Planning Board schedules public hearing for 25 South Bedford canopy after design and lighting questions

Anthony Mastro of Chazen presented an informal site-plan June 17 for a fueling-island canopy at 25 South Bedford Road, a 0.35-acre service station in the BR (business retail) district. The proposal calls for a 24-by-56-foot canopy with a 15-foot clear height beneath and an 18-foot parapet. Mastro said the site is a pre-existing nonconforming use and that the canopy will trigger several variances related to setbacks because of the property’s double frontage.

Mastro described recessed canopy lighting (eight 140 W fixtures at about 2,700 K) and circulated 3D renderings. Board members asked that the photometric study be expanded to include existing building lights and illumination at the site perimeter and at neighboring properties. "You show the photometrics under the canopy, but what matters is the perimeter of the site," one member said; staff asked that hours for on-site lighting be specified (applicant reported current site hours as 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.).

The board also raised safety and design items: protective bollards should be located to shield canopy columns and not be inside structural members; foundation depths should be specified (applicant said foundations go to frost depth, roughly 7 ft); and the fire-suppression system for pump protection needs detail and confirmation that nozzle heights will not be clipped by large delivery trucks.

Members requested the applicant confirm whether canopy sightlines could obstruct drivers approaching the intersection, though the group concluded pumps may present a greater obstruction than the canopy. The project will go to the ARB for materials and color review; the applicant stated there is no proposed signage on the canopy.

After staff confirmed the submittal deadline of June 29, the Planning Board set a public hearing for the second meeting in July (July 21) and outlined materials needed for the hearing: an expanded photometric plan that includes existing fixtures, lighting fixture specifications and color/temperature, fire-suppression details, bollard placement that protects structural columns, foundation details, and sightline verification.

Next steps: applicant to provide revised plans and studies by June 29 for inclusion on the July 21 agenda; staff will circulate comments and schedule a public hearing.