Townsend Planning Board Deliberates Project Delays and Permit Extensions

The Townsend Planning Board’s recent meeting was marked by intense deliberation surrounding significant project delays, a contested engineering rework, and the extension of a special permit. The board faced challenges with a contracted engineer’s work on a site plan that contained mistakes, necessitating a comprehensive re-submission of documents for review, and debated the merits of extending a special permit for a building project.

A critical point of discussion involved the contracted engineer’s work for a site plan that was found to be erroneous. The board had to consider reapplying for a new permit due to unreviewed building changes. The previous engineer’s work was scrutinized, and there were mentions of difficulties in obtaining cad drawings, which are essential for the project’s continuation. Consequently, the board emphasized the imperative for the new engineer to receive a thorough briefing on their requirements.

Further complicating matters, the board engaged in a continuation of a public hearing for a development site plan review, special permits, and stormwater management permit. The applicant reported delays in providing printed copies of the revised plan, which included updates on the dumpster location, mailbox, and a peer review of stormwater calculations. The legal aspects of condominium compliance and the inclusion of a pool in the plans were also broached. Concerns were raised regarding the elevation and walkway details, prompting the applicant to present visual aids to elucidate the submitted plans.

The board also confronted the need to extend a special permit for another building project. A rigorous debate ensued over granting an 8-week versus a 10-week extension. Ultimately, the decision was to extend the permit until October 7th, with the provision of a possible earlier review should the project advance ahead of schedule.

Additionally, the board addressed an administrative report detailing an array of applications and permits, including a certificate of completion for a water management system, building permit applications, and a dog boarding business’s compliance with special permit conditions. The planning assistant brought up a grant application for reviewing the town’s site plan review special permit bylaw, while the board also reviewed the master plan implementation table and the progression of a multifamily overlay district bylaw and route two corridor study.

Correspondence from other local government entities was reviewed, involving zoning board decisions and public hearing notices for subdivision plan modifications. The board discussed the imperative of reviewing past meetings related to a property being modified for a veterinary hospital. Preparations for ethics training for board members, including the availability of self-paced learning classes and an online resource library, were also on the agenda. The scheduling of future meetings and the appointment of an associate member in the absence of the vice chair were conducted.

Note: This meeting summary was generated by AI, which can occasionally misspell names, misattribute actions, and state inaccuracies. This summary is intended to be a starting point and you should review the meeting record linked above before acting on anything you read. If we got something wrong, let us know. We’re working every day to improve our process in pursuit of universal local government transparency.
Town Administrator:
Eric Slagle
Planning Board Officials:
Laura Shifrin, Carol Hoffses, Andrew Shepherd, Robert Therrien, Tony Lopez, Michael Virostko, Beth Faxon (Administrator)

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