Planning board delays final review of Danville Corner Road housing project after residents, members raise open-space and traffic concerns

The Auburn Planning Board voted to postpone final action on the Danville Corner Road housing development until its April 14, 2026 meeting, directing the applicant to provide an updated, project‑specific declaration of condominium, a revised open‑space plan or revised fee‑in‑lieu calculation removing retention ponds from the usable open‑space total, and additional traffic information including whether the consultant accounted for slope and road width and a snow‑removal plan.

The item, continued from a December preliminary approval, would convert the project to condominium ownership with one lot for the single‑family condominiums and a second lot for three rental apartment buildings. Planning staff told the board the application must meet Chapter 60 site‑plan and subdivision standards and recommended that the board either act tonight or clearly tell the applicant what additional materials are required for final approval.

The applicant said the current plan shows 4.46 acres of contiguous open space, with roughly three‑quarters of an acre consisting of a gravel wetland used for stormwater management. The applicant also described two internal walking‑trail loops, seven benches, and an intention to use a fee‑in‑lieu calculation to fund trail construction and amenities. In response to questions, the applicant estimated trail construction at roughly $15,750 and said the fee‑in‑lieu baseline was about $14,000; the wetland area was described as about three‑quarters of an acre.

Neighbors who spoke during the public hearing raised multiple concerns: how much tree clearing would affect adjacent backyards, whether the condominium declaration in the packet was a pro‑forma for a different property and county, and whether the planned open space would be sufficient and usable for the number of residents expected. Several residents also urged the board to review traffic and safety at the nearby Washington Street intersection, citing steep grades and previous collisions.

City staff and the applicant pointed to a traffic study prepared by VHB and said the city engineer had reviewed it; staff also noted that a signal for the Washington Street intersection is out to bid and is expected to be installed. Board members nevertheless asked staff to confirm whether the consultant had performed field observations and whether queueing on the grade and the bridge approach had been modeled.

On the motion passed by the board, the applicant was asked to return with a condominium declaration that is written specifically for this project (not a placeholder addressed to a different development or county), an open‑space plan that separates out stormwater/wetland areas from active public open space or increases the fee‑in‑lieu accordingly, and clarifying traffic documentation about slope, width and snow‑removal impacts. The board made the continuation unanimous.

The board did not take final action on the site plan tonight; the applicant may address the requested items and return for final review on April 14, 2026.