BBC Proposes Route 6 Field Operations Barn

The Marion Planning Board met on February 6 to discuss, among other items, the site plan review of a proposal by the Buzzards Bay Coalition for a new field operations barn to be located on the corner of Route 6 and Spring Street.

Mark Rasmussen, BBC’s president, presented an overview of the project. Rasmussen described the site as the ideal location for the BBC’s service area, which stretches west to Sakonnet Point and east to Woods Hole.

Currently, the BBC has its headquarters in New Bedford and a summer office located in Woods Hole. The approximately 16,236 square-foot barn would support the BBC’s four key water quality and land conservation activities.

The barn would house the 29-foot R/V Buzzards Baykeeper, equipment for the extensive volunteer water quality monitoring program, land stewardship equipment including mowers, trucks and trailers, and public engagement equipment such as kayaks, fishing poles, and 420 sailboats.

The barn would also be shared with the Sippican Lands Trust stewardship program.

There is a proposal for an additional 5,000 square-foot building to be built in the eastern portion of the lot at a future date.

Susan E. Nilson of CLE Engineering presented the site plan to the Planning Board. The discussion centered on the site’s high water table. Due to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection’s stormwater regulations, the applicant is required to treat stormwater from impervious surfaces and attenuate stormwater from flooding events.

There is an existing stormwater drainage system on Spring Street, which would receive stormwater, and a wet swale was designed for stormwater requiring treatment.

The BBC is requesting that the site be considered a redevelopment, as opposed to a new development, by DEP standards so that it may design the site in such a way that it would not require elevation changes to meet the DEP groundwater separation regulations.

Nilson stated that the wet swale and the use of grass pavers in the parking area provide groundwater recharge, although it would not be recharge that could be used in DEP calculations. Nilson stated that there would be no more stormwater leaving the site than is currently.

Kenneth Motta of Field Engineering reviewed the project for the board. Motta stated that the applicant was addressing stormwater issues on the site, and that the issues of greatest concern were the high groundwater and the impact of the site development on existing drainage conditions. Motta will continue to work with the applicant to address these issues.

Planning Board members expressed concerns about how stormwater flow would affect abutting properties. There was a question about the condition of the existing pipe that carried water in the Spring Street drainage system. The applicant and Motta stated that the pipe would be investigated.

Planning Board Chairman Robert Lane expressed concern about the drainage relating to the future storage building in the eastern portion of the property. Nilson responded that the stormwater system is designed to include the impact of that building as well.

Lane expressed what he described as an irony that the BBC would be seeking what he called a waiver from DEP water quality standards, when the mission of the BBC is water quality.

Nilson assured the board that the request to be considered a redevelopment had to do with stormwater volume and groundwater recharge, and water quality would not be diminished.

Lane also expressed concern about the site’s proximity to what he described as a challenging intersection, and the egress and ingress of boats and boat trailers. Rasmussen stated that the site is designed for turning trailers around within the property, and there would be no need for backing into Route 6 or Spring Street.

There were a number of abutters attending the meeting, including Jean Maher whose property abuts the eastern portion of the site. She expressed her support of the BBC and its mission, but was concerned about the trees on the back portion of the lot.

Rasmussen and Nilson stated the intention was to cut as few trees as possible for the building of the barn. Additionally, the building would be accessed by the western end from the existing grass-paver area.

There was a brief discussion of site lighting and signage, which will be revisited at a subsequent meeting. The Board will meet with the applicant again at its March 6 meeting at 7:10 pm.

In other business, the board held a public hearing to discuss amendments to Section 5.3 of the Zoning Bylaws concerning residential developments greater than four dwelling units. The board had previously voted on the issue at their December 19, 2016 meeting. Chairman Lane explained that the amendment would allow the board to make comments on density during the site plan approval process.

There was no public comment and the hearing was closed.

Patricia McArdle went before the board to request that four lots located on Spring Street be reclassified as Zoning District Residence E at the Annual Town Meeting. The board had discussed the lots at a pre-submission conference in November.

There was no public comment, and Lane recommended the board approve the request provided that the amendments to Section 5.3 of the Zoning Bylaws are approved by Town Meeting first. The board concurred.

A request for approval of an ANR plan by Christian Loranger on behalf of Cranlor LLC was denied by the board. The plan created two nonconforming lots, which cannot be approved through the ANR process.

Will Saltonstall reported on a subcommittee consisting of himself, Planning Board member Michael Popitz, Chairman of the Zoning Board of Appeals Marc Leblanc, Zoning Board of Appeals member Betsy Dunn, and Building Commissioner Scott Shippey.

The subcommittee is discussing the issue of dwelling conversions from single to multi-dwelling units. The subcommittee will be making a recommendation to the Planning Board at a later date.

Due to the Presidents Day holiday, the next meeting of the Marion Planning Board will be Tuesday, February 21, at 7:00 pm in the Marion Police Station.

By Sarah French Storer

 

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