Steep‑slope permit hearing continued; planning board leaves written record open and asks engineering review of adjacent wall

The planning board continued the public hearing on a steep‑slope permit application for 414 Central Park Ave (case PB2516) on Oct. 15 and left the written record open to Oct. 29 to permit additional engineering comments.

Applicant engineer Elliot Senor described plan revisions including a proposed 4‑foot black vinyl chain‑link fall‑protection fence, a perennial wildflower seed mix for long‑term slope cover and a construction entrance. Neighbors and a contiguously‑owned property owner expressed concern that excavation and grading associated with the project could undermine an existing rear wall and requested the wall be pinned or underpinned. A next‑door owner also disputed use of their property for access and reiterated concerns about gas and electric meters, bollards and overhead wires.

Staff said it would ask the town’s Bureau of Engineering to provide recommendations within a week on whether the adjoining wall should be underpinned and to comment on preferred construction access. The board voted to close the public‑hearing session for that evening but to leave the written record open until Oct. 29 and to consider a decision on the steep‑slope permit at its Nov. 5 meeting, subject to receipt of the engineering review.

Next steps: staff will request an engineering opinion and circulate it to parties; the applicant and neighbors may submit additional material to the record by Oct. 29; the board will consider the matter at its next meeting if staff and engineering review are complete.