Following a site visit on September 2, 2021, the Planning Board held a Public Hearing on Tuesday, September 21, for the Carr Woods Condominium development.  Andrew Carr is requesting a Major Subdivision Review of Carr Woods for an 18-unit condominium project, one single family home lot, and a Resource Protection Permit to alter 11,789 square feet of RP2 wetland located at 10 Deep Brook Road.  

On August 10, the Conservation Committee voted 4-0 on the project’s application being complete.  On August 17, the Planning Board voted 4-0 on the project’s completeness, after having voted it incomplete during a May 18 meeting [Article].  Chair Jim Huebener emphasized that a vote of completion is, “Only about the project’s completeness — not on its merits.” 

Jim Fisher, President of Northeast Civil Solutions - an engineering and surveying company, preceded the Planning Board’s public hearing with a review of the project and updates on behalf of his client, Carr.  Fisher stated that he had heard from many members of the public, in particular from residents immediately adjacent to either side of the proposed development.  In response to concerns over impact to wetlands, Fisher commented that the road leading to the development had been moved to a different location where the impacted wetland is considered, “a low-grade classification and artificially created.” In response to public input, Fisher added that they had decided not to maximize the number of units they could build nor the road length.

During the September 2 site visit, the Planning Board indicated that a peer review of the wetlands and ledge should be considered by the applicant.  Fisher stated that they had not yet received a peer review, but that it was a welcomed request, “We view it as a badge of honor.  [A peer review] puts any point of question to bed typically, when a completely independent third-party takes a look at our work.”  Therefore, Fisher added, no substantive changes have been made to the project as it currently exists.  Once the review is completed, any changes stemming from the review will be made and the plans will be resubmitted to the Planning Board.

During the Conservation Committee’s September 9 meeting, the committee reviewed the Resource Protection permit standards of review and noted that a peer review of wetland mapping would be forthcoming.  The committee voted 7-0 to table further comments on the application until revised plans are available.  At that point, the committee’s comments will be forwarded to the Planning Board.

Prior to opening up the meeting to a public hearing, Huebener informed the public that should the peer review result in substantive design changes,  a second public hearing would be held at a future date.  Town Planner Maureen O’Meara added that should the Planning Board support a request for a peer review,  they could expect the written peer-review report to be completed by the end of October of this year.  In order to allow the applicant adequate time to process the report and implement any possible design changes, O’Meara suggested that a second public hearing could be held in December. 

During the public hearing thirteen people provided comments over a range of issues pertaining to the impact the development would have on abutting neighbors to the project’s impact on the natural environment.  Comments included concerns over: the accuracy of the open space and wetland calculations; the proposed relocation of the road and its impact to the existing wetland; the impact the proposed road entrance would have on the abutting property’s right-of-way access to Shore Road and general traffic safety; and concerns over the scope of bedrock and soil studies.  Several speakers said that they would refrain from voicing all of their comments until a peer review had been completed and the application updated.

Following the public hearing the Planning Board supported O’Meara to engage Jim Logan of Longview Partners, LLC to provide a peer review per his contract proposal of the Carr Woods Condominium development.

The Planning Board voted unanimously to table the application to the Planning Board’s December 21, 2021, meeting.

To view Northeast Civil Solutions' proposed plans for Carr Woods condominiums click the image below: