The Marion Planning Board met on Monday at 550 Mill Street and approved a Town Meeting zoning map. The map’s approval by the board will be uploaded to the town’s official website (marionma.gov) and General Informal System.
Town Planner Doug Guey-Lee said a town representative, John Rockwell, worked with Southeastern Regional Planning & Economic Development District (SRPEDD) on the updates. Rockwell said the maps adopted at Town Meeting will correspond with what people see on the website. Rockwell said the recent changes updated maps from 2014.
“What people want to know is what is the zoning on my lot and want to zone in,” Rockwell said. He also said there are aquifer-protection districts that were not reflected accurately with some lot lines having changed as well, which were also not reflected.
“Using lot lines and not referring to property lines is a problem,” Rockwell said. Some lot and property lines were from old aerial photos. Better technology and aerial photos help improve mapping. Select Board Vice Chair John Hoagland said some earlier maps did not accurately display all Route 6 lines and that there was one zoning change that designated a property as commercial that was not reflected.
“The map came out great! Very easily readable,” said Planning Board Chairman Andrew Daniel.
The board conducted a site plan and Special Permit hearing for a 48-unit residential development on Wareham Road, proposed by Toll Brothers. The developers, earlier this year, amended the site plan after some concerns were raised by the board, according to Jeff Eidelberg, a Toll Brothers representative.
Bruce Erman, an engineer for the project, said they wanted to make the layout better. He said they will no longer be duplexes but single-family homes and an area where all residents there can access the river.
The layout has also been improved for better Fire Department access, according to Erman, adding that they eliminated a dead end and created a loop for fire truck access.
Erman said that they also arranged a “boulevard entry” from Route 6 so people know that cars would be leaving the development and would slow down as they are driving along Route 6. Board members noted that the development is situated along a dangerous section of Route 6, with visibility blocked by a hill and blinded by sunrises and sunsets at certain times of the year.
Erman said a common building is closer to the river view and can be legally accessed by all members of the development. He also said there are four to five proposed homes in a coastal buffer, but that number has dwindled to approximately two or three.
The Planning Board will have its engineer review the proposed changes, and the continued public hearing will resume.
The next meeting of the Marion Planning Board is scheduled for Monday, August 4 at 7:00 pm in the Marion Police Department’s conference room.
Marion Planning Board
By Jeffrey D. Wagner