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Planning board conditionally approves Flight House gym at Market & Main, requires traffic study, wayfinding and tenant‑change review
Summary
The board granted final site approval for a proposed 30,000 sq ft Flight House gym at Market & Main with precedent conditions, including a traffic impact study, parking management plan and wayfinding signage; a waiver for impervious coverage was also granted. The board required the applicant to return for final approval of traffic/parking mitigation and to notify the board if the tenant changes.
The Bedford Planning Board on Oct. 20 voted to grant final site approval for a 30,000‑square‑foot Flight House gym at 125 South River Road (Market & Main) but attached a set of precedent conditions and reporting requirements focused on parking, traffic and wayfinding.
TF Moran presented the architectural package and said the design preserves a barn‑like focal element and retains existing stormwater infrastructure; the applicant requested two waivers (setback and impervious coverage relief). TF Moran's traffic and parking consultant reviewed recent parking counts across the Market & Main campus and presented sensitivity analyses for future trip generation. The consultant also said he and town reviewers would run additional trip tests and add conservative trip allowances to show corridor impacts.
Board members said they needed clearer off‑site intersection analysis and a parking/wayfinding plan before final implementation. The board added a specific precedent condition (condition 6 in the staff memo) requiring the applicant to return for the board's final review and approval of a parking management plan, traffic impact study and wayfinding signage; it also added a condition requiring the board be notified and review any future change of tenant for the fitness facility to ensure consistency with the modeled traffic profile. TF Moran and the developer agreed to return with the additional analysis; the board approved the site plan and granted the requested waiver for impervious coverage (application cited ~80.6% proposed vs. 75% allowed). The approval passed with one recorded opposition.
Traffic engineer Bob Duvall said the counts show available parking at current buildout levels but recommended additional sensitivity checks; he told the board they would "add 100 trips" in a conservative scenario to test signal and intersection performance and work with VHB and town staff on final analysis. Flight House owner Jay Collins described the gym as appointment‑ and class‑driven, saying it is not a mass‑membership model and that operators will actively manage client circulation and exits.
The board’s approval is conditional on completion of the staff‑listed precedent conditions (including the traffic analysis, parking management plan, and wayfinding signage) and final sign approvals to be reviewed separately.
