In an eventful evening at the Planning Board in Rochester, there were several issues discussed, including zoning bylaw amendments to be voted on at November 25 fall Town Meeting, the approval to schedule two separate site plan reviews, and the approval of a subdivision plan at 293 Hartley Rd.
The Board voted favorably to approve the six different amendments to be voted upon at Town Meeting. Those include amendments for the regulation and implementation of zoning bylaws involving medicinal marijuana facilities, accessory structures, roadside stands, farm stands, site plan reviews, site plan review application filing procedures, and flood plains.
The Board also approved site plan pre-submissions from Covanta Energy for a CNG fueling station on Cranberry Highway and from NSTAR for an electric transfer station on Hartley Road.
As for Covanta, the Board’s main concern for the fueling station would be its impact on traffic on the busy road where the building is proposed. Town Planner Arnold Johnson said that they’d also like to eventually see a “master plan” of sorts from Covanta, who has recently grown quite a bit construction-wise in the area.
Covanta engineer Larry Swartz assured the Board that a traffic impact analysis as well as the presentation of an overall plan would take place in the future. The site plan review is scheduled for Monday, September 30.
And for NSTAR, the Board approved of the pre-submission without any major concerns.
“It’s rather simple, but it does trigger our site plan review from a square footage standpoint,” said Johnson, who noted that a construction date for the project would now be dictated by NSTAR following the site plan review, which is also planned for Monday. “It’s kind of back in your court, so to speak, as to how the time frame goes.”
In other news, the Board approved a subdivision for Robert Lawrence of the aforementioned 239 Hartley Rd., with the board also voting to grant waivers on certain aspects that did not pertain to this project in particular.
By Nick Walecka
