Thoreau Residences LLC presented revised plans on Oct. 7 for a comprehensive permit under MGL Chapter 40B for a multifamily development on a 13.08-acre portion of property at 275 Forest Ridge Road in Concord.

At a virtual public hearing, the applicant’s team described a new layout with two residential buildings (rather than three), a widened boulevard-style driveway moved onto an adjacent parcel, and a shift from multiple above-ground stormwater basins to primarily subsurface drainage beneath parking. Civil engineer Bill Cordero said the driveway relocation reduces disturbance to a nearby drainage "kettle hole" and helps avoid congestion at the Forest Ridge roundabout; he also said the roadway design includes separated lanes to meet NFPA concerns for a single-ingress/egress site.

The applicant described several quantitative changes: an increase in unit count from the earlier submission to a plan the team characterized as a 237-unit design, a requested 394 parking spaces (a 1.6 parking ratio) including three detached garage structures, a reduction in lot coverage from roughly 72% to about 41%, and a net gain of about 1.6 acres of undisturbed trees and native vegetation compared with the prior plan. The team also said building coverage fell modestly from about 14.4% to 13.4.

On sustainability, the project team said the development would be all-electric and that they have retained energy-modeling and sustainability consultants. Mark Sec said the plan would provide rooftop-solar-ready roof structures, heat pumps, Energy Star appliances, ERV ventilation and smart thermostats; he also said 20% of parking spaces are planned to include EV-capable infrastructure. Engineering details the team cited include continuous roof insulation at about R-45 and window U-values targeted near 0.17.

Architect Jason Manske described aesthetic changes toward a more contemporary look with flat roofs and added balconies intended to reduce perceived bulk near abutters; the team also proposed a one-story amenity building and central courtyards. The applicant listed about 11,000 square feet of amenity space including a gym, bike room and resident management offices.

Board members asked for clearer visuals and technical overlays showing old and new plans, cross sections and building elevations to illustrate massing relative to neighboring homes. The board and town staff emphasized that the recently submitted planting, civil and architectural plans will be circulated to peer-review consultants and town staff for written comment; peer reviewers were expected to have several weeks to complete analyses, and the project’s traffic consultant will return with a fuller traffic presentation at the next session.

During public comment, Keith Bergman, chair of the Concord Municipal Affordable Housing Trust, urged the applicant to voluntarily comply with Concord’s fossil-fuel-free bylaw for new construction, noting another recent 40B project had agreed to do so. Mary Hartman (chair of the select board, speaking for herself) highlighted the town’s pending stormwater-management fee based on impervious surface and said reducing surface parking or using underground parking could reduce long-term fees. Multiple abutters requested elevation drawings showing proposed building heights and sightlines, and some residents urged the traffic study be updated to account for nearby regional 40B projects they said were omitted from earlier analyses.

Residents also raised construction concerns including truck trips, potential damage to the private Forest Ridge roadway and operational questions about the planned wastewater-treatment system; the applicant said wastewater design will follow MassDEP groundwater-discharge permitting and that details would be developed with state review.

The board took no final action on the permit or regulatory approvals. Elizabeth Dwyer moved and the chair seconded a motion to continue the public hearing to Dec. 5 at 7 p.m.; the motion carried with the voting board members recorded as voting "aye." The board and applicant scheduled a site-walk/working-session on Dec. 3 and directed staff and peer reviewers to circulate written comments ahead of the continued hearing.

Next steps: the applicant will provide the updated traffic report and landscape plan to staff and peer reviewers, produce requested overlays and elevations for the board and public, and return at the continued hearing on Dec. 5 for further review.