where are we going to put the snow?" asked Neil Geary (77 Brick Hill), who added that recent storms have caused flooding in his backyard. He warned the proposed design risks worsening existing drainage problems.
Other residents compared the project’s unit density to nearby developments and questioned unit mix. Christina LeBlanc contrasted a 36-unit project on Sandwich Road sited on 4.5 acres with the Brick Kiln proposal on roughly 3.2 acres and asked whether unit counts are appropriate for the lot size. Christine Geary urged the board to consult the town’s housing production plan, saying the town’s demographic analysis highlights declines in children and working-age residents and questioned whether a large share of studio units will meet local needs.
Traffic, sidewalks and cumulative impacts drew additional scrutiny. Jennifer Gleason (23 Sophie Lane) asked how the town will manage vehicle volumes at the Brick Hill/Sandwich Road intersection, noting multiple apartment projects recently approved or pending in the area and limited roadway capacity. Board members acknowledged traffic concerns but said 40B limits local control: while mitigation such as sidewalks can be conditioned in some cases, the board’s discretion is constrained under the state affordable-housing framework.
The applicant team responded in the hearing. A representative said the developer will submit a snow-storage plan to peer review, consider buffering and fencing, and overlay buffering onto the final landscape plan. The applicant also cited regional housing data showing a high share of single-person households to explain demand for smaller units.
The ZBA moved and seconded a motion to continue the Brick Kiln hearing to Oct. 3, and the motion carried by voice vote; the board also invited the Board of Health to address septic and wastewater questions at an upcoming session.
