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Westborough approves limited weekday extensions for Pulte concrete pours after vocal resident opposition
Summary
The planning board allowed Pulte to use up to seven weekday evenings (until 9 PM) strictly for large concrete pours at Del Webb Chauncey Lake, provided the developer gives 72‑hour notice to the HOA and community development director and limits the extended hours to identified pour days; residents urged denial because of repeated past off‑hours work and enforcement concerns.
The Westborough Planning Board approved a narrowly tailored, temporary modification of construction hours for the Del Webb Chauncey Lake subdivision managed by Pulte Homes, allowing up to seven weekday evenings (until 9 PM) for large concrete pours only, with conditions designed to protect residents.
Matt Hamilton, Pulte’s project manager, told the board the request is limited to the structural concrete pours needed for large slab pours (about 18,000 sq ft), operations that can require continuous work late into the evening for a single day. Hamilton said scheduling requires coordination with concrete pumps and vendors and can be weather dependent; Pulte agreed to provide notice to residents and the town before scheduled pours.
Several Chauncey Lake residents opposed the request strongly at the meeting. Christine McNicholas and others described a history of off‑hour activity, including work on Sundays and deliveries before permitted hours; they urged the board to deny the request or impose strict limits. Patricia Gagne and other residents said they had documented earlier violations and worried an exception would be broadened in practice. Former building inspector Fred Leonardo urged residents to document off‑hour work through the police dispatch line so the town would have enforceable records.
The planning board balanced those enforcement concerns against the structural necessity of single‑day pours. The board’s motion approved a temporary modification limited to weekdays, restricted to identified concrete pours only, and required Pulte to notify the HOA and the community development director at least 72 hours before any scheduled pour. The board emphasized that the modification does not change standard construction‑hour rules for other activities and that enforcement avenues remain available if subcontractors work outside declared hours.
Pulte said it will coordinate scheduling, provide notifications by email through the HOA distribution, and make best efforts to finish pours as early as practical. Town staff and the former building inspector said they would document complaints and proceed with fines or enforcement where warranted.
Next steps: Pulte will notify the town and HOA at least 72 hours in advance of each extended‑hour pour; the town will document any violations and take enforcement action as appropriate.
