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Proposed 32‑unit Larkin Drive master plan draws resident concerns about traffic, privacy and habitat connector
Summary
Snyder Residential Company presented a master‑plan sketch for subdividing a 7.02‑acre parcel at 25 Larkin Drive, proposing a 32‑unit multifamily building and conservation lots; board and nearby condo residents discussed habitat‑connector mapping, sidewalk alignment across wetland buffers, street typology and the status of an existing pool within the proposed conservation area.
Snyder Residential Building Company presented a master plan sketch July 21 for a 7.02‑acre site at 25 Larkin Drive that would create six lots (two conservation lots and three development lots) and, in the first phase, a 32‑unit, four‑story multifamily building on Lot 2. The applicants said about 2.3 acres are developable and that conservation lots will preserve the site’s natural resources, including tributaries of Bartlett Brook and wetland pockets.
Staff asked for clarification on reported lot‑coverage percentages and requested a more complete development plan for Lots 1 and 3 (which are currently conceptual). A major staff and board focus was the habitat connector: the LDRs require a 150‑ft minimum width even where GIS mapping shows a narrower corridor, so applicants anchored the 150‑ft measurement to the back of adjacent condominiums and extended the connector across the site and onto neighboring parcels where the river‑corridor overlay already restricts development. Nearby residents voiced concerns in public comment: Bob Davis (Harbor Heights condominium president) said "It does see considerable traffic" on Larkin Way, described frequent truck and service vehicle use, and urged attention to sight lines and safety; other residents said a 4‑story building close to existing 2‑story condos would reduce privacy and asked about the existing pool that lies within the proposed conservation area and is leased by the condo association.
The board discussed street typology (narrow neighborhood streets calm traffic; wider lanes may be necessary for truck access) and asked applicants to consider a different street type if they propose wider lanes; staff and the board encouraged locating sidewalks to minimize wetland impacts (no greenbelt through wetland buffers is typical). Applicants proposed using some landscaping budget to restore the habitat connector where planting is warranted; the board said it would consider that but asked applicants to specify locations and rationale. The master plan will return with more detailed layouts, phasing and management‑plan information at subsequent hearings.
