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Engineer outlines plan for five road‑front lots on Reservoir Road, board questions density and frontage relief
Summary
A pre‑application described a proposal to create five road‑front lots on Reservoir Road that would require frontage and lot‑area relief in the R200 zone; the applicant said wells and individual septic systems would serve the lots and the board questioned whether five lots was aggressive compared with conventional yields.
Joe Casselli, a registered professional engineer, presented a pre‑application for a minor subdivision on Reservoir Road. He said the site is roughly 14 acres in the R200 district and described a proposal for five road‑front lots with individual wells and onsite wastewater systems (OWTS). Casselli explained the smallest proposed lot would be about 73,000 square feet and others would be about 2.3 acres; he said none of the lots would encroach on freshwater wetland buffers and that septic systems would be permitted by DEM after lot creation.
Board members questioned the applicant about why five lots were proposed rather than a smaller yield (four or two) consistent with conventional calculations for an R200 zone. Casselli said the parcel’s history and unique configuration near the Smithfield/North Smithfield/Lincoln line and adjacent road network made the five road‑front lot design a preferred option; members pushed back, citing the prior zoning change from R80 to R200 and the need to be mindful of the comprehensive plan’s intent.
Casselli said the road‑front design could be a simpler permitting pathway because it avoids a new public road (which would otherwise require more infrastructure) and that wells and individual septic systems would be used. The board did not vote; members requested additional technical detail and soil testing to confirm suitability for OWTS systems.
