The meeting began with an extensive review of the proposed Charleswood Elementary School, a major project aimed at addressing overcrowding issues by replacing the existing Elmwood School. The new school will accommodate fourth graders and merge them with the second and third grades currently at Elmwood. The project has been in development for several years, and the planning board’s approval is essential for moving forward.

The proposed layout of Charleswood Elementary includes a rotary for vehicle circulation, main parking areas, playing fields, and service areas. The plan also incorporates outdoor classrooms and rain gardens to enhance the school environment. The project will create interconnections between the existing Marathon School and the proposed Charleswood School, facilitating shared bus and parent drop-off areas. This design aims to alleviate traffic on Hayden Row while ensuring efficient movement of students.

Concerns regarding the site’s wetlands were addressed, with plans to manage environmental considerations through the appropriate channels. The project team presented slides illustrating the layout and features, including circulation patterns for buses and parent vehicles. The planning board was informed that the site design aims to reduce congestion on Hayden Row, thus benefiting the local community.

The discussion also highlighted a focus on traffic management and pedestrian safety related to the new school. The unsignalized intersection at Hayden Row Street currently poses difficulties for traffic flow. Proposed improvements include extending the left turn lane at Marathon School to accommodate buses and other vehicles and restricting left turns out of Charleswood School, directing all such turns to the Marathon School intersection. Pedestrian connectivity will be improved with a traditional pedestrian push button at the Marathon crosswalk and a rectangular rapid flashing beacon (RRFB) at the Charleswood driveway.

Concerns about vehicle speeds on Hayden Row Street were discussed, with expectations that the new traffic signal would help reduce speeds by requiring vehicles to stop, thus creating gaps for safe turns from side streets. Public comments included concerns about parking adequacy at Marathon School, given the expected number of staff and students. The applicant acknowledged the challenge and noted the design of a significant drop-off loop at Charleswood, intended to alleviate congestion during peak times.

Stormwater management was another important topic, with detailed presentations outlining the system proposed for the new school site. The design incorporates both underground and above-ground systems to recharge the groundwater table and manage water flow effectively. Various systems, including infiltration and detention basins, are designed to control the rate of water discharge and prevent erosion. The planning board emphasized the importance of ensuring that the stormwater leaving the site would not exceed existing conditions, thus protecting surrounding properties.

The discussion turned to the impact of housing developments on school enrollment. Findings from a 2018 report by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council suggested that existing home sales, particularly of larger single-family homes, have a more substantial influence on enrollment numbers than mixed-use properties. The anticipated enrollment from proposed developments was framed as modest, with the potential increase in students being minimal compared to the historical impact of single-family homes.

A proposed strategy for addressing the solar panel bylaw was also discussed, where the board could present two options during a town meeting—one that could potentially fail, followed by a second that might succeed. This approach would allow the board to gauge public sentiment while ensuring that any viable plan remained on the table. The chair acknowledged that town council had previously advised that presenting both options as one article could be cleaner, but further clarification on this strategy was needed.

Public comments included insights from research highlighting a new state fund aimed at supporting capital projects in MBTA community zones and concerns regarding PFAS contamination in water sources. The contamination issue could impact the community if new developments brought in town water that mitigated existing concerns, potentially benefitting residents with access to clean water.