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Engineer presents Woodland subdivision plan; applicant proposes pump station upgrade and optional soccer field
Summary
Legacy Engineering presented a conceptual open‑space subdivision on about 53.25 acres in Millis; the proposal includes municipal water/sewer, an upgrade to the Dover Road pump station, stormwater infiltration basins, HOA maintenance, and a conceptual soccer field that the town would decide whether to accept and maintain.
Dan Merricken of Legacy Engineering presented the Woodland subdivision concept to the Millis Board of Health on July 13, describing a roughly 53.25‑acre wooded parcel proposed as an open‑space subdivision with a mix of lot sizes, municipal water and sewer service, and stormwater designs intended to infiltrate nearly all runoff on site.
"We're proposing to do an open space subdivision," Merricken told the board, outlining a road layout that would include a cul‑de‑sac and a looping Dominic Drive, with a short interconnecting Laura's Lane. He said lot sizes would vary to match three zoning districts and that the applicant plans municipal water and sewer connections.
A central engineering element is an upgrade to the Dover Road pump station, which Merricken said is at capacity and would need rebuilding to serve the new development; that upgrade would be reviewed separately by the select board and the town's peer reviewer. Stormwater measures include infiltration basins and an underground infiltration system near Philip Road; Merricken said test pits confirmed suitable soils and that the designs aim to infiltrate most runoff.
The applicant conceptually proposed a soccer field in an old gravel pit in the rear of the site; Merricken said the select board must decide whether the town wants the applicant to build a field the town would then maintain. On maintenance, he said the homeowners association for the open‑space subdivision would own and maintain stormwater facilities and O&M documents and templates would be submitted for town review.
A peer reviewer and board staff provided technical comments on water supply and hydrant locations, drainage modeling (time of concentration and rainfall events), and the zone‑2 impervious area limit, which the reviewer noted "can't be more than 15%" and could become a condition on individual lots. The board and consultant agreed the applicant would revise plans and responses and return for further review; Merricken said the project will also go to the zoning board of appeals next month for a special permit.
