After approving multiple vouchers relating to the peer review of plan sets for ongoing projects, the Rochester Planning Board continued the discussion on the public hearing relating to the Cranberry Highway development.
In the meeting held on December 8, Phil Cordeiro of Allen and Major explained to board members that the review process with Field Engineering has come to a close. After responding to the fourth review letter sent by Field Engineering, Cordeiro presented a plan that addresses and resolves all concerns surrounding the project.
The new plans include additional landscape screening on the external parts of the site and the addition of a complete copy of the bus plan that will run through the site. Cordeiro also notified board members of his ongoing discussions with Field Engineering to ensure that all Rochester Fire Department regulations for the site and buildings thereon have been met.
Cordeiro also presented a complete architectural plan for the site so that board members could gain a thorough understanding of how the completed site will look. In addition, the architectural plan has been altered to reduce the number of sidewalk connections on the site.
Planning Board Chairman Arnold Johnson raised some minor concerns on the plans relating to lighting fixtures on certain roads on the exterior of the site and requested an additional stop sign to promote the safety of exiting vehicles.
With all of the outstanding concerns relating to the project resolved, Cordeiro expressed his hope for a vote to close the public hearing so that a draft decision could be submitted for the project. Before that could occur, the Planning Board had to approve several required waivers for the site, including a request to waive all vegetative screen requirements on the site’s interior.
The Planning Board voted to approve the waiver requests based on the insight provided by Field Engineering, which demonstrated its support for the project and all waiver requests in a letter to the board. With that, the board voted to approve all requested waivers and close the public hearing on the proposal. The draft decision for the project will be voted on in the next Rochester Planning Board meeting.
The Planning Board transitioned to an Approval Not Required (ANR) application for a plan of land submitted by Shawn McCombe. Bob Rogers of G.A.F. Engineering came before the board to discuss a proposal for a new building lot. “We would ask the board to endorse this as an ANR plan,” Rogers told board members.
According to Rogers, the site has more than the required frontage on all of the surrounding roads, and all of the requested information was provided in his plans. Johnson explained that Rochester bylaws require the addition of nearby well locations on the plan set. Johnson recommended that the board vote to approve the ANR on the condition that Rogers provide that additional information before the next meeting. Rogers agreed, and the Planning Board voted to grant the ANR for the project.
In the board’s final hearing, Jason Patry of Trinity Solar came before the board representing a new solar project application submitted by Paul Eaton. The proposal would see the addition of rooftop solar panels to the Rochester Golf Club. Patry explained that the new panels would adhere to the town’s black-on-black regulation to keep the panels concealed. The orientation of the panels would also effectively shield them from view from the road. Patry told board members that the roughly 200 feet of wooded area blocks the rooftop panels from view from the road.
“This is a limited site-plan review because of the simplicity of the proposed system,” Johnson explained to the board members. Overall, the Planning Board showed support for the project, but due to a lack of a written request for all required waivers, the proposal could not be approved in this meeting. Patry explained that he would work with Town Planner Steve Starrett to submit the necessary waivers so that the plan can be approved in a future meeting.
The next Rochester Planning Board meeting will be held on January 12 with in-person attendance at the Rochester Memorial School and remote access via Zoom.
Rochester Planning Board
By Matthew Donato