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Planning board approves Silver Hollow trail revisions, defers landscape/tree decisions to March 18
Summary
The board approved a proposed walking‑trail modification at Silver Hollow Estates and agreed to continue the landscape (tree) modification until March 18 after the town tree warden and staff review remaining planting locations and abutter concerns.
Developers and their designer updated the Westborough Planning Board March 3 on minor modifications at Silver Hollow Estates, a completed 26‑unit subdivision off Mount Pleasant Street. WDA Design Group and the developer said all 26 houses are built and occupied; the homeowner association will take over open‑space management when road acceptance proceeds.
Barry Atchison and Steve Rosenfield reviewed the definitive plan's landscaping table: the original 2019 plan listed about 202 trees and shrubs; the team reported 124 trees planted and identified a remaining inventory to be installed. The developers said ledge, utilities and wetland constraints limit some planting locations; they requested guidance and limited relief to relocate a portion of plantings and to resolve a discrepancy over an originally‑proposed row of arborvitae (61 proposed in one area). Atchison said the landscaper (Burrow Brothers) is ready to begin mid‑April and the developer prefers to consolidate planting work for efficiency.
Homeowner Netik Shah, representing residents, thanked the developer for progress but urged the town to inspect problem areas: rotten trees on shared ledge between Lots 23 and 24, removed retaining walls that left steep backyards (notably Lot 9), and delayed certificate‑of‑compliance issues for Lot 10 related to grading and erosion control. The developer and town staff said the conservation commission and engineering reviews are ongoing; hydroseeding and stabilization work are expected to address some items by spring.
On trails, the applicant presented a walking‑trail modification that reroutes informal paths away from wetland resource areas, adds signage and blazes and clarifies maintenance. The board voted to approve the walking‑trail modification (motion read into the record) as presented in the site plan entitled "walking trail modification and maintenance plan" prepared by WDA Design Group (dated 12/18/2024, revised 02/05/2025). For the landscaping/planting component the board moved to continue consideration until the March 18 meeting to allow consultation with the tree warden and to provide finalized planting locations. The applicant agreed to stake proposed tree locations for the tree warden's review.
Chair Hazel Nurse and staff emphasized that the planning board can approve trail locations but maintenance responsibility remains with the HOA; the board asked the applicant to confirm public‑access preservation in the underlying master documents. The developer said the HOA trust language had been amended to add enforcement mechanisms for open‑space violations and that the HOA would assume operation once the transfer is scheduled.
The board recorded motions to continue the landscape modification to March 18 and to approve the trail changes that evening. Residents were advised to coordinate remaining site questions directly with town engineering and conservation staff.
