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Planning Board approves Chelten fire substation site plan with warning‑signal and signage conditions
Summary
The Town of Charlton Planning Board approved the Chelten Fire Substation site plan, conditioning approval on satisfaction of one remaining Graves Engineering stormwater item, installation of emergency‑vehicle signage, and a controlled warning (lighted) signal to warn motorists when apparatus exits the station.
The Town of Charlton Planning Board voted Nov. 20 to approve the site plan for the Chelten Fire Substation with three conditions intended to reduce risk when fire apparatus enters and leaves the site.
The board conditioned approval on: satisfying Graves Engineering peer‑review item #37 (stormwater/pipe size consistency), installing emergency‑vehicle signage on Muggott Hill Road and Oxford Road, and providing a controlled lighted warning signal that alerts motorists when apparatus are entering or exiting the station. The motion was moved, seconded and approved by voice vote.
Board members said the conditions reflect specific safety concerns raised in a traffic peer review and a recent accident summary. “From January 1, 2024 to Nov. 8, 2024 there have only been three reported accidents during on Muggott Hill Road,” the chair read into the record when discussing traffic patterns near the site. Board members emphasized the facility’s unique operational needs: emergency vehicles will be exiting onto a stretch of road where drivers often travel at greater speeds.
Jeff Bandini, senior project manager with Nitsch Engineering, told the board the traffic study did not meet the warrants for a full traffic signal but identified alternative warning devices that could alert motorists ahead of an apparatus exit: “There are devices that you can install that aren't like a true traffic system... like a flashing yellow indication,” Bandini said, recommending a lighted, solar‑backed beacon as an interim solution.
Chris Sanya, who helped prepare the traffic study, confirmed the study met required sight‑distance checks and responded to peer‑review questions about driveway sightlines. Town staff and consultants discussed wiring and sensor options that would enable the warning device to be triggered by station apparatus leaving or returning.
The board also directed the applicant to resolve a single remaining engineering drawing discrepancy on stormwater pipe sizing before final sign‑off. The approval allows the project to move forward while requiring those safety and technical clarifications.
Next steps: the applicant must supply revised stormwater details and a proposal for the warning device and signage for staff and Graves Engineering review. The planning board indicated it will confirm those items in staff‑level sign‑offs rather than returning the project for another full hearing.
