Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Subdivision 17 Green St topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Northborough planning board approves preliminary three‑lot subdivision at 17 Green Street
Summary
The Town of Northborough Planning Board on Dec. 16 approved a preliminary three‑lot subdivision at 17 Green Street (Knox Trail) with waivers for a 40‑foot right of way, a 20‑foot traveled way, and permission to construct sidewalk on one side only; one member opposed the open‑space waiver.
The Town of Northborough Planning Board approved a preliminary conventional subdivision for 17 Green Street (Map 37, Parcel 13), commonly described by the applicant as the Knox Trail subdivision, at its Dec. 16, 2025 remote meeting.
Applicant Justin LeClaire of McCarty Engineering and owner/applicant Steve Corbo presented a revised plan and a response letter addressing outstanding department comments. The team said they had updated shape‑factor numbers, will verify wetlands with a wetland scientist, and will provide a full drainage analysis and permitting to the conservation authority.
Board members focused discussion on three practical items: sidewalk placement, the cul‑de‑sac (bulb) radius and turning geometry for emergency vehicles, and whether Open Space Residential Design (OSRD) rules apply to a three‑lot pocket subdivision. Staff and the applicant agreed the small size and surrounding single‑family lots make a full OSRD plan impractical; OSRD questions were treated as open items to be revisited if the board’s regulations change.
On sidewalks and road width, the board asked the applicant to pursue a compact design. Planning staff and several members favored a single five‑foot sidewalk on one side of the road with a continuous walkway around the cul‑de‑sac bulb and an ADA ramp at the throat; the applicant agreed to include one‑side sidewalk details in the definitive submission and to provide vehicle turning diagrams to demonstrate emergency access. The fire department’s deputy chief, Neil Espizzi, was cited as saying a 20‑foot unobstructed width is acceptable if turning‑radius requirements are met.
The board voted on a series of waivers the applicant requested and then approved the preliminary plan subject to findings and conditions. Recorded actions included: a waiver from subdivision rules section 10‑36‑050b1 to allow a 40‑foot right‑of‑way; a waiver from section 10‑36‑050b3 to allow a 20‑foot traveled way; and a waiver from section 10‑36‑060 to permit sidewalks on only one side of the proposed roadway. The board also approved a waiver from section 10‑36‑080 (open‑space set‑aside requirement); that motion passed with one member opposed.
In the final roll call on the preliminary approval the board recorded an opposition vote from Anne Carter; other members present voted in favor, and the board chair signed the decision when staff revised the language to reflect the night’s changes. Staff will include detailed sidewalk and cul‑de‑sac geometry in the definitive submission and the applicant must demonstrate compliance with fire‑department turning requirements before final endorsement.
The board’s approval is limited to the preliminary subdivision (findings of fact and conditions were attached to the decision). The applicant must return with definitive plans, vehicle turning exhibits, final drainage calculations, and any required permit filings from conservation and other permitting authorities.
