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Board grants variance for rockfall barrier at Sonar Drive after owner details mitigation plan
Summary
The Board granted variances allowing a soil berm, Jersey barrier and fence at 20 Sonar Drive to mitigate rockfall from an adjacent cliff; the owner said prior temporary measures were removed and engineers recommended the proposed berm, swale and fence configuration.
The Woburn Board of Appeals voted Oct. 1 to grant two variances allowing 20 Sonar Drive LLC to install a rockfall mitigation system that includes a soil berm (swale), Jersey barriers and a chain-link/steel fence along a steep cliff behind the property.
Attorney Joseph Tabby presented the petition on behalf of owner David Bamforth (also spelled Banforth in hearing notes). Bamforth said the property sits at the base of an old quarry cliff and that recent rockfall events prompted exploration of mitigation options. The owner previously used shipping containers as a temporary barrier and later installed draped engineered mesh protecting roughly 100 feet nearest a building; those containers have since been removed, Bamforth said. Consultants from a contractor with geotechnical expertise (GSI) provided engineered, stamped drawings for the installed mesh.
The variances sought were: (1) to reduce the rear yard setback from 20 feet to 5 feet at two pinch points at the base of the cliff so the proposed berm and swale can be constructed; and (2) to allow an increased barrier height up to about 11 feet 8 inches where the Jersey barrier and fence will be located at the berm top. Bamforth described the proposal as a continuous berm running much of the rear property line, a swale between the cliff and the berm to capture rockfall, and Jersey barriers with fence on top to stop smaller debris.
Board members asked about ownership along the cliff, the long-term need to remove rocks accumulating in the swale, visibility from nearby residences (petitioner said the mitigation will not be visible from residential properties), and whether the proposed design was sized by geotechnical consultants. Bamforth and counsel said geotechnical engineers and civil engineers mapped rockfall paths and advised the combined solution; the mesh currently protecting a portion of the cliff was installed with stamped engineering drawings from the contractor’s team.
After discussion, a board member moved to grant the variances; the motion was seconded and passed by voice vote. Tabby and Bamforth offered board members tours of the facility and noted the business on-site, Renascott, operates advanced manufacturing work and employs mainly younger workers.
What’s next: The applicant will proceed with engineering and building approvals required to construct the berm, swale and barrier; the board’s vote granted the requested zoning relief for the design presented to the board.
