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Chapel Tractor seeks demolition and display expansion on Route 125; planning board schedules sitewalk and hearing continuation
Summary
An applicant for Chapel Tractor asked the Brentwood Planning Board to allow demolition of existing buildings and limited wetland-buffer disturbance to expand vehicle display area; staff flagged a required NHD permit and survey endorsement, the board agreed to a sitewalk April 11 and continued the hearing to April 16.
Christian Smith, an engineer with Beiel Associates, told the Brentwood Planning Board the Chapel Tractor application proposes to demolish an on-site residence and a former electrical-repair business at Route 125 and to remove the foundation slab to create display space for new equipment.
"There's an existing commercial business ... and the home of the former owners. Those are intended to be completely taken down," Smith said, adding that the pond behind the site—man-made decades ago—now meets the state definition of a jurisdictional wetland. He said the project would add about 4,000 square feet of gravel display area within the existing parcel boundaries and that the applicant has sought a wetlands permit from GO Environmental Services.
Board members and staff focused on three compliance points: appropriate handling of wetland-buffer disturbance via a conditional-use permit, a requested waiver from a drainage analysis, and a missing survey endorsement on the site plan. Town engineer Tara Aalina recommended adding a plan note addressing abandonment and removal of septic-system components if found in the right of way.
Glenn Greenwood, the town planner, said the applicant will need to respond to state DOT comments (including sight-distance documentation) and the board confirmed the conservation commission had offered an endorsement for the conditional-use approach.
Concerns about the 50-foot landscaping separation required by the zoning ordinance led to discussion over whether display areas should be treated the same as parking lots. "Historically, the board has not held that display areas are the same as parking areas and have not held display areas to that," Greenwood said, arguing the planned display will be new equipment rather than used vehicles that could leak fluids.
To help board members evaluate visual and buffer impacts, the planning board voted to hold a sitewalk at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 11, and to continue the hearing to April 16 at 7 p.m. The applicant agreed to address DOT and survey-stamp items before the next meeting.
The board also asked staff to add a plan note clarifying that access between two lots would remain in use while those lots are under common ownership and to require documented removal of any septic components found in the right of way.
The hearing will resume after the sitewalk and the applicant's responses to outstanding agency and staff comments.
