Council reviews revised Bolton property plan; developer shifts unit mix, pledges preserve access and design elements

Council members on June 22 discussed a revised preliminary plan for the Bolton property, where the developer and staff described changes made after Planning Commission review and prior council comment.

Cathy Cantanzariti summarized the Planning Commission’s May 21 review, saying the subarea A plan “consists of 275 total residential dwelling units, 63 of which were single‑family detached cluster units, and the remaining 212 units are attached single‑family units,” and that the submission included about 21 acres of open space. She noted the plan’s numbers align with the city’s agreed judgment entry, which allows up to 63 acres and a maximum of 300 dwelling units, and that the Planning Commission recorded a 3–4 recommendation not in favor over concerns about unit arrangement and road layout.

Developer representative Sam Petros of Homestead Developers described revisions intended to address council concerns. He said the layout now segregates rental and for‑sale attached buildings and increases some lot widths. "We tried to strive to get to 60...we ended up less than that, one short," Petros said describing single‑family frontages; he added the developer reduced the peak single‑family count from about 68 to 59 lots and that the attached for‑sale units increased from 117 to 124 while rental attached units decreased from 95 to 87.

Staff confirmed those adjustments yield about 270 units in subarea A—124 attached for‑sale units, 87 attached rentals and 59 single‑family lots—roughly 30 units under the 300‑unit cap in the agreed judgment entry.

Council members praised several changes. Multiple members thanked the developer for moving apartments away from the 90‑acre conservation area and for lining rental buildings along Route 615, which council had requested, and for increasing single‑family lot sizes adjacent to the conservancy.

Staff and the developer also discussed street classifications: streets A, B and C in subarea A and a section of D (from C into subarea B) will be public roads to meet required widths and public‑safety access; other north–south streets will remain private, which staff said reduces city maintenance responsibility and may discourage cut‑through traffic.

Council raised how residents and the public will access the adjacent nature preserve during early phases. Petros said short‑term access could use the existing Bolton Drive and the area near the mansion; he said he has a future parking layout that could accommodate about 120 spaces and that roughly 25 spaces exist now near the manor. "It's exactly 20," Petros said when asked whether the new layout preserves 20 acres of open space. Council staff recommended adding a legislative condition to secure roughly 20 public parking spaces adjacent to subarea A in the short term.

City legal/administrative staff reminded council that the agreed judgment entry frames the review process and gives council the authority to amend the plan; they also noted this is a preliminary plan and the developer will need to submit refined plans and a final plat before construction proceeds.

On design, Petros said he plans to reuse stone from an on‑site church house and to incorporate stone entranceways and other materials to reflect the Bolton mansion's architectural character; council members expressed support for that approach.

There were no formal votes on the plan at the work session. A council member moved to adjourn; another seconded and the session ended. Staff said a refined submittal and subsequent legislative action will be brought forward for council consideration in the coming months.