Residents raise safety concerns as Zoning Board hears plan for 24-unit senior complex on Cedar Road

Nicole Blanda, attorney for GNR Building Corp., presented a proposal to build a senior citizen multiple-residence complex on Cedar Road that would add 24 one-bedroom units across four two-story buildings on a 1.37-acre parcel rezoned to SCMR. Blanda told the board the site would include 50 parking spaces — 14 more than the 36 required — and that the project meets the town’s density allowance (the site would allow up to 34 units by the code density, and the applicant is seeking 24). Planning and environmental memos are on the record; the planning board previously approved the site plan.

The application seeks several limited variances, including reduced lot area (1.37 acres where 2 acres are required), a small front-yard encroachment for mechanical/RPZ closets (a 7.5-foot-wide bumpout yielding a 25.5-foot setback for a short run of frontage), a localized 16-foot pinch between two buildings where 20 feet is required, and a rear-yard corner setback of about 14.6 feet at the tightest point. Blanda said the design decisions were driven by site geometry, utility vault locations and the need to preserve parking and truck-turning movements. She described the RPZ enclosure as a fiberglass enclosure sited close to an underground water vault and said the design team verified minimum clearances with utility and traffic reviewers.

Multiple neighbors spoke during public comment. Ruth Pier of 119 Cedar Road said she and others are concerned about traffic, emergency access and the area’s capacity to handle more residents: “It’s dangerous,” she said, raising examples of frequent emergency calls and limited street access. Her husband, Anthony Milling, described Cedar Road as a dead-end that already funnels emergency vehicles and delivery trucks around existing senior housing and said adding 24 units would increase congestion and safety risk. Residents also said they circulated a petition opposing the project and that code enforcement has previously investigated occupancy issues at a nearby senior complex.

Blanda and the project team responded that the design includes a truck-turning diagram reviewed by traffic and fire-safety consultants and that the site plan provides adequate ingress/egress. She said the applicant exceeded parking requirements and that planning and safety reviews by town traffic and the fire marshal were part of earlier approvals. Board members asked technical questions about building separations, the location of utility closets and how emergency vehicles would enter and exit; the applicant said engineers provided a truck-turning study and that the layout accommodates sanitation and emergency vehicles.

The board took public comment and closed the hearing but reserved its final decision. The applicant agreed to several planning-board conditions shown in the record. The board will issue its written determination in the zoning office and via mail.

The hearing included one successful procedural motion to remove an obsolete variance related to a site detail; the board otherwise reserved action on the main application.