Neighbors press planning board on screening, tree removal and lighting at 154 Turnpike; hearing continued
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Summary
Capital Group Propertiess modification application for 154 Turnpike Road prompted neighbors to press for compliance: contested removal of a public shade tree, missing landscape elements from earlier approvals, and ongoing concerns about lighting and noise. The applicant provided an updated landscape analysis and photometrics; the board continued the hearing to permit review and follow-up.
The board reviewed a modification to the major-site plan for 154 Turnpike Road, submitted to document existing conditions and to request two tenant-specific improvements: two wall-mounted exterior security lights and two reconfigured accessible parking spaces.
Applicant representatives said exterior luminaires installed on-site are full-cutoff LED fixtures and were installed before the town's 2021 Dark Sky amendments; they argued the fixtures therefore qualify as lawful preexisting conditions. The submission included photometrics, a field-verified as-built landscape plan, and a screening analysis by the original landscape architect. The applicant proposed to add four flowering crab trees along Route 9 to comply with earlier tree-count requirements.
Several neighbors raised concerns at length. One neighbor cited a deeded right-of-way across the golf-course/storage site and asked the board not to approve any action until ownership and right-of-way questions are resolved. Another resident said a town-owned street tree on Breakneck Hill Road had been removed without a joint tree-hearing and asked for replacement trees. Other residents described noise from HVAC, late-night refuse handling, and use of the parking area for recreation and posed questions about screening sufficiency.
Board members asked the applicant to supply deed and assessor exhibits to clarify property lines, to confirm tree-caliper specifications for any required replacements, and to provide photometrics documenting that any new or replaced fixtures meet the town ark-sky and 3,000 K correlated-color-temperature limit for residential abutting areas. The board continued the hearing to March 23 to allow staff time to review submitted materials and the town consultant to report back.
What happens next: The applicant will supply requested deed/exhibit materials, confirm proposed tree-caliper and shrub sizes, and the planning office will review photometrics and screen counts before the board reconvenes the hearing.
