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Planning board reviews proposal to expand New Boston Self Storage at 175 Ware Road
Summary
The New Boston Planning Board accepted an application as complete to add about 4,500 square feet of storage space at 175 Ware Road, discussed wetlands and lighting, and scheduled an on-site visit before further action.
The New Boston Planning Board on March 24 reviewed an application from New Boston Self Storage LLC to expand storage units at 175 Ware Road (Route 77), accepting the application as complete and scheduling a brief on‑site visit ahead of further consideration.
The applicant proposes to add a 20‑by‑100 building, increasing the site by roughly 4,500 square feet of storage adjacent to an existing unit on a gravel pad, planning‑board members were told. Chuck Willinger, who identified himself as the surveyor on the project, said much of the site work appears already completed and that the new building ties into the existing layout.
Board members focused on wetlands, lighting and signage. "On the 2022 permit, they had to do a conditioning permit plan to address that, and they're not encroaching in that area now," a staff member said, citing work completed under the previous conditional approval. The staff member also noted that wetland delineations remain valid for five years, and that the existing certification from 2022 has not yet expired.
The board asked the applicant to show the existing permitted sign on the plan and to add a few additional lights along the building's west edge; Willinger acknowledged the lighting detail needed to be added. Members also discussed traffic, concluding that the expansion is unlikely to generate significant daily traffic because most users visit storage units intermittently and the operation has minimal on‑site staffing.
After members agreed there was no substantial change in hours or operations from the prior approval (24‑hour access was confirmed), the board voted to accept the submission as complete. The chair proposed, and members agreed to, a short on‑site inspection to verify existing conditions and erosion or sediment controls; participants tentatively discussed an afternoon visit the week of April 2.
The board adjourned further action on the application to its April 14 meeting, at which staff said it will report back on the site visit and any plan revisions. No public speakers commented during the open audience call on this item.
Next steps: the board said staff will arrange the site visit and that the application will return for substantive review and any required conditions at the April 14 meeting.
