Planning Board to press ZBA on 250 Turnpike Road 40B over tree, signage and site-plan discrepancies

The Town of Southborough Planning Board reviewed prior letters to the Zoning Board of Appeals and agreed to send a revised letter on the 250 Turnpike Road comprehensive permit (40B), saying many of the board’s earlier concerns remain unaddressed.

Board members raised multiple technical and enforcement concerns. Miss Baracio said moving the property line could place trees that the approved site plan required into another parcel, potentially making the approved plan noncompliant and undermining required screening. "We're creating the potential to create a huge issue with modifying the property line after the fact," she said, urging the board to note the concern in its transmittal.

Members reviewed a site-plan sheet (D6) that appears to depict grass where existing trees actually stand along Route 9. Chair said the depiction "misrepresents the existing conditions" and asked staff to include a copy of the page showing the discrepancy in the letter. The board’s traffic reviewer noted that sight-line tradeoffs exist — grass improves sight distance while trees can impede it — but agreed that the board should question any removal of trees that were part of the previously approved plan.

The board also recommended that the letter call out signage and waiver issues: staff said the applicant requested a waiver for signage not within the 40B locus, which would not be eligible, and that a sign over 75 square feet requires a special permit (the applicant’s materials listed 100 square feet). The Chair also suggested the board request that any ZBA decision be conditioned so that site-plan approval is obtained (or a site-plan modification completed) before a building permit or special-permit use takes effect.

Members agreed to reuse the board’s August letter as a base, add sterner language noting repeated, unaddressed concerns, and ask staff to draft the revision for board review and transmittal to the ZBA.