Planning board grants preliminary-plan waivers for Kachet Woods subdivision, requests full survey and wetlands before final

Hopkinton’s Planning Board on March 4 granted a set of waivers that let the applicant proceed with preliminary-plan review for a proposed seven-lot residential compound at Kachet Woods while the applicant completes outstanding permit reviews and surveying.

Engineer Patrick Freeman of American Engineering told the board the applicant (Shoreline Properties; owner Dorothy Gardner) had applied to state agencies for on-site wastewater and stormwater permits but had not yet received approvals. Freeman asked the board to allow the preliminary plan to move forward while those state reviews proceed to avoid procedural delay. He also requested a waiver from the requirement to submit a class-one survey for the entire 60-plus-acre parcel, proposing instead to submit a class-one survey for the eastern portion that will be subdivided and to rely on a 2003 perimeter class-one survey for the remainder.

Board members said they would accept a partial class-one survey now provided the applicant submits a complete survey and wetland delineation by final plan. One member noted the older 2003 survey did not show wetlands and asked that wetlands be added to the next plan submission. The board voted to grant the preliminary-plan waivers, including the limited survey waiver, and made approval conditional on providing the complete class-one survey and required wetlands documentation before final approval.

The motion to grant waivers carried on the board’s recorded voice vote. The board marked the applicant’s submitted sheets as exhibits for the record and directed staff to reflect the conditional waiver language in the meeting minutes and permit file.

Next steps: applicant to supply the old perimeter survey, add wetlands delineation to the plans, and finalize outstanding state permits (on-site wastewater and stormwater) before the project advances to final plan.