Renovations Prepare for Daycare Relocation

There isn’t much on the site redevelopment plan for a daycare facility at 15 Cranberry Highway that isn’t already there, Rochester Planning Board member Gary Florindo pointed out on December 11. The only significant issue that needs attention, really, is the stormwater system, which currently has the project held up with the Conservation Commission.

Some stormwater system specs were never completed under the Conservation Commission’s original 1997 Order of Conditions, so that needs to be settled while pleasing both the Commission and the Planning Board.

“Hopefully this week I’ll get together with [Conservation Agent Laurell Farinon] and certainly we’ll be able to make some progress,” said Rogers.

Construction renovations for the relocation of Countryside Daycare, currently at Plumb Corner, are limited mainly to the interior of the existing building to accommodate the 5,200 square-foot daycare space that will occupy the majority of the building. Another 3,500 square-foot area will be added at the front to be leased to a future tenant.

The only real change to the site as it currently sits is a new playground planned just beyond the building, said Bob Rogers from GAF Engineering. The playground will be fenced in and a slight increase in paved area is slated for the parking lot.

Rogers submitted some waiver requests, including eliminating the need for a formal traffic study as the current daycare operator supplied a casual assessment of the peak traffic hours in the morning and afternoon. Rogers also seeks a waiver for a landscape architect.

“It is a great location for daycare,” said Rogers.

Planning Board Chairman Arnie Johnson’s main concern was with the chosen location to hold snow in the parking lot. According to Johnson, the Town’s peer review engineer is concerned that snow will wind up in the drainage swale. Rogers commented that he would prefer not to change the design, but Johnson cautioned him that he should come up with another option if the snow location remains the same.

Johnson also cautioned the daycare operator to not change the lighting of the existing sign. If the lighting is changed in any way from inside or outside the sign, then they will need a special permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals due to its size, which preceded the sign bylaw and remains, therefore, by-right.

Johnson requested some definitions be placed in the notes that refer to different size storm events pertaining to drainage, preferring Rogers follow the standards of the Taunton Weather Station for rainfall amounts.

“You talk about large storms and major storm events and then significant rainfall events,” said Johnson. “This need to be defined … our standard could be different from your standard.”

The hearing was continued until January 8.

The next meeting of the Rochester Planning Board is scheduled for January 8 at 7:00 pm at the Rochester Town Hall.

Rochester Planning Board

By Jean Perry

 

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