Neighbors press ZBA on water, traffic and wastewater at 84‑unit 40B hearing for 373 Main Street

The Zoning Board of Appeals opened a comprehensive‑permit hearing June 17 on a MassHousing‑eligible 40B application for 373 Main Street (branded "Pond Meadow" by the applicant), a roughly 12‑acre development proposing 84 residential units and a 25% affordable set‑aside.

Paul Cussen of Deltech Associates, the applicant’s 40B consultant, presented the project team and reviewed the regulatory path: MassHousing issued project eligibility, and the applicant will follow local and state review steps. Cussen told the board the team plans to submit a stormwater management plan and calculations by about July 15 for peer review.

Project basics presented to the board: about 84 units organized into two‑ to four‑unit homes, roughly 21 units designated affordable to purchasers at or below 80% of area median income, and an anticipated market price range the applicant estimated at $775,000–$850,000 for market units and under $300,000 for affordable units. The developer said lots would be served by private wells, with an on‑site wastewater treatment facility and options to investigate municipal water hookup with neighboring Franklin.

Public concern focused on three technical issues:

- Water supply and contamination risk. Residents and board members questioned whether 32 private wells can sustainably support 84 units and whether nearby industrial sites pose contamination risks. The applicant said it will perform hydrogeological studies and produce a groundwater report; the town’s peer review firm (Beta) had previously flagged well drawdown as an item for analysis.

- Wastewater and long‑term operations. The plan calls for an on‑site wastewater treatment system; abutters and board members pressed who would fund and operate the system long term and whether condo association fees would cover operator and replacement costs. The applicant acknowledged these are substantial lifecycle costs and said financial capacity and operations would be part of ongoing review and permitting.

- Traffic and emergency access. The project proposes primary access to Main Street and an emergency egress through an existing easement to a frontage road; the applicant’s traffic study is on file. Multiple residents and some board members said sight lines, a nearby sharp bend and rush‑hour volumes make traffic a major concern.

Sue Jacobson, the town’s affordable housing director, said local experience with lotteries shows demand for affordable ownership units generally exceeds supply, but she noted tighter buyer qualification in the current market. She also described local and state programs (MassHousing down‑payment and Federal Home Loan Bank assistance) that can help buyers.

After extended public comment — with repeated requests that the applicant supply detailed groundwater, stormwater and wastewater analyses and with residents asking for more rigorous review of traffic and emergency access — the board voted to continue the comprehensive‑permit hearing to July 15 at 7:15 p.m. and to center the next meeting on traffic. The board directed staff to coordinate town traffic, fire and DPW reviewers with the applicant’s traffic consultant and Beta peer reviewers so that the July meeting presents a focused technical discussion rather than a purely public comment session.

Next steps: applicant to submit a stormwater plan and groundwater analysis for peer review and to engage with town staff on water‑supply options (including municipal tie‑in) and traffic/fire commentaries before July 15.