Mashby Planning Board reopens Trader Joe’s special‑permit hearing as traffic, safety and mitigation take center stage

The Mashby Planning Board on May 6 reopened a public hearing on a special‑permit application from Shellback Development LLC to build a roughly 13,229 square‑foot specialty grocery at 647 Falmouth Road, known in the filing as 9 Shellback Way. Attorney Christopher Karine, representing the applicant, told the board the project team had largely resolved civil engineering issues but that traffic remained the principal outstanding matter.

"What we have said and what we maintain is there will not be a significant adverse impact to traffic," Karine said, summarizing the applicant’s position that engineering revisions and proposed mitigation would prevent a legally sufficient finding of a significant adverse traffic impact.

Why it matters: The site fronts Route 28 (a state road) at a location with closely spaced commercial driveways and nearby signalized intersections. Board members, the town’s peer reviewer and the applicant’s traffic consultants spent the bulk of the evening on detailed traffic modeling, crash history, queued vehicles and mitigation that the Cape Cod Commission has required as part of its DRI (development of regional impact) review.

What the applicant presented: The applicant said civil concerns had been addressed by consolidating two proposed entrances into one driveway, adding screening and making minor grading changes. The design includes a right‑in/right‑out driveway aligned near the Rockland Trust driveway, pavement markings and a solar flash beacon across the proposed crosswalk. Landscape plans call for staggered rows of evergreen screening (7–8 ft at planting; eastern red cedar and American holly with 20–35 ft mature height listed) along the Deer Crossing condominiums boundary. The applicant also confirmed commitments on delivery timing and certain mitigation funds that were negotiated with the Cape Cod Commission.

How the traffic analysis changed: Bowman Consulting and the applicant said they performed a site‑specific observation at a Trader Joe’s in Hingham and that the Saturday midday count at that comparator was about 40% higher than the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) values originally used in the TIS. The applicant applied that uplift across weekday and peak periods for a conservative build scenario. Bowman’s traffic engineer Jason Adams and peer reviewer Greg Lucas said they also ran a sensitivity test using a higher background growth rate and included known future developments — notably several Mashby Commons 40B proposals — in the no‑build scenario.

Board concerns and peer reviewer findings: Board members focused on three practical problems: 1) approach‑specific queues that can exceed the available storage on Shellback Way and potentially block the crosswalk and adjacent driveways (board members cited 95th‑percentile queues that sometimes reached or exceeded the 135‑foot available storage); 2) a southbound de‑facto left lane on Route 28 (drivers in the left lane often wait to make left movements and through traffic shifts right, creating a short mixing zone near the proposed driveway); and 3) pedestrian and bicycle conflicts at the proposed crosswalk on Route 28 where a shared‑use path exists.

Peer reviewer Greg Lucas and Bowman agreed that signal timing changes and operational timing adjustments can reduce some collision types (for example rear‑end crashes driven by deficient clearance times), but they cautioned that timing changes typically shift delay from one movement to another. They said geometric changes such as adding an exclusive left‑turn lane would be large undertakings under MassDOT jurisdiction and are outside the scale of the applicant’s project.

Public comments: During the public comment period residents gave both strong support and sharp opposition. Supporters said the store would keep grocery dollars in town, provide lower‑cost food options for seniors and families and create local jobs. Opponents and nearby residents — particularly from Deer Crossing condominiums — said they fear increased queuing, new conflict points for pedestrians and potential cut‑through traffic in residential areas. Several residents asked whether MassDOT is likely to grant curb‑cut approval on Route 28; the applicant said its team is in the PS&E phase with state review ongoing but did not represent a 100% guarantee of approval.

Representative quotes: • Applicant attorney Christopher Karine: "We have done what we can... and what we maintain is there will not be a significant adverse impact to traffic." (Christopher Karine) • Public supporter Diane Scott: "Trader Joe's has resolved over 30 issues... and has offered additional funds to the town to address possible issues moving forward." (Diane Scott, public commenter) • Nearby resident David Eiguel (Deer Crossing): "I have concerns about traffic and safety; I have seen nothing that allays my concerns." (David Eiguel, resident)

Board action and next step: After extended technical discussion the Planning Board asked the applicant to provide a draft condition set and a draft decision for the board’s review. The board voted to continue the public hearing to May 20, 2026 at 6:40 p.m. so staff, the applicant and the peer reviewer could coordinate final language addressing pedestrian crossings, delivery hours, lighting waivers and the Cape Cod Commission mitigation commitments. The board also approved several unrelated procedural items that night, including a partial covenant release for 226 Dunroin Road and payment of the peer‑review invoice.

What remains open: The hearing will resume with a written draft decision and proposed conditions; board members want more precise language on delivery hours (the applicant has proposed two principal evening/night deliveries, with a rare third AM delivery not before 7 a.m.), final placement and orientation of the flashing crosswalk beacon, updated photometric limits for the requested 25‑foot pole waiver, and an agreed process with the Cape Cod Commission and MassDOT for any mitigation that requires state action.

The board continued the public hearing to May 20, 2026; the applicant and peer reviewer will provide revised materials and a draft decision in advance of that meeting.