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Neighbors raise safety, stormwater and property‑value concerns at hearing for proposed 1 Bear Hill Road gymnastics facility
Summary
At a Planning Board public hearing, residents objected to a proposed 19,200 sq ft indoor gymnastics facility at 1 Bear Hill Road citing traffic safety, stormwater runoff, light pollution and property‑value impacts; the applicant said stormwater plans and photometrics are in the submission and that EV charging is listed as "future."
The Merrimac Planning Board heard extended public comment Aug. 20 on a proposal to build a 19,200‑square‑foot, two‑story indoor gymnastics facility at 1 Bear Hill Road.
Members opened the public hearing after a presentation from Alex Sellar of TEC Inc., who described the project footprint, off‑street parking, landscaping and utility and stormwater infrastructure and said the traffic assessment found no significant local impact. Sellar told the board that electric‑vehicle charging is described in the application as a "future" installation to comply with code language.
Neighbors said the site change from residential to a commercial recreation facility would harm neighborhood character and safety. "We are devastated that the property is not designated as residential," said Cassia Varvaro, a neighbor at 2 Bear Hill Road, who added she fears the project would "have a catastrophic effect on our home value." Ariande Wright of 6 Bear Hill Road said she was "excited" about the idea but enumerated safety and resource concerns for the residential area, including stormwater runoff and light pollution. Joseph Gray of 87 East Main Street objected to locating the facility entrance on Bear Hill Road and described the intersection as "frequently congested." Jonathan Pena, who works from home at 4 Bear Hill Road, said he was worried about noise and increased traffic and asked the applicant to consider extensive tree planting to screen the building.
Alex Sellar and owner Dunkin Gould responded to neighbors' concerns. Sellar said photometric and stormwater management plans are included in the application package and that the site stormwater system is designed "to have zero discharge in most storms," and that the owner is "paying a premium for the site stormwater." Owner Dunkin Gould said hours of operation would be primarily 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. and that lights would be off after the building closes.
Chris Gaudet, chairperson of the Commission on Disabilities, told the board that access issues still need to be incorporated; Sellar said the Massachusetts Architectural Access Code requirements will be applied to the project.
The board closed the public hearing by unanimous voice vote and did not take a final vote on the project that night; the record includes neighbors' specific concerns about traffic, pedestrian access, stormwater management, light intrusion and property values, and the applicant's statement that technical plans for stormwater and lighting were filed with the application.
Next steps: the board will retain the application materials for review, and the project remains subject to further review and any required permit approvals.
