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Planning Board opens extended review of 'Crandall Commons' comprehensive permit amid tribal and soils concerns
Summary
Attorney for the applicant presented a conceptual comprehensive‑permit application for 12 units at 1588 Bogomarsh Road; the board and multiple public speakers, including tribal representatives, pressed for archaeological review, soils testing for saturated soils and a clear plan for open space and OWTS, and the board agreed to extended review and a menu of study options.
Attorney Matthew Landry presented the Crandall Commons comprehensive‑permit concept for 1588 Bogomarsh Road on July 7, describing a revised layout for 12 new units — including three low‑and‑moderate‑income units (25% of the new units) — and said the design had been altered to increase buffers and reduce requested relief.
Landry said the applicant reduced the amount of relief sought and relocated buildings to increase setbacks and open space; he said the site is roughly 9.8 acres and the proposal remains well under the maximum density permitted under the enabling act. Seth Lemoine of Principe Engineering described stormwater locations, OWTS areas and a 20‑foot roadway with Cape Cod berms to satisfy fire‑access requirements.
Board member Stew Hardy raised multiple technical concerns about soils and public health risks from building on saturated soils. "I am concerned that if you put these triplexes in areas with saturated soils, we could be creating a real problem," Hardy said, noting the municipal absence of piped water and sewer and urging town staff to consult soil‑mapping experts and relevant programs.
Multiple members of the public and representatives of local tribal organizations asked the board to require a professional archaeological assessment with tribal monitoring before approval moves forward. Leslie Rich, director of the Pocasset (Pocahontas) Land Trust (and attorney for tribal interests), urged an upfront evaluation: "There were certain concerns about potential burial grounds," she said, asking the board to condition approval on an appropriate assessment and tribal involvement.
Planning staff and the applicant agreed to develop a short "menu" of review options — including a preliminary professional archaeological inquiry and protocols for tribal monitoring — limited to the area of disturbance and with approximate costs, so the board, applicant and tribal representatives can agree on the proper level of study. The applicant said extensive, expensive full‑phase work at this concept stage may be premature but indicated willingness to coordinate with the Historic Preservation and Heritage Commission and with tribal representatives at the preliminary plan stage or as a condition of approval.
The board voted to extend the application's time clock to allow the additional review, to coordinate a site visit and to request a written list of the precise waivers the applicant intends to seek for the next hearing. Town staff will pursue soils mapping and consult with subject‑matter experts to assess saturated soils and OWTS feasibility.
No final approvals were issued for the comprehensive permit concept; the board required more information, directed staff to coordinate study options with the applicant and tribal representatives, and set the matter for continued review.
