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Woburn City Planning Board approves Cliffside Terrace subdivision, grants six waivers
Summary
The Woburn City Planning Board approved the Cliffside Terrace subdivision and granted six waivers related to road and slope design, voting 5-0 after residents voiced concerns about lack of open space and potential blasting impacts; the board will notify City Council about trucking, blasting and construction scheduling.
The Woburn City Planning Board approved the Cliffside Terrace subdivision by a 5-0 vote, granting six waivers to accommodate road and slope constraints and concluding the public hearing after residents raised concerns about open space and blasting.
The applicant’s representative described a localized pinch point where a side slope must be graded at about 2.5:1 and said the design requests six waivers to address intersection geometry, minimum right-of-way width, maximum grade in a leveling area, sidewalks, planting strips and side slopes. The representative said the steeper area can be stabilized with landscaping and that other elements meet subdivision regulations.
During public comment, Craig Siegel of 15 Bradford Road told the board he did not see open-space set-asides on the plan and urged the board to consider requesting conservation or parkland, noting "the town is getting crowded" and expressing concern for local wildlife and trees. Board members replied that open-space dedication is not a statutory requirement for this subdivision review, but the board can request special provisions when appropriate.
Resident Heather Jones of 118 Garfield asked whether builders must post a bond to cover foundation damage from blasting. The chair and staff responded that blasting is not approved by the planning board; it is handled by the City Council through a special permit and overseen locally by the fire department, with the State Fire Marshal also involved. Staff said typical permitting includes a pre-blast inventory and before-and-after documentation for properties within roughly 250 feet.
Board members agreed to send the City Council a copy of the planning-board decision along with an FYI that flags three public concerns raised at the hearing — trucking, blasting and the developer’s construction schedule — so the council will be aware when the developer applies for any special permits.
The board then voted to approve the subdivision with the six requested waivers. The vote was recorded as 5 in favor, 0 against. The director said final revised plans reflecting the board’s action will be produced later, and a departmental preconstruction meeting will be scheduled before field work begins; board members were invited to attend that meeting.
Votes at a glance: The board closed the public hearing on the subdivision (motion by Dave; second by Caroline; carried). The planning board approved the Cliffside Terrace subdivision including the six waivers (motion moved and seconded; vote 5-0). The board also set a public hearing for proposed MBTA-area zoning amendments for Aug. 13 and approved the June 11 meeting minutes (each motion carried). The meeting adjourned at 7:35 p.m.
Next steps: The developer will pursue any required special permits before blasting, and the City Council will receive the planning-board decision and the requested FYI about trucking, blasting and construction scheduling. Final engineering plans and preconstruction meeting coordination will follow the board’s conditions and staff review.
