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Abiomed expansion prompts commission request for site visit and possible Order of Conditions
Summary
Abiomed proposed a 23,000 sq ft building addition at 54 Cherry Hill Dr; the plan would increase impervious area within the 100‑ft buffer by roughly 9,180 sq ft, prompting commissioners to request a site visit and consider whether an Order of Conditions is required instead of a negative determination.
Danell Baptiste of High Point Engineering and Cindy Murphy of Genesis AEC presented an RDA for alterations at 54 Cherry Hill Drive on behalf of Abiomed. The proposal replaces approximately 8,000–9,000 square feet of building with a new ~23,000 square‑foot addition, expands parking and adds EV charging and ADA circulation improvements.
Presenters described a stormwater strategy that includes a new infiltration basin in the site’s southwest corner and a proprietary water‑quality unit upstream of the basin. The plan routes grading and treated runoff away from the mapped wetlands toward Cherry Hill Drive and identifies perimeter erosion controls, construction fence and straw wattles for the work limits. Presenters said snow storage would be kept outside the buffer and that de‑icers such as calcium chloride would be excluded from O&M procedures.
Commission discussion centered on the scale of increased impervious surface inside the 100‑foot buffer. The filing reports no net change in the 35–50‑foot zone but an increase in the 50–100‑foot band from 1,570 to 10,750 square feet (a net increase of roughly 9,180 square feet) post‑project. Paul McNulty asked how that additional impervious area would be mitigated; presenters pointed to treatment and infiltration measures, subject to engineering review and MassDEP Stormwater Handbook standards. Peter Wilson expressed concern about prior snow‑storage noncompliance in the corridor and said, given the scale and multiple nearby projects, the commission should consider handling the matter under an Order of Conditions rather than a negative determination.
Baptiste closed by noting site grades generally direct flows away from the wetlands and that perimeter protections were planned. Commissioners agreed a site visit and review by the full commission would be needed before issuing a determination.
Next steps: commission requested a site visit and further review; no determination was issued at this meeting.
