Fusion Physical Therapy will not be allowed to renovate space in the former Lockheed-Martin property until at least July 1 when it is presumed a required five members of the Marion Planning Board will be present for a continued public hearing for a Special Permit.
The four members who were present for Monday night’s presubmission conference with applicant Sippican Holdings, LLC, Chairman Andrew Daniel, Vice Chair Alanna Nelson, Clerk Eileen Marum and member W. Dale Jones, voted 4-0 to determine no site-plan review will not be required.
Nelson made that motion based on a site plan including no exterior change, as explained by Sippican Holdings, LLC, representative Steve Gioisa of SITEC Engineering.
The site, at 13 Barnabas Road (Map 24, Lot 10B) is zoned Limited Industrial and would be the third site for the company, which began operations in the south end of New Bedford before relocating several years ago to Ashley Boulevard in the city’s north end and then opening a second office on Route 6 in Mattapoisett.
Gioisa gave the board a rundown on the project, noting that this business will take up space in the very first building in the complex accessible from Route 6 onto Barnabas Road. The area is a single-story, office building with 10,000 square feet of space that had been used for general purposes – not manufacturing, said Gioisa – and has general parking in front and “serpentine parking” in the back.
Parking will be at the at-grade walkway; while there will also be some parking in the front, the business will be accessed from the back of the building.
An architect’s floor plan showed that the applicant intends to use the main body of the site for physical therapy, and the project will reach the north wing of the building and associated corridors. All the work will take place within the building itself.
Marum asked if chemicals, lotions or solutions would be used; Gioisa did not have that answer at the ready. Daniel noted that the fire chief conducted a walk-through of the site.
Nelson asked about existing tenants in the office space and the logistics of remodeling. Gioisa said the owner has space and will lease other space but not to displace an original tenant; the project is in an unoccupied portion of the building.
The public hearing for the Special Permit was opened only to continue to July 1 at 7:20 pm; it involves a change of use from business office to medical office.
The Planning Board’s agenda of loose ends included two other public hearings, an Approval Not Required (ANR) application and another presubmission conference and managed to adjourn in 36 minutes.
Matt Sperry was back before the board looking to tie up his situation but was also continued to July 1 (7:25 pm). The continued public hearing for Sperry Fabric Architecture c/o Matt Sperry, 19 Marconi Lane, is awaiting the results of Major Site Plan Review for his project at Map 24, Lot 13V, zoned Limited Industrial.
Noting that the fire chief signed off on his plan, Sperry was advised to prepare a response to the site-plan review for the July 1 continued public hearing.
Town Planner Doug Guey-Lee told Sperry that peer-review consultant Field Engineering was eager to get it done and that Ken Motta will work with Sperry behind the scenes to address matters in advance of the July 1 hearing.
Noting her third appearance for presubmission conference will be her last before giving way to professional representative G.A.F. Engineering, Jennifer Jones was back before the board to advocate for FSJ Holdings, LLC’s plan to modernize and expand (from 14 to 20 units) via reconstruction her residential rental property at 207-215 Wareham Street.
Map 11, Lots 90, 91 and 91A, the location of the project, is zoned General Business. Jones is looking to transfer over to a residence zoning to accommodate her project. She said she is working on the riverfront aspect of the property to see if she needs to maintain it as such. “If so,” Jones said, the plan will get smaller, not larger.
None of the units is larger than three-family. Her plan is to demolish an eight-unit building in the complex that was constructed in the 1950s. The plan is to raze that building at the end of a construction project that covers 30% of the lot, well below the 40% maximum allowed.
Nelson asked if the hope is to not raze a building. Jones said she prefers not to but that G.A.F. Engineer will determine the best course of action.
Jones agreed to open a 53G account with the town with $5,000 as its starting point. That number can rise as peer review’s task expands.
“I think the big one’s going to be drainage,” said Daniel.
Bob Rogers of G.A.F. Engineering appeared remotely to represent Repurpose Properties, LLC, 387 County Road, in an ANR plan at the rear lot/Tucker Lane and a Public Hearing for a Special Permit.
The land (Map 21, Lot 6J) is zoned Residence D.
Rogers explained that the Form A and Special Permit applications constitute the same exact plan and that the applicant went before Marion’s Conservation Commission last week (its Notice of Intent for wetland flags was continued).
There is a stream in the middle of the wetland area, and the ConCom needs to determine if it is intermittent or perennial, said Rogers. The Planning Board determined it should wait on the ConCom before proceeding.
Given the floor, resident Lee Gunschel sought and received clarification that the barn at the site is coming down and that there will only be one house for the entire property.
The board voted to continue the ANR and the public hearing to July 15 at 7:10 pm.
The next meeting of the Marion Planning Board is scheduled for Monday, July 1, at 7:00 pm at the Police Station.
Marion Planning Board
By Mick Colageo