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Developer presents scaled‑back 200‑unit Thames Road concept; board raises access, services and design questions
Summary
B&R Development presented a concept plan reduced from ~595 units to about 201 units on Thames Road; board members pressed the applicant on water/sewer capacity, fire access/sprinkler needs, school impacts and roadway configuration and encouraged varied architecture and pedestrian access.
B&R Development and its engineer presented a concept for a 201‑unit multifamily condominium project on Thames Road, proposing triplex buildings (67 three‑unit buildings) and two floor plans intended to accommodate a range of household types.
Larry Rosenberg, introduced as a managing partner with R and D/R Development, told the board the concept reduces overall density from an earlier ~595‑unit proposal to roughly 201 units on a 201‑acre parcel and that the plan currently avoids wetland crossings and encroachment. He described unit types as two‑bedroom triplexes with options tailored to empty‑nesters and families.
Board members asked whether reduced density changed requirements for variances, whether water and sewer capacity could serve market‑rate (non age‑restricted) units, and whether fire apparatus access, sprinkler requirements and school enrollment impacts had been adequately considered. Rosenberg acknowledged previous fire‑chief concerns during earlier, larger proposals and said the reduced unit count should lessen staffing and service concerns, but that final determinations will follow site engineering and formal applications.
Members urged the developer to consider: adding interior loop or cross‑roads to avoid a single long loop road; providing walking paths and playground/amenity connections; varying building architecture rather than repeating identical triplex elevations; and preparing more detailed traffic and utility analyses rather than conceptual sketches. Board members and the developer agreed that coordination with Granite Hills Condominium Association and resolution of outstanding litigation over access are necessary before a formal application.
What happens next: The concept will be refined; developers were asked to provide grading, drainage, utility and emergency‑access details with a formal application. The board’s early feedback emphasized safer circulation, a variety of architectural treatments and documented utility capacity checks.
