A residential development proposal at Nicky’s Lane and Deerfield Road returned to the Mattapoisett Planning Board on November 2, with plans that could add 26 housing units while preserving about 79% of the property as open space.
David Nicolosi, representing property owner Dennis Mahoney & Sons, presented a preliminary two-phase Special Residential Development (SRD) concept at those sites, located off Route 6 in the western section of town. The informal discussion aimed to gauge the board’s reaction before the applicant invests in detailed engineering plans.
The first phase would involve 16 residential lots along Nicky’s Lane, down from 18 lots shown on a conventional subdivision plan. Nicolosi proposed reducing individual lot sizes from about 45,000 square feet to 30,000 square feet, allowing more land to remain undeveloped.
The second phase, accessed from Deerfield Road, would include about 10 residential units on roughly 3.75 acres. Nicolosi said the configuration has not been determined and could include individual homes or multiple units on a single lot.
Planning Board member Karen Field asked whether the proposed housing would include affordable units. Nicolosi indicated that the development was being proposed as market-rate housing, although the final configuration of the Deerfield Road units has not been determined.
The proposal would use the town’s SRD provisions, which allow flexibility in residential development layouts while providing for open-space preservation.
Conservation was central to the discussion. Nicolosi described a plan that would place substantial acreage under a permanent conservation restriction, potentially held by a local land trust. He indicated a preference for an arrangement that would allow public access rather than limiting the land to a homeowners association.
Planning Board member John Mathieu welcomed the conservation component.
“It’s a huge, huge gift of conservation land to the town,” he said.
Field also expressed support for the preliminary concept.
“I think it’s very, very reasonable,” she said, adding that the project could provide “some nice opportunity for housing.”
The proposal has roots in development discussions dating back more than a decade.
In December 2012, The Wanderer reported that Nicolosi appeared before the Planning Board with revised plans for Deer Woods, an eight-home development off Deerfield Road. At that time, board members raised concerns about access, parking and fire safety, including the narrow width of Nicky’s Lane.
Mathieu was among those expressing reservations in 2012. He questioned the addition of homes along a roadway he described as only 15 feet wide.
Road access remains a consideration in the current proposal. Chase Canopy, a business on Route 6 in front of the proposed development, uses large trucks that must maneuver along Nicky’s Lane to enter and exit its property. Board members questioned how the proposed residential development would accommodate that truck traffic.
Nicolosi said the plans account for the business’s access needs, with buildings positioned about 65 feet from the proposed roadway layout to provide room for truck movements. He also said access improvements could make it easier for Chase Canopy’s trucks to enter and exit the property.
Nicky’s Lane would remain a private road, and the two phases of the development would not connect by a roadway.
Nicolosi also described preliminary stormwater management plans relying on grass swales and individual retention areas rather than an extensive underground drainage system. The development would use private wells, with sewer service also discussed during the meeting. He said the proposed layout would not require wetland alterations.
The board’s discussion was generally favorable, although more detailed plans would be needed before any formal consideration.
Nicolosi said the initial phase could take several years to complete. He hopes to establish an acceptable development density for the Deerfield Road portion while proceeding with the Nicky’s Lane plans. This would allow the second phase to be designed later.
The Planning Board’s next scheduled meeting is November 17.
Mattapoisett Planning Board
By Jeanne Hopkins