TEWKSBURY — The Tewksbury Planning Board met on Monday, Dec. 18, 2023 at town hall.
Town Planner Alexandra Lowder reported the town submitted one MBTA Communities-compliant zoning overlay district for pre-adoption review to the state Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities. The state has 90 days to review.
Lowder also noted she shared an article with the board on the history of housing underproduction in the United States, which discusses American urbanization, struggles with housing production through the Great Depression, and the history of rent control.
Finally, Lowder reminded residents the Conservation Commission will be holding a feedback session on proposed changes to the wetlands protection bylaw on Jan. 18.
The board voted to approve a family suite permit at 11 Sunset Circle.
The board reviewed a site plan and land disturbance permit application at 770 Main St., next to Main Street Learning Academy, a preschool. The reworked application, engineer Ben Osgood explained, now proposes a 15,000 square foot two-story daycare for a national company.
The new proposal reduces the number of students, including infants through preschoolers. The applicant sought a waiver to reduce the number of parking spaces required.
Member Vinny Fratalia said he thought the number of students was still too high, and that he thought there would be too great an effect on traffic without having reviewed the traffic study.
The board continued the hearing to the Jan. 8 meeting.
The board reviewed a use special permit application at 345 Main St. in the Wamesit Place plaza. The 31,000 square foot store will be a high-end liquor store with no external modifications to the building. The company received permitting from the Board of Health to also sell limited ancillary smoke shop merchandise.
The board voted to approve the application.
The board discussed a site plan review and land disturbance permit application for a cannabis venture by Dean Graffeo at 1625 Andover St. Attorney David Plunkett discussed the history of the parcel and engineer Matt Hamor gave an overview of the proposed site layout and building layout, including secure storage.
Board member Jonathan Ciampa asked why the proponent was keeping a patio on the site, stating that customers may want to take advantage of a relaxing place to sit after purchasing cannabis products.
Plunkett explained that products are not allowed to be consumed on-site at retail marijuana stores.
“It’s highly regulated and that’s one of the key things that is clear in the permitting process, that there is no consumption on site.”
Ciampa asked how they would regulate consumption. Hamor said the patio could be removed if necessary.
“It just doesn’t seem like a real good spot,” said member Jim Duffy, of the project’s siting near a daycare.
Retail marijuana establishments are only prohibited from siting near K-12 schools. The Select Board will need to approve a permit for cannabis sales.
Residents complained about potential traffic impacts and the view from “beautiful homes that we bought.” Teachers from The Learning Experience said that several parents had accidents on Andover Street.
The board continued the item.
The board discussed a special permit application at 686 Clark Road for a cultivation and product manufacturing facility for adult use marijuana. Owners Jeff Derby and Mike Saccone and attorney Phil Silverman appeared before the Select Board in late November and discussed specifics of the facility, which is expected to have few employees and little traffic as a cultivation wholesaler.
Ciampa noted that the site, like 1625 Andover St., is also located near a preschool, but no one was present to speak against it.
“Maybe it’s not the moral fight that we’re led to believe it is,” he said.
The board voted to approve the application.
The board continued several items to the next meeting, including: a site plan review, special permit, and land disturbance permit application for Holt & Bugbee at 1600 Shawsheen St.; a site plan review, special permit, and land disturbance permit application at 1167, 1177, and 1187 Main St., the MacLellan oil property; a site plan review application at 1438 Main St.; a site plan review, special permit, and land disturbance permit for Tree House Brewing Company at 1879 Main St.; and a site plan review, special permit, and land disturbance permit application at 402 Main St., the Tewksbury Florist and Greenery property.
The next meeting is scheduled for Jan. 8, 2023. Residents may find previously recorded meetings at youtube.com/TewksburyTV. The meeting may be viewed on Comcast channel 99 and Verizon channel 33 or attend in person at town hall.
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