Planning Board approves Forge Crossing subdivision with waivers and conditions after technical fixes

The Westford Planning Board on June 23 approved PV260435 (Forge Crossing/West Prescott), a five‑lot subdivision, after the developer and staff agreed to technical clarifications and conditions addressing stormwater, waivers and site details.

The board’s approval, made "as discussed this evening," follows revisions the applicant, represented by Jeffrey Brem of Master Brem Corporation, submitted to address engineering comments. Brem described changes that removed a previous curb waiver, relocated a proposed stormwater basin to meet a 30‑foot setback from abutting property, and revised waiver justifications where the basin remains between new lots.

Board members and staff focused on three technical issues: vehicle‑tracking plots for the cul‑de‑sac (an AutoCAD plotting anomaly that staff asked the applicant to verify), clarification of where a waiver to provide only two feet of pipe cover applies versus the typical four‑foot roadway detail, and clearer wording in the decision document about the environmental and functional trade‑offs of the smaller cul‑de‑sac radius.

Resident Paul Kravitz (31 West Prescott Street) urged the board to revisit the concrete trash pad’s placement, noting the current hauler requires barrels to face the street and that, as designed, the pad may be unusable. "We do believe that that concrete pad is not going to be able to be utilized because the barrels now have to face the street," Kravitz said. The applicant agreed to a condition requiring coordination with town management and the refuse provider to resolve placement and orientation of collection containers.

Other conditions the board required include striking or rephrasing language in the draft decision that suggested lot devaluation as an offset to cost savings; adding conspicuous notes to plan details indicating where waivers apply (for example on the typical cross‑section); confirmation or revision of stormwater invert elevations after the basin move; as‑built plan requirements and certification prior to issuance of certificates of occupancy; and clarifying that certain conditions apply specifically to subdivision lots one through four (to avoid penalizing the separately recorded ANR lot).

Town engineering staff told the board they had re‑reviewed the revised basin and related materials and that the outstanding items could be managed through conditions. The applicant cited a 2,292 sq ft reduction in impervious area compared with a required cul‑de‑sac loop (a 13.8% reduction) as part of the justification for the proposed layout.

The board closed the public hearing, then approved the application. The motion to approve was made and seconded; the meeting record notes the motion carried with a majority and one opposition. The board’s final decision will incorporate the clarified wording and technical notes discussed at the meeting. Plans will be endorsed (mylars) after the 21‑day appeal period and once required securities/conditions are satisfied.