Rochester’s Planning Board Tuesday entertained a further review of two large projects on Cranberry Highway and Snipatuit Road and the neighbors’ strong concerns over them before ultimately continuing both hearings to its next meeting.
First, the board reopened the Site Plan Review application hearing to build a 20,000 square-foot commercial building for contractor bays with associated access drives, parking areas, utilities and stormwater management system at the west side of Cranberry Highway.
Applicant Sealord Enterprises representative Bob Rogers said the property will include 55 parking spaces and 10 bays measuring approximately 25×20 square feet. Board Chair Arnold Johnson asked if there will be security gates, dumpsters, and any retail use. Rogers said there will not be such a gate at the property entrance, but pads for dumpsters are in the plans, and he is not looking for variances that would allow retail use. Johnson requested a lighting plan for when Rogers returns after the town engineer’s peer review.
Linda Westgate, a direct abutter who said she has lived there most of her life, complained the area is highly congested already. “I can’t imagine how it will be after this moves in,” she said. She complained she is one of the few residential buildings left there now. “The woods are going away. The animals are going away!”
“I don’t think you will see us from your house,” Rogers answered. “I don’t think there will be big noise.”
The board continued this hearing, pending a peer-review report from the town engineer.
Next, the board reopened its Special Permit and Site Plan Review hearing for Logging Swamp Solar dba ReWild Renewables’ plan for a solar array on 49 acres in the area of 600 Snipatuit Road. Zak Markes of ReWild Renewables noted the project will be set within 2,000 acres of forested land. The array itself will have a 50-acre footprint, including 35 acres within a 15-acre fence perimeter. He said the developer’s two top concerns are being as far out of sight and mind of the abutters as possible and controlling stormwater.
Alan Gragnani of 655 Snipatuit Road repeated the complaint he lodged at last week’s Conservation Commission hearing that the proposed access road to the site would be 40 feet from his property and 100 feet from his well. He wanted to know how stripped his porch view would become. He wanted to know how much land clearing will need to be done and how the project will affect the already wet conditions that his property and his basement sometimes face.
Lisa Christensen of 663 Snipatuit Road added the project will come 20 feet from her property. She repeated the neighbors’ suggestion of last week that the access road could be moved farther away from their property.
Markes assured the abutters the road, once completed, will not carry much traffic, as it is simply an access to the solar equipment. He added that the developer is, in fact, looking into moving the access road. Johnson assured them that by law a developer may not increase water flow in the area of its project. He said the design to meet that purpose must meet high standards and that the Planning Board will not just rubber-stamp a plan. Johnson said the board will follow up and inspect to make sure the project is being done right.
In other action, the board also continued to its next meeting a hearing to modify the Special Permit and Groundwater Protection District Special Permit for Cushman Road Solar, Cushman Road, under a plan to construct additional sub-drainage improvements within an existing driveway off Robinson Road. Johnson said the peer review was ongoing.
The Rochester Planning Board’s next meeting will be Tuesday, May 27, at 7:00 pm at Town Hall, 1 Constitution Way.
Rochester Planning Board
By Michael J. DeCicco