===PAGE 1=== TOWN OF LUNENBURG Office of the Planning Board Matthew Brenner Chair Timothy Willsmer Vice Chair Amanda Reid Clerk Matthew Allison Member Glenn McLeod Member Tel: (978) 582-4146, opt. 5 Fax: (978) 582-4353 960 Massachusetts Ave Lunenburg, MA 01462 Christopher Reilly – Land Use Director Logan O'Connell – Admin Asst. MINUTES 2025-01-27 CALL TO ORDER / PLEDGE Matthew Brenner called the meeting to order at 6:03 P.M. The pledge of allegiance was led by Matthew Allison. PUBLIC COMMENT None at this time. CHAIR / DIRECTOR’S REPORT i C. Reilly - the Master Plan project is stalling. Asking the consultant for a complete draft with implementation action items included is an option. Recommend discussion at the next Planning Board meeting. ANRs 763 Massachusetts Avenue Steve Ballard (Haley Ward, Inc) presented for applicant FWP Realty Partners, LLC. Site is a former funeral home, has existing septic to be converted to sewer. Narrow area between Chestnut and Mass Ave allows for sewer to go to Mass Ave while remaining compliant with Town by-laws. Meets minimum lot size for Limited Business residential district. T. Willsmer moved to endorse the ANR for 763 Mass Ave. G. McLeod seconded. Roll Call Vote: G. McLeod – Aye, M. Allison – Aye, T. Willsmer – Aye, A. Reid – Aye, M. Brenner – Aye The mylar plan wasn’t brought on-site for the meeting. Board Members will come into the Planning Office to sign tomorrow. MEETING POSTED: Yes ADDRESS: Town Hall – 17 Main St, Lunenburg, MA 01462 TIME: 6:00 P.M. PRESENT: Matthew Brenner (Chair), Timothy Willsmer (Vice Chair), Amanda Reid (Clerk , REMOTE), Matthew Allison, Glenn McLeod. ABSENT: None ===PAGE 2=== 2 of 8 - Planning Board Minutes, 2025-01-27 PUBLIC HEARINGS 494 Electric Ave – SPA (co nt. to 2025 -02 -10) (Out of order). Applicant requested continuance via EMail prior to meeting. T. Willsmer moved to continue the public hearing for 494 Electric Ave to 2025 -02-10 at 6:05 P.M. G. McLeod seconded. Roll Call Vote: G. McLeod – Aye, M. Allison – Aye, T. Willsmer – Aye, A. Reid – Aye, M. Brenner – Aye 558 & 560 Goodrich St – SMP, SP Chris Anderson (Hannigan Engineering) presented for applicant Easterbrook Nominee Trust. Special Permit is to convert a pre-existing non-conforming common driveway into a conforming common driveway under current by-laws. Addressing peer review commentsii from Graves Engineering, Inc (GEI) : • Turning Radius - plan revised to include 30 ft. radius at Southerly intersection. 30 ft. radius infeasible for North side, but Fire Department comfortable with 20 ft. after receiving data on turning maneuvers for their largest vehicle & a C. Anderson reviewing site with Fire Chief Patrick Sullivan . • Pavement Depth - will conduct in-situ testing of pavement during construction to confirm the depth, clean up damaged pavement, prevent further deterioration. • Parcel Configuration – there are two “560 Goodrich St” parcels on Assessor’s map due to history of land’s acquisition. Both are in common ownership. Approval Not Required (ANR) plan to be submitted to merge them pending favorable action from Board. The Board briefly discussed conditioning. C. Reilly noted a previously discussed requirement for a Common Driveway maintenance agreement wasn’t part of the Board’s Standard Conditions. Per C. Anderson , a maintenance agreement had to be provided as part of the Building Permit process. M. Allison asked how many properties the Common Driveway would serve. C. Anderson – the driveway currently serves 3 properties (560 Goodrich St, 558 Goodrich St, 564 Goodrich St), and will serve 4 lots once the planned home is constructed. M. Allison asked about remaining waivers. Per C. Anderson, only other was for 250-6.4(7)(c)[7] (requiring 8’x25’ turnarounds at 300 ft intervals), substituting the existing 100 ft cul-de-sac which has more room. T. Willsmer moved to waive the turning radius requirement ( 250-6.4(7)(c)[4]) as-presented on the approved plans iii. G. McLeod seconded. Roll Call Vote: G. McLeod – Aye, M. Allison – Aye, T. Willsmer – Aye, A. Reid – Aye, M. Brenner – Aye T. Willsmer moved to waive the turnaround requirement (250 -6.4(7)(c)[7]) as-presented in the plan of record. G. McLeod seconded. Roll Call Vote: G. McLeod – Aye, M. Allison – Aye, T. Willsmer – Aye, A. Reid – Aye, M. Brenner – Aye ===PAGE 3=== 3 of 8 - Planning Board Minutes, 2025-01-27 M. Brenner asked for a summary of the Stormwater plan. C. Anderson explained: majority of site’s design is accommodated with infiltration trenches along proposed expansion of driveway. Other sections are only small increase of pavement, compensated for with infi ltration trench along down-gradient portion of driveway. Proposed house will have own dry-well system to capture roof runoff and provide additional mitigation. T. Willsmer moved to close the public hearings for 558 & 560 Goodrich St’s Special Permit and Stormwater Management Permit. G. McLeod seconded. Roll Call Vote: G. McLeod – Aye, M. Allison – Aye, T. Willsmer – Aye, A. Reid – Aye, M. Brenner – Aye Hearing closed 6:29 PM. The Board discussed conditioning further. The existing Standard Conditions (SCs) for Common Driveways don’t explicitly require a maintenance agreement recorded on the deed. The SCs for Stormwater Management Permits require a maintenance agreement for all common areas. M. Allison suggested adding this to Common Driveway SCs in the future. T. Willsmer moved to approve the Stormwater Management Permit for 558 & 560 Goodrich St with Standard Conditions. G. McLeod seconded. Roll Call Vote: G. McLeod – Aye, M. Allison – Aye, T. Willsmer – Aye, A. Reid – Aye, M. Brenner – Aye T. Willsmer moved to approve the Special Permit for Common Driveway at 558 & 560 Goodrich St with Standard Conditions and a special condition for maintenance as described by C. Reilly . G. McLeod seconded. Roll Call Vote: G. McLeod – Aye, M. Allison – Aye, T. Willsmer – Aye, A. Reid – Aye, M. Brenner – Aye 255 Sunny Hill Rd Justin LeClair (McCarty Engineering) presented for applicant MN 122 Main LLC. Addressing peer review commentsiv from GEI, plans were revised to include a construction detail of the riprap swale, and a stabilized construction entrance and associated detail. Swale’s slopes will be maintained as close to the existing grade as possible, will be constructed with 8-inch+ riprap. M. Allison asked about using native ground as recommended in GEI’s 7th comment. J. LeClair clarified that maintaining the natural grade was the most important factor and emphasized the small amount of fill. He noted that GEI’s comments had no issues with the core design of the Stormwater System. T. Willsmer moved to close the public hearing for 255 Sunny Hill Rd. G. McLeod seconded. Roll Call Vote: G. McLeod – Aye, M. Allison – Aye, T. Willsmer – Aye, A. Reid – Aye, M. Brenner – Aye T. Willsmer moved to approve the Stormwater Management Permit for 255 Sunny Hill Rd with Standard Conditions, pending GEI’s upcoming response. G. McLeod seconded. Roll Call Vote: G. McLeod – Aye, M. Allison – Aye, T. Willsmer – Aye, A. Reid – Aye, M. Brenner – Aye DECISIONS ===PAGE 4=== 4 of 8 - Planning Board Minutes, 2025-01-27 C. Reilly noted the 171 Arbor St Special Permit decisionv included a special condition requiring a legal framework for maintenance of common areas to be recorded on the deed. The Board discussed this requirement within Stormwater Permits. M. Allison noted the additional requirement for common area maintenance in Stormwater Permits is used when multiple lots all depend on a similar drainage system , suggested adding it to the set of Stormwater SCs when updating them. C. Reilly asked the Board for context on single-family Stormwater Management Permits , since normally drainage for multiple lots is managed by the full Subdivision Approval process. M. Allison opined the limits on the Board’s discretion in the ANR process spurs single-family Stormwater Permits, although single-family construction rarely disturbs more than an acre / triggers the bylaw. Per M. Brenner the Board mostly receives applications for individual reduced frontage lots; Definitive Subdivision applications are rare . The updated Common Driveway bylaw provides further alternatives for developers, although the driveways aren’t Town-maintained. The Board members endorsed each of the decisions. A. Reid would come the next day to sign (attending remotely). ZONING WORKSHOP Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Bylaw C. Reilly summarized the state-mandated changes encompassed in this bylaw draftvi: • Homeowners can now build one ADU by right (i.e. without a special permit) • Homeowners can build an additional detached ADU, but not by right. Lunenburg can and will require a Special Permit for this. • In absence of local setback regulations (which are included in this draft), ADUs can be placed anywhere on a property, including up to 5 ft from the property line. M. Brenner explained the safety benefits of local setback requirements for the public (e.g. firefighter access). The draft also includes local considerations: • A Special Permit from the ZBA is required for detached ADUs or multiple ADUs on the property. G. McLeod opined the State is overreaching with these changes and emphasized educating the public on the individual changes, such as the inability to require that one of the units be owner-occupied. M. Brenner noted that the Board’s ability to achieve local ly relevant work is strained by the constant adjustment to State mandates. The Board discussed the timeline for submitting finalized Warrant Article language to add this bylaw. Per C. Reilly, the Town Manager set a deadline for the motion by end-of-week (2025-01-31), although the Warrant itself closes 2025-03-17. Members were confused by the unusually small timeframe. M. Brenner opined such drastic deadline changes needed to be communicated further in advance. Per C. Reilly the transition to a new Town Manager is a driving factor . M. Allison was deeply frustrated. C. Reilly explained the “Four Corners” principle (a requirement for a Warrant Article’s content to stay within the “intent” of the original motion). The Board will submit feedback on the draft by end-of-week. ===PAGE 5=== 5 of 8 - Planning Board Minutes, 2025-01-27 Floodplain Map Updates Per C. Reilly, the Federal government updates Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM) through FEMA. Along with a FIRM update, a model bylaw (compliant with the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)) was provided to Lunenburg. Due to the highly technical nature, M. Allison and C. Reilly discussed resources for implementation support such as the Department of Conservation and Recreation and the Montachusett Regional Planning Commission. BOARD DISCUSSIONS Master Plan Steering Committee (MPSC) Composition M. Brenner received confirmation that a quorum is based on existing seats, not filled seats (i.e. an 8- member Board with only 4 seats filled can’t have a 3-member meeting), and suggested soliciting MPSC member feedback before changing composition. M. Allison noted that as the parent Board of the MPSC, the Planning Board is ultimately responsible for the Master Plan. T. Willsmer noted three vacant positions that could be eliminated: Parks Commission rep, Finance Committee rep, and at-large. M. Allison noted that even if a member were cut from the MPSC, they would still be able to attend the meeting since it’s public. M. Brenner wanted to avoid repeatedly recomposing the group if possible. A. Reid agreed with M. Allison that it’s the Planning Board’s responsibility to keep the project moving. T. Willsmer moved to restructure the Master Plan Steering Committee by eliminating the Finance Committee seat, the Parks Commission seat, and the at -large seat formerly held by Joeci Gilchrest. M. Allison seconded. Roll Call Vote: G. McLeod – Aye, M. Allison – Aye, T. Willsmer – Aye, A. Reid – Aye, M. Brenner – Aye M. Brenner asked T. Willsmer to inform the affected committees and invite them to the next meeting to offer involvement. 100 Townsend Harbor Rd – Right of First Refusal (ROFR) Per G. McLeod, the Open Space Committee previously discussed the property informally and found short of the “Open Space” criteria. They will formally discuss it at their next meeting. Per C. Reilly, there was a defect in the previous Notice of Intent to Convert, so it was re -advertised, and the Select Board will examine the ROFR at a later meeting . The purpose of the land’s conversion is to construct 5 single-family homes. The meeting was briefly interrupted by technical difficulties with Zoom. The Board found no Planning-related use for the property. M. Allison opined it had agricultural use, which he acknowledged was out of the Board’s scope. Dave Passios (formerly 56 Whiting St) recommended the Town use it as a community garden via the Agricultural Commission and noted the property’s historical use as farmland. T. Willsmer noted that the last MPSC meeting mentioned community garden space. The Board discussed and agreed to wait for feedback from the Open Space Committe and Agricultural Commission. ABUTTING COMMUNITY NOTICES None of concern at this time. ===PAGE 6=== 6 of 8 - Planning Board Minutes, 2025-01-27 COMMITTEE REPORTS Master Plan Steering Committee Addressed in Board Discussions. Open Space Committee Per G. McLeod – nothing to report. Municipal Bldg. Design Committee Per M. Allison – met on 01-20. Consultants continue to be responsive. Some issues from colocation of municipal and school buildings. Capital Planning Committee Per M. Brenner – meeting on 01-29 to review Interim Town Manager’s recommendations before proceeding to 10-year plan. Economic Development Committee Per G. McLeod – just met and included the Land Use Director. Also discussed adding future Town funding for the Meet and Greet to reduce reliance on attending businesses. Storm Water Task Force Per T. Willsmer – met 01-23, reviewed info for fee structures. Announcement planned for next Town Meeting before advertising & public-input process begins. Montachusett Regional Planning Commission Per A. Reid – have not met since last meeting, will meet next month. Montachusett Joint Transportation Committee Per A. Reid – have not met since last meeting, will meet next month. MINUTES APPROVAL Pushed to next meeting due to technical difficulty. MEETING SCHEDULE Upcoming meetings are 02-10 and 02-24 at 6:00 P.M. PUBLIC COMMENT Dave Passios noted recent issues with other Boards’ Zoom meetings and thanked the Board for their flexibility through earlier technical difficulties. Smaller Boards and related groups need to be notified in the application process. BOARD COMMENT / CONCERNS None at this time. ADJOURNMEN T T. Willsmer moved to adjourn. G. McLeod seconded. Roll Call Vote: G. McLeod – Aye, M. Allison – Aye, T. Willsmer – Aye, A. Reid – Aye, M. Brenner – Aye ===PAGE 7=== 7 of 8 - Planning Board Minutes, 2025-01-27 Minutes by Logan O'Connell, Admin Asst. ===PAGE 8=== 8 of 8 - Planning Board Minutes, 2025-01-27 DOCUMENTS REFERENCED i 2025 -01-27 – Staff Report ii 2025 -01-10 – 558 & 560 Goodrich St GEI Peer Review 1 iii 558 & 560 Goodrich St Site Development Plan (Revised 2025 -01-27) iv 2025 -01-24 – 255 Sunny Hill Rd GEI Peer Review 1 v 2025 -01-27 – 171 Arbor St Special Permit Decision vi 2025 -01-27 – Staff Report