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Planning board denies traffic-waiver request, advances Morrison Center site-plan changes and Arundel Lane subdivision review
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Summary
The planning board reviewed a Walsh Engineering site-plan amendment that separates the Morrison Center parcel and creates an 11-unit Arundel Lane condominium, discussed stormwater and parking revisions, and voted not to grant a requested waiver of the subdivision traffic cap (200 ADT), a decision that passed with one abstention.
The planning board heard a presentation from Warner Gilliam of Walsh Engineering on a proposal to split the Morrison Center parcel at 526 Post Road and create an 11-unit condominium subdivision accessed by a new Aranda Lane.
Gilliam said the amendment would shrink the rear parking area, relocate the driveway (to become Aranda Lane) to serve the rear residential units and relocate stormwater infrastructure so runoff for the Morrison Center is handled on the school parcel. "The proposed request for the site plan amendment is to separate the Morrison Center lot from the remaining lot," Gilliam said during his presentation. Lena Tope of Walsh Engineering joined the presentation on behalf of the applicant.
Why it matters: the split and the new access affect parking, stormwater and traffic counts for both the commercial/school parcel and the new residential units, and the board must decide whether to allow a traffic waiver that would limit future review requirements.
Planning staff told the board they had provided plan markups and that some items remain incomplete, including stormwater pond installations and as-built corrections. Staff noted seasonal constraints for completing the stormwater ponds and asked for realistic timelines on remaining work.
A central dispute was a waiver request tied to the subdivision regulations: the town’s rule requires a second access when average daily traffic (ADT) exceeds 200; the applicant asked the board to cap ADT at 225 trips (based on the site’s prior school use) rather than require a second access. Staff described the waiver request as "to cap it at that number," and the board debated whether the property’s prior school use — which several members said has not operated continuously in recent years — should be used to set that cap.
One committee member moved that the board not grant the waiver for the trip count; the motion carried with one abstention. After the vote the board and staff agreed to continue the application and address the outstanding plan markups and performance-guarantee requirements so final approvals for the site plan and subdivision can coincide.
Board members also discussed landscaping and buffer determinations for the Route 1 frontage and the new lane, including whether to keep four existing trees, where to place two additional street trees, and options for a six-foot fence or lower-level plantings to screen new parking adjacent to future residences. Staff and the applicant agreed to return with revised plan markups and details on a fence or low-profile screening that would not conflict with utility connections.
What’s next: the board continued the site-plan review to allow the applicant to submit as-built corrections, revised landscaping buffers and remaining stormwater items and to coordinate final site-plan approval with the final subdivision approval.
