Neighbors tell planning board Sky High Drive proposal raises safety, access and stormwater worries

During the public hearing on the Sky High Drive proposal, multiple neighbors described the neighborhood as remote and unsuited to higher-density affordable housing without additional mitigation. Sandy Bagwell, who said she lives at 16 Scribe Drive, told the board the metal road “has no shoulders,” floods in heavy rain, ices quickly and is not plowed by the town — all conditions she said make the site unsafe for children, elderly or disabled residents.

Jennifer Beigel (16 Sky High Drive) and other nearby property owners echoed those concerns and pressed the applicant and staff for more detail on stormwater and septic plans. Town staff clarified that any new impervious surface created after the town’s cutoff date (discussed as around 2006) must be treated in a stormwater plan, while impervious area demonstrably present before that date is not counted the same way; staff and the applicant said they will provide aerial imagery and technical designs with final submissions. Residents also asked whether Sky High Road would be taken into town maintenance; staff did not commit to a change in maintenance status and said the road is expected to remain private unless otherwise negotiated.

The board acknowledged these public concerns in its deliberations and set conditions requiring full technical documentation and a site walk before a final decision. The applicant and staff said they will refine designs and address the stormwater, access and safety issues during the final-review phase.