Planning Board - Regular Meeting

for the planning board meeting July 10th. Let's start with a pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the government which stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. Uh our first agenda item is board business. Um do we have any comments on the minutes of prior meetings of the June 5th and June 23rd? I do for June 23rd.

Okay. So on page two uh the second paragraph um under Morrison um Morgan Pearson who is the speaker on behalf of um the Lupi company was very clear about which buildings were going to be going up first and I think that should be in the minutes. So around 44 to 45 minutes into the video, um he says the the first residential will be O andQ and I believe he said the retail would be EDH EDGH and I which is different than previously in the phasing plans. So because that is different and because it's stated in the meeting, I think it's relevant to be put into the minutes. Okay. And then um

I think they may I I sensed that after their Las Vegas trip they are detecting I mean they're energized by more interest in pushing that forward in a in a time right which I was you know that's interesting uh I actually have prepared things for that um trade show years ago and I would say that the developers always come back really excited but until you know until something happens. Um anyway, so I thank you everyone. So I have one other item. Oh, sure.

Sure. Thank you. So on also on page two, paragraph number eight that starts out with um select board member Nord House. So, I know that there was discussion um that he brought forward about the affordable housing units and so um town planner Tuhill mentioned that the Littleton bylaw allows Lupi to build fewer than the required 29 affordable units in O andQ. And I would just like an explanation as to how that's done because in the inclusionary bylaw it very specifically says that um it needs to be consistent with the percentage of units built. So that's why I would like an explanation.

Yep. I'll forward that email once again. It's not a function of an email. I actually want it explained because I don't understand that email. Okay. It's okay. So, let's put that on the um August uh board, you know, board business for next meeting. Okay, that would be great. Uh is that it? Yes. Thank you. Anyone else? Nope. Uh bills? Um you have one bill um from MAPC for the hazard mitigation plan. Successfully adopted.

Um yeah, 99% of the way there. The select board adopted at the meeting on the 23rd. It's um been sent back to MAPC. MAPC sent it back to MIMA. Mima will forward it to FEMA for their final um letter back to us.

So on the matter of the last meeting with the board of selectmen, um thank you all of you who attended in person, Anna, thank you for watching the video. I watch the video. Um I I thought there was actually new information um with the you know specifically with the retail. Um I sort of groaned when someone jokingly referred to a tram way between 550 king and the point because I'm think h does that mean we'll have to do a tram bylaw and go to town meeting and and everything. But anyway, um any uh member input on any what we've talked about King Street Commons. Um do we have anything in the town newsletter this month?

Um yeah, July was Yes, we do.

Okay. Okay, that's fine. We can all check it out. Um the let's talk about the um uh 550 kingde um it's quite the document. Um I reviewed it. I'm you know there's so much jargon and technical information. And I think the thing that I would direct anyone who's interested to is the traffic which actually consists of most of the um the document um and even that is very technical but uh I think we can all um you know benefit by thinking about the issues that are going to come or that might come up. Um anyway, the other thing that was interesting that I had forgotten about is that, you know, there's on street parking on King Street alongside, you know, the retail, which I thought was interesting. Um to be reminded of. Anyway, uh anyone else have any comments about the um I mean it's been posted on our website. Um I it's quite dense. Um so I would say if people want to take a look at it please do. Uh I don't think it's it's expected uh of any one of us to master the details in that but there are high level um you know uh issues that it addresses. Um anyone else have comments about it? So I would add that the update from today was

uh from the state was that the public comment period has been extended um through the middle of August because it was really a brief well yeah it was the standard one month but and that has been extended. Okay

that's good to know about the extension since we only had three days to look at yeah a 1200page document. So I I think to your point it is very dense but there are a couple of things in there that I just wanted to point out that that I I would like to understand. So from a process perspective how does this work? In other words this MEPA excuse me this deer this draft environmental impact report gets sent to MEPA. Do they then review it and provide comment back or have they already received it and are and the Lupi company is now providing comment back because later in the document around page um 183 there's a whole bunch of information that's sort of like question and answer question and answer so I would just like a better understanding of what this process looks like so that when we so anyone who provides comment what happens to that comment. So that would be great.

So that that is a good uh question because there was definitely a there had been a back and forth between whoever wrote the report and Lei and because Lei at time said we concur we you know we plan to do this we plan to do that. So what is the process?

Right. So to get to this point, what's happened before now is um that this um the developer provided an environmental notification form and based on that form, the state provided guidelines and a scope of what should be included in the draft EIR. So, this report is the draft EIR that's been submitted to the state that opens a public comment period and um which we're in now that we know it has just been extended. um those comments are incorporated um accepted and then the state issues a decision or or certificate on the draft EIR and at that point um they outline what needs to be addressed in a final EIR.

Okay. And so the developer would address those issues that the state deems are required to be addressed for the final. It's like our peer review process. Yeah. Yeah. Similar. And um the other thing that comes out at the end in the final is a secretary certificate. In this case, the um mass dot letter um mass dot review of the traffic impacts and the traffic mitigation will be important. that that's the state function. So this is the beginning of a more extensive process. Although it's it's all part right all part of the state

process. You have the framework of the way they're going to look at it. Um so if you have comments, how do you submit them? So on the 550 King Street project page, okay, off the planning board page, I we just reiterated um the state process for submitting comments directly to the state. Okay, Anna, any So with that said, thank you Mar. So with that said, um on page 200, it stipulates that the deer will be available in the library. So, I wanted to ask whether or not this has been provided to the library to be able to have for public review.

That's a good question. So, the applicant um is required to have those in the places where they say they have them. Okay. So, we can I was just in the library. We can check.

Okay. All right. So, that's available for the public to go and look at. Um so one of the things that I wanted to just touch base on because we have had the applicant before us um talking about the hotel and this goes back you know a year ago and in the document the deer um they identified the hotel as being five stories several times so it's not just a typo it's several times and so I know that they indicated that they are following are are following the uh the documents, but that's not something that's in any of their decision criteria that we have put forth. So, I don't know where they're getting five stories and why they're feeling like they can provide that to Meepa as if it was fact. I also think that the pro the hotel process is in play because of their which at the meeting they did confirm they bought the two properties next to where the hotel would be. Um we when they presented the idea of a hotel to us we did push back on the height. I think specifically the height on the sort of plaza, I think we may have allowed that the height along the entry road could be higher because it's relating to the apartments, but uh yeah, that's

so that's one of those situations that I think needs to be identified and addressed even to go so far as to um put forward that formbased code indicates that I think it's 240 ft back or whatever that number is needs to be at formbbased code height not five stories. Yeah. So what's the process for the board to be submitting comments not because we're not the public? Well, I mean, technically we're the public, but these are more uh comments from the board uh here and I think they carry at least process-wise should be car handled differently than just inputs from the public in general.

And that's for you to choose how to do that. If the board wants to vote on a specific um set of comments to provide um then you certainly would do that through the same process. you know, put it out outline what the comments are, what the specific comments are. I would suggest that we have another meeting um before the comment deadline and if the board wants So, our next meeting is August 7th. Yeah. So, let's then let's schedule a discussion of any board um comments on the uh DEIR to convey as part of the comment period. Mhm.

Can you pull a minute from the meeting we had about the boutique hotel? Because I do think and I that we did we did we did talk about it being five stories in conjunction with where the um where it met up to the apartment buildings that the back side of it back two stories showing it in. Yeah. Um, so I think we need to be very clear as to what right what we're talking about there because you know this is I guess this report is interesting but to me it doesn't overrule or override any of the decisions of the special permit that they've been granted. Right.

I don't want any implication that there is any priority of this report over the decisions of this board.

No, not at all. regarding the hotel. There were several other comments at the select board meeting. Uh one about asking about the Tuttle House. Where is the Tuttle House? And he said, "Oh, it's still there, but you know, we're we're they're talking now about using it as a um you know, as a function space." Um, and I I guess I'd like anyone to comment on briefly the walkthrough that they showed at that meeting. Um, I mean that was quite something and um I thought it was interesting that it ended although no one identified it at what might be a new town hall. Um, and anyway, I'm just curious about board members comments about that, if any.

Um, you know, uh, one of the things that I recall spending a lot of time talking about when the Poly Company first came to Littleton was just in terms of what it looked like to be able to keep it in tune with what Littleton looks and feels like. That feels very modern. It looks like it belongs in Southern California somewhere, not in Littleton, Massachusetts. So, I'm very disappointed at, you know, the design. Okay, Bartlett, any comments?

Well, it's it's certainly a huge change from what is in Littleton now. It's it is very modern looking. Um, it's also by itself and it may be able to stand by itself as a I mean the point is very different from the rest of Littleton and it's so um being close to the common I may that's more of a problem that it's but I think the the the 250 ft of form-based code is our main line of defense that we'd have to keep those rules enforced back to that on. Okay, Darl.

Um, I guess I guess I don't have the same reaction uh there. I mean, I've been to uh in Salem, is it Tuskcen? Tuskan Village.

Tuscan Village. And you know, and then some of the other newer modern developments that style is seems to be the style of development that is drawing customers and residents uh there. So, I think that's an important part. um there you know I'm you know I like some tradition but again at the same time there's time for change too so uh on it uh there you know given that our our downtown is bisected by two state roads that make it pretty much inhab inhabitable uh there and most of the se several of the buildings are not necessarily ones that you would designate as historic preservation buildings uh there so I'm not that wet personally that wed to a specific style of building. As long as it's done in a tasteful and manner that in fact it's a little bit contemporary, it doesn't bother me.

Okay. Do you have any comments?

I do. We actually and I agree with Darl. Um everything you see coming up nowadays is like Tuscan Kitchen. We're going to lose the mill. The mill is going. We want the mill to be gone. That's the last old vestage in the common. So if it starts, if it all blends together with new apartments there and everything else like that, it's going to be a destination. It's not going to be sleepy Littleton that we knew 50 years ago. This is the way all all cities and towns, you look at everybody around us, Marboro, Actton, Westford, everything that's being built now is built with that modern look to it like the Tusk Tuscan Kitchen. If we can get something like Tuskan Kitchen here, I think we're way ahead of the game. And the one thing I'd like to add, sorry to take the floor back. Uh there is, you know, as you do drive around, you do see that there's some it must be a cookie cutter um apartment building plan. Uh there you can you can see it,

you know, when I drive through Portland, Maine. You know, there's these box style things that every other one is set back like 3 ft from the other one with a a plaid collar scheme across it. You see that everywhere. It's all hard and plank. Yep. Uh there uh on it. And I hope that we're controlling have enough control that that's not what we're going to get relative to the to that, you know, because that the problem is engineers and architects steal from everybody else. They're not creative enough. It's a matter of um what what sells. I Yeah. Well, and also what costs. But anyway, I I don't I don't want to Mr. Chair, if I may just comment on their comment. Mhm.

So, you bring up a really good point. Okay. It's not going to be Sleepy Littleton the way that it was 50 years ago, but one of the things that forb did have was a specific look and feel to it. Okay. And we agreed as a town that that's part of what we wanted. One of the things that is missing from this deer, this environmental impact report is there is no description as there should be about the impact of ex to the existing residents. It talks a lot about what the new residents are going to feel, but it sort of feels like the existing residents, all 10,000 of us are talk about availability to the people in town and everything else like that. We need to address that from our standpoint. From what's the town going to do? Are we having a shuttle service? Are we doing commuter?

There was a there was a section in the DEI. We need to do we need to make sure that's all addressed because that's all been talked about as the drop off place as coming from the you know as a train station there potentially who's going to pay for it. So these are all good comments to put onto the um

you know comments. Okay. Before we go off the deer, I do and I'll I'll prepare something a little bit more specific relative to the traffic study there that I would like to make sure that they look at uh there because I think they've oversimplified the human behavior fact factor of the traffic characteristics there. uh and that we already know that that that that those two intersections saturate during uh commuter hours in terms of how far they back up uh almost all the way to um you know well past the second or third entrance at the IBM place and you know in the morning all the way down towards Grten in the evening all the way back towards Actton uh there. So I think they're underestimating in their traffic model the difficulty it will be from entering and exiting uh during those times and I I think we need to make sure that that gets additional attention during the state review.

Well that's fine. I thought that they did address those specific they addressed the model and well they talked about you know signaling and change in fact the state didn't agree with Leolei wants to change the signals at the common and and the state for some reason didn't agree to it but anyway uh okay so let's I heard you say we'll be discussing this further well not discussing what I think is people should prepare comments if you want them filed as from the planning board we will have an agenda item at our next meeting and vote on them. Then I have one final question and that is does anybody recall what the traffic counts were back when IBM was at full capacity with they're in that report.

Okay. Well, that's what I mean. Does anybody remember what that number is? They had 5,000 cars in American back in the heyday. So, it's way less than what's in there now. Because right now on page 7-76 it says 13,388 new trips per weekday. It's I don't know. Not a traffic engineer. That's part of what we need to to address. Um Okay. So, uh Nick, Mr. Lawler, you're um Well, introduce yourself. Sure.

Yeah. Nick Lawler, general manager of Lton Electric, Light and Water Departments. Um, I believe I'm on the agenda for a project update relating to the large disruption disruption to the community over the last couple years. And I like to take this time always to thank the community for their patience as we work through some main parts of the town uh to install this infrastructure. Um, there's really there's really three pieces to the project. Uh, there's a collection system. Uh, that's all the pipes in the ground, pump stations. There's the treatment plant that's at 242 King Street. And then there's the E1 discharge site at the high school. Uh the effent discharge site that got completed years ago, uh it's permitted at the high school for 244,000 gallons per day. Um current flows are right around 10,000 gallons per day. Uh and our existing system uses uh that uh high school discharge site. Um same area but different system. Um we'll get back to that. I'll kind of wrap up with the discharge site uh discussion. As you guys know, we've been looking at uh expansion opportunities. Uh the collection system is starting to wrap up. Uh that's the work that Luvoli is doing uh down King Street and Great Road. Um we were hoping to wrap up in the fall last year. We ran into significant issues really by um that second entrance on on King Street going towards uh Westford. They hit they hit a bunch of ledge uh and a and a unmarked duck bank that wasn't on the plane that they had to get under uh led to uh some delays in the construction. Uh they've gone through that ledge uh this spring and they've gone by that duck bank and there's about 220 ft left of uh mainlined pipe that needs to be installed that would come it's past that second entrance to IBM uh goes down to cartridge. Uh so that's the last piece

that should be installed by the end of next week. Uh they're again they're out of the hard rock so they're they're installing about 60 to 80 ft a night. Uh, so hopefully by the end of next week, remember they work Sundays, Sunday night, Monday night, Tuesday night, Wednesday night, and Thursday night. On Thursday nights, a little bit slower because they're trying to get the the plates off the road and pave and get it in somewhat um decent shape for the weekend. Um, so tonight will be somewhat slow as they do that work, but then Sunday night they'll be back installing pipe and hopefully by end of next week all the main line is in. Uh there are still five services all to do and punch list items and I'm anticipating probably through August uh they'll be in town um in a much different capacity but addressing some of those uh items. Uh a as you probably have noticed paving operations has started uh they've gotten done from the high school to Russell Street. Uh so that final pavement there uh and they will start up uh from Shadic Street to the common uh start next week. So we'll start milling uh next week up there and they're going to do um great road from the entrance to Mobile to Robinson Road. Um this has been heavily coordinated uh really for months through other contractors. So, as you know, Northern Bank has a lot of work going on. Uh, state DOT, National Grid, there's been a lot of coordination trying to make sure uh that all the road work gets done um once final paving in. Uh, so we've always been uh very receptive to working through that. Um, so they're going to stop Roberts Road to allow Northern Bank to get their infrastructure in the road. Um, and then the state DOT is requiring 90 days of settling time before final paving. So obviously where they're installing now they got to wait the 90 days. So the last round of paving will probably be

October time frame 90 days from when they stop come in uh pave uh King Street from the comment to West Lion and then um Great Road from wherever they drop stop at Robinson Road to um right in front of um Dr. Donuts there. Um, so that's that's Revol. That's a collection system and the treatment plant. Um, startup operations were supposed to start uh this week. Uh, so that's really where they start running through all the processes to make sure the plant's going to operate. Pumps, dryers, blowers, um, membrane equipment, all the electrical stuff's going to operate the way they anticipate. Uh, which it never does. It startup takes a long time, especially uh, for a sewer plan. were anticipating two months of really kind of going through this process. Uh we've hit some hiccups and um really want to thank Henry in the building department came out today to kind of help us really get through those hiccups in electric room. We had moved a piece of infrastructure out of that room. Um and we're hoping to be back on schedule for next week as far as goes. We hit about a week delay there. Um there's still I wouldn't say there's a lot of work left to do there, but uh whenever you're wrapping up a building project like this, all the disciplines at the end are trying to get there. um punch list and their work done and they're kind of starting to trip over people. There's a lot of people up there today. Um but substantial completion is uh August 30th. We'll see how startup goes um as they start to to work through the equipment. Um anything else for the plan? That's about the plant and then the uh like I talked about the effluent uh discharge site. There's kind of two pieces there as well. We we're um as you know we're trying to expand the capacity permitted capacity at the high school uh which involved over the late winter early spring we pumped about 200,000 gallons per day of water through

that site to get some real data uh to build and fine-tune a hydraulic model that the DP would accept. Um that model is about 99% done uh and it looks promising. was promising that we'll get some capacity out of there. Uh and like the commissioners have stated from the beginning, their their primary goal is to first work with the the other businesses in the common um as they figure out how much capacity they have and and go through a very deliberate process um once we have that number. Uh so so the intention there is to finish that model uh talk with the D before we submit um for an increase in in discharge, understand where they stand with it, submit that that permit request uh and work through the through that process DP to try to increase capacity. And then the second piece of that is trying to find an additional discharge site in town which has proven to be extremely difficult. Um I think last time I was here I think we talked about uh the the engineers um several different times throughout recent history have used GIS model data to try to find where potential discharge sites might be and then you follow it up by trying to dig borings uh to see what's in the ground not rely on GIS data. Um there was two sites that we identified that that um warranted further explor exploration. uh Gray Farm off of Heartwell in that that general area and then the Tubin Park. Uh they this is all relative new information. It's kind of happening real time. They they were out on grave farm today and that proved at least preliminary not to be a successful discharge site and either tomorrow or Monday they'll be out to tubing park to look to look at that uh site as well. there there was some initial borings done on the on the Fletcher property

that maybe showed some potential. That's how we landed on on that site. Uh but we'll we'll have that answer probably by the end of next week. That's a site worth exploring further. I think that's my update. Happy to answer questions. Um yeah, so in the the deer that we were just discussing um one of the things here at the recommendation of mass DOT, a partial reconstruction of the traffic signal at Great Road and King Street. So what kind of coordination is happening? Is any of that work that they're going to need to do there for that reconstruction going to involve the pavement? And what kind of coordination or are you not aware of that? Yeah, I'm not looking at what you're looking at, but Mass DOT has been heavily involved. I mean, they're out there all the time. They they know what they're doing, so I don't know what they're doing if they if they've installed.

Can you I guess can you just coordinate to make sure that whatever they're proposing in response to King Street is being addressed before the all the paving occurs or I can tip them off, but I mean I mean smash dot road and I can't tell them what to do. No, but they're telling you whether you can pave there or not and uh on it. So, it would make sense to make sure that if there's construction going to be necessary at that intersection that somebody's at least coordinated that before we pave it. It's going to be paved twice. They're going to pave it to make it so that it's drivable, fixed, all the pipes are in, and if mass dot comes in and decides to add another lane,

I'll make our contacts aware, but ultimately it's their decision. I know it's their decision, but I just think we ought to know given that we know another project is going to occur at where you're paving. Uh it would make sense for us to at least do some kind of coordination to make sure that everybody does know that that because I don't know if it's the same part of mass DOT that's overseeing your part of the project is the same part that's reviewing. Yeah, I'll make I'll make the district aware the comment. Yeah. Yeah, I have a question. Are you done there? That that capacity. We've been all talking about capacity. Capacity. Correct me, but when it leaves beautiful 242 King Street, it's going to be drinking water quality, isn't it? Or close to I wouldn't drink.

You want to come first step, but it's supposed to be clean. It's extremely clean. Um, and D doesn't allow for any more surface water discharge permits. So, and I think that's where you're going with that. And I would I would say yeah, the Brooks right there if it's that. But, uh, DP doesn't allow they haven't I don't know remember the last time they issued a new surface. Air has one. And doesn't reading have one, but those go back years. Yeah. New ones. We need a new permit.

Can't you put it in the in a pond and then let it leech into the slowly leech into it? Is that a little different or It seems like we're taking we're having trouble getting rid of clean drinking water or almost clean drinking water, you know. And and my my fear is is that as we get going on this project up at 550 King Street and maybe the mill comes in and everything else, we're going to be there's going to be a capacity issue a lot sooner than we're all realizing. And that's and that's one thing we don't want to have to deal with. Yeah. as do you. But it is what it is at the end of the day, right? I mean, I

I have to work within within D requirements and guidelines. Um I can't make a discharge site, right? I can't just make ground all of a sudden handle hundreds of thousands of gallons of water. So, um definitely more definitely open to hearing other ways of doing it. Uh D strongly pushes the ground discharge. Sure. Um, which this town unfortunately doesn't have an abundance of that type of material. What about parking lots? What about like the point parking lots or sals parking lots? Can we discharge it back underneath those? The So, the point does that now? So, the point has their own 80,000 gallon per day discharge permit that they put under the parking lot.

Do they have more capacity? No, we don't know. No, it's just I'm I'm just afraid that in a couple of years time this is going to be right at the head. Yeah. I don't think it'll be a couple years, but I I I hear your concern for sure. Yep. I'm hoping it it isn't, but Yeah. You know, that's my biggest concern is where we're going to put it. Yep. What about back on Didn't we talk about trying to get it down to Foster Street? That's still no not good. That Yeah, that land didn't didn't test out well from the GIS level. We never dug a hole there. So, um, what about the apple orchard in Morrison's? Huh? Apple orchard's great for, um, distributing. That's why apple orchards are in there cuz they love the water.

Yeah. They love the weather. They don't like to get rid of the water. Oh, we'll try to stay out of that orchard. All right. Okay. All right. Never mind. Just thought I'd ask. Yeah. I mean, it's I mean I mean even that was great. Now you're piping all the way across town discharge. So it I think it would change drastically how we're thinking about where to put some of this infrastructure if something like that was to prove fruitful. We have all those pipes left over from PAS. Can't we just stuff it in there? Yeah. Thank you. But yeah, that that is that is the concern really for for the community, right? Is that is the that is the the the bottleneck is that is that capacity discharge capacity.

Thank you. Anything else? So I just wanted to ask as I was um mentioning earlier in the meeting I I think you might have been here. So with um the Leoli company's new plan shifting a little bit from um doing retail later to perhaps pumping that up. I mean when they make those kind of changes to their plans, are they working with you to kind of determine capacity? Okay. Yeah. I mean they they have a fixed capacity of 150,000 gallons per day. Um, so we don't necessarily care really what they do, how they face it in until they hit that number. So that's their fixed number for right now and they can do with it what they want.

Yeah. And and they're they've been in constant communications, you know, as far as changes. Um, and they're I think they're more concerned about that capacity limitation than than Mark is, you know, that's that's really going to be restrictive to what they can do there as well. So yeah. Thanks. Okay. Thank you, Mr. Thank you. appreciate it.

Um the next agenda item for um agenda item three is to continue a continued public hearing for Harvard Avenue lots one and two storm water permit. No, I'm sorry. Am I is that we have Yes. Okay. Okay. Okay.

Good evening. Bruce Ringwell here for DECA for um art wall out plots one and two. We modified our plans and our responses to um I guess we call them green now, not Green International anymore. Um we got responses back this afternoon. Um I think we're pretty much in line with what they want with a couple of minor changes. One of the things that they listed as a possible condition, um, we did a whole lot of soil testing throughout this property, both during groundwater seasons, quote unquote, for, um, under your storm water guidelines and during the summer. And all of the tests throughout the whole meadow and field area were all very consistent no matter when we did them because you're using modeling and not actual weeping of groundwater. anymore. We use modeling more scientific methodologies. Um they're not all exactly underneath the drainage basin that's over on the slope over there. Um but we have test holes very close to there. So there are two options that were thrown out. One to make use of the test holes that we have done that are very consistent throughout the whole site of uh 20 in to the depth of groundwater roughly. or two, um, make a condition that when we go to put the system in, we do a date a test hold and determine the groundwater at that point and if it's at a different level, we'll adjust the grades accordingly of the basin. Um, they suggested that that be a condition. Um, and I believe that Marin and Nor Cooper have put that into the draft conditions that they have for you this evening. They have a couple of little things that uh, they came up with, one, two, three, four items that they five items that they came up with that we got today. We have not addressed them yet. They're very small things. We

don't see a problem working it out with the engineer and um request that uh suggest or ask if the board would move forward with the draft conditions with the condition that you allow us to coordinate with Green and iron out these couple details with them um in the next week or so to the board and the engineer satisfaction obviously engineer satisfaction. Um, I'm gonna open it up. Hannah, do you have any comments?

So, I have one um and that is, you know, we're getting more of these storm water permit reviews and one of the items that keeps coming up is um the O andM needs to be signed off. And in this case, there are going to be two new homeowners, right? And so, my big question is how is this being sold to prospective homeowners? because this isn't like moving into a conventional home where you just move in and everything works, but this seems like there's going to be um some advanced knowledge that's needed as to actually running the system and so do new homeowners receive training. Do they actually understand what they're getting themselves into is my question.

This this came up with the Taylor Street, the Strawberry Farm, you know. Yeah. where you have several just several homes. Um, no problem. I I'm ready to address it. Um, if Cooper, if you go to the next slide and it makes it easier kind of to look at.

So, in the lot closest to hardwood a um you see the house, the septic system, and then there's a um bio retention garden out near the front. The bulk of the water going to that bio retention garden comes off of lot one. That will be lot one's responsibility. In the front, I guess if you're looking at it from the road, the front right of the house there to the right hand side of the house, there's a series of um infiltration chambers which pick up the roof drainage and that's the roof drainage from their house. Um there is a little bit of surface water runoff because you see those tight contours that head to the plan north there that go onto the road that will go into the the swale and the opposite side of the road and go all the way to the rear of the property which is you're looking at that plan the rear upper left where there's a four bay and an infiltration chamber. That's primarily the runoff from lot two, but a little bit of lot one. And off the um the rear of the uh house in the back, lot two, there are infiltration chambers just off the side of the driveway, which is again the runoff from the roof. Just like when you buy a home and you have a septic system, it's a conventional septic system or an IIA septic system. Part of the knowledge that you get is you get this information pamphlet about it. And you're going to get a buyer of these homes. You're going to get an information pamphlet, the on and m um about what it is that's there and what you have to do to maintain it. You know, got to clean your gutters, keep the leaf out of it, and organic debris out of it. There are popup emitters that come up. There ways to check them. Um, as far as the basins are concerned, whether there's sediment in the basins or not, um, these things will be planted and grass growing around them before they're released to the homeowner and making certain that there isn't

sediment. So, the only way there's going to get new sediment in it is if somebody's digging up their yard and allowing sediment to get into it. All that's in the onm and all that becomes knowledge to the homeowners. um just as if you were buying a septic system that was more than a conventional septic system and or if you're a city person buying a regular home with a septic system. These are all things that you wind up getting in your big packet of information when you buy the home. So what you might want to talk about is the biggest change is really the roof drainage. The old days you put gutters up, they dumped it in the ground and it just went where it wanted. Now surface of the ground.

Yeah. Surface of the ground and it eventually leeched in. Now you have to put them actually in quoteunquote drywalls dry wells and that's a closed system. They really can't do much to it. All they can do is clean the gutters, make sure the leaves are out of it. But the system is designed so that we can clean water right into the ground. Correct. And they're set are set up so that the lowest gutters have um an outlet. So if the system backs up and you get water coming out of your lowest gutter right at the ground at the where it goes into the ground there's an outlet spurt there and water's coming out then it's time you got to go in and deal with cleaning out your your infiltration chambers

you know all this is spelled out in the onm and the on and becomes part of it. Now in the case where you have multiple lots and they have shared infrastructure then there's easements for it and they divide the rights just like you would with a shared driveway. So, um, yes, it is it's becoming more, uh, new and new things for homeowners to deal with. Um, it's part of Massachusetts being more ahead of the game than many of the states around us. And, um, the towns such as Littleton that have an MS4 and those regulations get passed on to the homeowners and the business owners and everybody else. It's just all part of becoming more educated and having more responsibilities as a homeowner.

Okay. Thank you. You got the swailes from for 30 years, you know, we did the swailes. It's a homeowner's responsibility to make sure they look good. They were clean and really haven't had too many. We've never had to actually physically go in and do it on somebody's property. They all usually they're pretty good about because it's their property. They want it to look good. So, it's it's in their best interest. I know it's in their best interest to keep him clean and looking good. Well, that it's just the one that was built up in Remember the one that was in CVS that swell that never really quite worked. That's a dig for him.

That was Yeah. No, but usually they work and usually the homeowners do take care of them. Bruce, do is there a way to make sure that the houses have have leaf guards on top of the gutters on the roof? Um, because that would be essential to keeping leaves out of the system. So, I would say yes, but let's take a look at these two homes. They sit in the middle of fields. You're 180 ft away to the closest big tree. Why put a leaf guard on? You know, it's in the middle of the field. It's 30 feet off the ground. The gutter is it's bad enough you got to put the gutters up. I got out of the business. I agree.

You know, every case is a different case and we try to address them and the builder on this site is a phenomenal builder. I I think I know the town's had great um experiences with them. Um you know, we're doing good stuff. It's a maintenance thing. If you want don't want to climb ladders, put gutter guard up there. See, I got out of the business. So, I'd like to move forward on this and um I think we're able to vote uh with the conditions discussed. Uh but the first thing we have to do is close the public hearing. Can I have a I make a motion we close public hearing? May

I interject with one quick question? Sure. First, I'm sorry. Um, and it's fine because it's in the draft right now. And I and I read the draft over, you know, the other day and forgot to ask Warren or Cooper about it, but we're here for a special permit for storm water management. And there are conditions in here that are addressing water connections, the um electrical con connections, a number of things that have nothing to do with the storm water. whatsoever. And I'm wondering why those type of conditions are in here or if they're just blanket conditions from a site plan, typical site plan approval that got rolled in.

Good question. Yeah, we um grabbed some standard conditions from another site and shifted them over and if you care to review the conditions, let us know which ones you want in. So, as an applicant, are you as as an applicant knowing the contractor and whatnot, I'm not worried about him in this particular case, but I found it very interesting that we're doing a storm water application and we're getting conditioned on other things. So, and you know, we have a draft certificate. Can we wash out these extraneous things in the draft certificate?

Yep. I'm see. So I would like to ask Marin and Cooper the placement of those items into the decision rather than just being from another template if you will. Was there reason for putting them in? I mean if you have concerns about it I'd like to hear them. No no no concerns. It's been like like Bruce said particularly with this developer. Okay. So, and I'm fine with them here. I just brought it up because I thought it was interesting.

We we if we're if we want to, you know, as has been pointed out, we're doing more and more of these. So, we'll try to perfect the template. The template. So, let's use this and your input is greatly appreciated. So, thank you for your comments. Now, can we continue? We have a motion to close the public hearing. Second. Um all in favor I

uh let's go forward to um approving the storm water permit. Um we've talked about we just talked about perfecting the template. Uh we uh we've discussed the uh conditions the and the few remaining um peerreview issues. Um, can I have a motion to approve the storm water permit for Harvard Avenue lots one and two?

And I I just like to make a recommendation that we just since it doesn't sound like they'll have an issue with it, we just proceed with the draft is written and then on our next one, correct it. Otherwise, we have to delay. I'm fine. We have to delay approving it until we do all those edits. I'm fine with that. I just wanted to bring it up, but yeah, we don't have to. But okay, that's fine. That's fine. Uh, can I have a motion? I'll make a motion that we approve subject to green applicant and green agreeing on the last points that are still outstanding and we we approve it subject to that. Can I have a second? Second. Uh, all in favor? I

I Okay, thank you very much. and thank you for help guiding us to uh a better No, we're all here to work together. We have the same final goal. Have a good night, guys. Thank you. Thank you, Bruce. Sorry about the CVS remarks. I'll never say it again. Not until the next time, right? Good to see you. Okay, the next uh item is continued public hearing. 64 Beaverbrook Road, Storm Roder View. We have the applicant and uh the engineer here. Um and this will be the continued public hearing.

Thank you very much. Uh Greg Roy with Doulson Roy. I'm representing the applicant. Mike is here this evening as well. And um I want to start off by thanking the board for your patience and maybe apologizing for kicking this can down the road for a month or two. Um and I wanted to give you a little bit of an explanation for where we've been. Um this project, as you said, was at 64 Beaverbrook Road. It's a um it's going to be a total of we're proposing a total of three lots, two of which would be new house lots uh in the back of 64 uh Beaverbrook Road. you have a draft ANR plan that we haven't formally filed yet, but we we have given you a draft and the um the proposed access to the two drive to the two lots in the rear would be through a shared driveway and the entire site is cut off by a wetland system. So, we've uh we need we we're proposing a a wetland crossing of the border and vegetated wetlands. So, we have a concurrent conservation commission filing uh notice of intent filing with this project as well. And I really wanted to advance that process um to get at least initial feedback from the conservation commission which they have provided. Uh they they gave us a a solid list I will say at the opening hearing. Um and so the plan that you have in front of you now is a result of going one round uh one iteration with the conservation commission getting some initial comments which did require us to modify a few of the things that uh were pertinent to the storm water permit that we're here uh to discuss with your board. So uh we got through that process about two or three weeks ago. We submitted those revised plans back. I also know that the peer review process is still pending. Um, so I am in no um I have no sense that uh you're I I treat this as more of an update uh meeting this evening, but I did want to come before you um and at least introduce the

project, get your initial comments or feedback, understanding that um we'll be relying I'm sure heavily on the uh green uh peerreview process which we're expecting uh to uh to receive and then go through the standard process of addressing comments and things with them. But um so I wanted to keep it brief. Um uh as you said, it's a we're here just like the previous applicant for a storm water uh special permit u because of the amount of land disturbance. And uh I guess I'm happy to take any questions or comments that you Where are you at within? Because this your frontage is actually in West.

Yeah, we have reached out to Westford. Um, to be quite honest with you, we need to take the ANR plan to Westford, but I'm not sure that they're going to have there's no conservation approval that we need for Westford. Um, and I'm I'm unsure on the common driveway portion of it to be quite honest with you. We've reached out to the uh planner over there. Um, so that's that's in progress as well. Okay. And so I think our main concern with looking at a project like this is the conservation issues which you've seen. Yeah, which you seem to have in hand. We've seen the ANR. Um, and I thank you for keeping us up to date. Um,

it's not like we're champing at the bit to get, you know, this finished like you probably are, but uh, uh, as I understand it, the peer, what's the schedule for the peer review? I know that the they've given a check and, um, Yep. So, we're working on getting the task order signed today and in talking with Jim Thorne of Green, um he can have the initial review done within two weeks. So, then there's time to go back and forth before the next meeting with So, you you want to come before us next meeting? I would like to. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. I'd like to at this point I want to I want to try to keep the pedal in the metal kicked into the can.

Yeah, I know. Yeah. The days of those that done. Uh while you're here, any comments from anyone? Um so let's schedule. Oh. Oh, sorry. Chair. So I really hesitate with new projects in in terms of the number of trees that are going to be cut down. And so, um, if I read it correctly, it sounds like there will be, um, around 50 trees removed within the buffer zone. And, so there'll be more trees than that, but within the buffer zone. The the conservation commission had us inventory of those trees. So, we did do that,

right? Exactly. And only 25 saved. So, you know, a 2 to1 ratio. And and so, is it absolutely necessary to take all those trees down?

Yeah. Well, it's not if you look at what we what we're proposing for the limit of work, um we're really of course focused on the buffer zone areas, trying to minimize, you know, the impacts in the buffer zone areas. Um I'll say the entire site's wooded. It's a it's a forested it's a forested site. So, there's not really a lot we can do. Uh there's going to be some trees coming out to develop the houses. Um so, we always look to minimize the tree removal within the buffer zones. Of course, on the rest of the site, I think you'll find it's it's not a real expansive yard area. We're really just grading enough to get the house a modestized yard and the septic systems in there. So, um we're not proposing additional tree removal past what we feel is reasonable for for a you know that size um that size house and septic system. The soils in the area are not terrific. So the septic systems aren't the smallest systems and the r and the raised. So there is um you know some grading that's associated with those. So that that sort of dro that that drove the limit of work for the site. But we will be uh we have shown some mitigation plantings uh for the conservation commission. So we will be putting some trees back in um certainly not on the entire site.

It's not the same but no but I understand your point. It's a wooded site and uh right and and I always express to any applicant who comes in that you know reducing the number of trees needing to be cut down is always my preference simply because it takes so long for them to regrow and being able to um only take what's needed as opposed to you know a clear cut would be great. And in this case, if I could just add too, we are developing the two lots in the back, but the applicants live in the 64. So, it's in their best interest, too, to preserve as much vegetation as we can. Uh, you know, so um you know, and they intend, as far as I know, to continue living in the in the in the property. So,

Okay. Thank you. And then, um, real quick, remind me again why this doesn't include a shared residential driveway, two lots, because it's only two instead of three. because there's a there's a separate driveway for this for them. Okay, that's what I thought. I just wanted to confirm. Okay, thank you. Okay, thank you. So, let's schedule for next meeting. 7:50. Okay, thought it was 7:10 on the next one. Oh, am I looking at the wrong if we do 6:30? Yeah. Okay. So, 7:10 710 on the August 7th 7th. Okay.

Okay. Okay. Great. Great. And I I appreciate the update on the peerreview schedule. Thank you for that. Thank you. And we'll look forward to coming back and having things addressed to the extent that we can. Thank you. We'll look forward to uh getting this far. Yes. Thank you again for your patience. Appreciate each day in August. Was it August 7th? 7th. Yeah. Okay. Thank you. Thank you very much everybody. I'm I'm going to hand you back to one application you didn't Oh, thank you. Yes. I appreciate

uh the next um item is the continued public hearing for 600 Great Road. They have submitted uh a request to withdraw their application without prejudice. So, I would like to Well, first of all, do we have to close the hearing? Um, [Music] I don't see question. I don't see sort of weird. Yeah. Uh, so I I would like um I mean we finished it. We never finished. Right. So, any comments before we vote to allow

No, everyone knows why we're not moving forward with unaware. Mats are buying Gary's bomb stand and they're going to take it over. I didn't know that. Oh, that's why. So, they agreed. They decided to step in and Gary decided to sell it to him and socrop there. Um, which is a good thing. Yes. So, can I hear a motion to allow the applicant at 600 Great Road to withdraw their application without prejudice? So moved. Second. All in favor? I I Okay, people. We're done. Motion to return. Oh, God. Any Do I hear a second? Second.

Okay. All in favor? Great.