Cell One Ready Mix silo-height appeal continued to July 21 as board seeks fuller record

The board continued an interpretation and related variance matter for Cell One Ready Mix, adjourning the matter to July 21 so members can review prior records and await the applicant’s counsel. The item concerns an appeal of the building inspector’s October 11, 2023 determination and a concurrent variance request to allow silos as tall as 75 feet where the code allows a 35-foot maximum.

Board members said many sitting on the dais were not present for earlier hearings from 2023 and asked the applicant to present the project from the beginning so the board can consider both the interpretation of the building inspector’s decision and, if necessary, the substantive variance. Staff and members discussed whether the interpretation should be resolved first — if the board sides with the building inspector, the variance would be moot — and whether the public hearing notices from 2023 should be reissued because property ownership in the notice area may have changed.

Applicant representatives described technical reasons for silo design (cylindrical silos for bulk dry material storage, capacity trade-offs that affect truck traffic and site operations) and said they have obtained similar approvals in other towns and are prepared to offer design mitigations such as color and screening. Members asked for a fuller project presentation, clearer procedural history, and legal guidance on notice before proceeding to any substantive vote.

Because the applicant’s attorney was running late and the board said it needed the entire record, the board voted to adjourn the interpretation and the public hearing to July 21 at 7:30 p.m. Staff said they will review whether re-notification of abutters is legally required and recommended the applicant supply any outstanding attachments and supporting materials before the next meeting.