The Middleborough Planning Board on Dec. 30 granted several zoning waivers for a proposed 40-unit apartment project at 12 Station Street, known as John Glass Square, but continued the matter to Jan. 7 to allow counsel and peer-review comments to be addressed.

The applicant’s representative asked the board to extend the decision deadline from Jan. 2 to Jan. 17 and to approve multiple waivers from the town zoning bylaw. The board voted unanimously to extend the decision filing period and to grant waivers that would allow multifamily apartments in the John Glass Square subdistrict, permit the building to exceed the 35-foot height limit (applicant estimated a maximum height of about 44–46 feet), and relax frontage, front-setback and facade-massing standards.

The applicant requested density relief from the bylaw’s 12 units per acre to a proposed 17 units per acre for a 40-unit scheme; the representative told the board the by-right yield would be approximately 35.68 units but they were seeking approval for 40 units. The applicant also corrected a drafting error in the proposed decision: an earlier draft listed 27 affordable units in error; the applicant and staff said the correct affordable-unit requirement is 10 units (25% of 40).

Residents and board members pressed the applicant on design and site details. One board member said matching historic brick is difficult but noted the architectural plans call out portions of brick; Beau McMahon, manager for Station Street LLC, said the plans “call out portions of brick on the building” and that the team was “open to options” for masonry and color. Another member recommended caution about the board directing aesthetics beyond bylaw requirements. The board discussed roofline treatments and whether prior, similar projects warranted identical roof changes.

Neighbors raised operational questions about fencing, dumpster containment, trash pickup and snow storage. A resident asked whether a fence would be provided between the proposed development and the fish market at 10 Station Street and worried about dumpster overflow and snowmelt reaching abutting properties. The applicant responded that the plans show shrubs at that edge and that dumpster enclosures include metal posts; trash service is proposed twice weekly and a full-time property manager would handle overflow, and staff pointed to permit conditions requiring maintenance and trash removal (conditions c5 and c29). The applicant also said three existing large trees would remain and that 14 new trees are proposed in the revised landscaping plan.

The board reviewed peer-review comments from Apex, which recommended collecting empirical traffic data at the existing driveway and requiring a stamped electrical layout prior to construction. The applicant said coordination with the utility is covered by condition 7 and disputed Apex’s traffic comparison, arguing that residential traffic would be less than past, occasional peak uses of the site (previous VFW events). Board members disagreed about whether comparing the site’s historical VFW use to a YMCA Land Use Code was appropriate and asked that traffic and retaining-wall details be confirmed. One member asked that retaining-wall drawings and calculations be submitted and noted that walls over 4 feet require a building permit.

With the waivers granted, the board agreed to continue the hearing to Jan. 7 to allow counsel and the town peer-review engineer to resolve outstanding items and to incorporate any edits into a final decision. If needed the applicant may request additional continuances.

Next steps: the board will reconvene the hearing on Jan. 7 at 7 p.m. to consider updated materials and attorney comments.