5 Takeaways from the Nov. 27 Planning Board

Could a drainage easement wash out Washville?

The Planning Board met last night with all members present. There were no committee reports.

In her Town Planner’s report, Community/Economic Development Planner Alexandra Lowder advised the board that there are five new filings for Dec. 18: 11 Sunset Circle for a family suite special permit; 770 Main St., a site plan review and land disturbance resubmission for a proposed daycare with a modified proposal; special permits for retail sale of alcoholic beverages and a wall-mounted sign at 345 Main St., Wamesit Place; a site plan review and land disturbance for a proposed retail marijuana facility at 1625 Andover St.; and a special permit for the cultivation and manufacturing of marijuana at 686 Clark Rd., a proposal the Select Board will address tonight.

Continued to the Dec. 18 meeting were hearings for the 913 East St. self-storage facility, parallel parking spaces along Sarina Way, the Holt & Bugbee lot split, the Tree House overflow lot and the multifamily development at 1167-87 Main St. Earlier this month, the Conservation Commission was briefed on how Tree House proposes to address MassDEP concerns about the lot by eliminating the proposed infiltration basin and putting in place a wet pond. ConCom signoff is still pending.

Chair Stephen Johnson said he would not be able to attend the Dec. 18 meeting.

Lowder also reminded residents that the Annual Tree Lighting will take place on Friday, beginning at 5 p.m., weather permitting. The Town is partnering with the Tewksbury Congregational Church to bring Santa to town. If there’s rain, keep an eye on the town website for info on modifications or cancelations.

Matt Finnell and Brianna Gomes appeared asking the board to overrule an administrative order to tear down a 17’ x 40’ concrete block shed that was not on the original plan for their newly constructed home at 30 Mac Drive. Member Jonathan Ciampa asked whether there were structural concerns. Lowder said she and the building inspector took a look at the plot plan and saw no issues with it staying. The request was approved unanimously.

After approving a family suite at 50 Vale St., the board got a look at the “Washville” car wash proposed for 402 Main St., currently the site of Tewksbury Florist & Greenery. The two-acre parcel with 160 feet of frontage on Rt. 38 was put on the market for $2.5 million in October 2022. 

Jim Waterman, EVP of Washville Car Wash; attorney Pete Nicosio; and Garrett Piccirillo, a civil engineer with GPI, appeared for Washville, which currently has about two dozen locations, including three in Massachusetts and six in New Hampshire, that operate from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The company is looking to completely demolish the existing greenhouses and other buildings and construct a single-tunnel car wash, with only one curb cut on Main St. Piccirillo said the plan is to decrease impervious surface on the site and add stormwater and groundwater treatment systems, while still retaining a drainage easement that involves overflows going onto the adjoining Wamesit Lanes property. The plan will require Conservation Commission approval. Water from the car wash itself will be recycled via underground tanks.

“It’s an excellent package, a lot of detail,” said Ciampa of the plan submitted. He called out the possibility of cross-traffic given the single in and out and asked for clear lane markings so customers can understand the flow of traffic. 

Vice-chair Vinny Fratalia asked if the proponents are aware of the car wash at the Petroil gas station across the street. That facility is currently not operating. Fratalia also asked for a traffic study and specifics on how many cars are expected to go in and out.

As many as 120 vehicles can go through the tunnel per hour at peak times, but that’s a theoretical maximum; a traffic study suggests possibly 1,300 trips per day.

Member Jim Duffy, who was on the board when Wamesit Lanes was being permitted, also asked for drainage details — at the time, runoff from Tewksbury Florist was an issue, he said.

“I just think that if you guys are going to come in and put a new facility in there, that you should be responsible for your own stormwater and maintain your own facilities and so forth,” said Duffy. He also stressed that the lighting should not disturb any neighbors, while Johnson made a number of suggestions to offset the possibility of traffic backing up onto Main St. and stopping operations in the tunnel.

In public comment, attorney Don Borenstein appeared with Don MacLaren, co-owner of Wamesit Lanes. MacLaren has also engaged Jim Hanley of Civil Design Consultants and Dick Cuoco of Woodland Design Consultants. 

“These facilities are designed for maximum efficiency and huge volumes of cars,” said Borenstein. “That’s why they make so much money. That’s why you see them proposed in towns all over the area.”

Borenstein is also representing an abutter to a proposed Washville location in Methuen; he characterized the company as highly profitable and looking to open a number of sites.

Borenstein stated that he believes the 25-foot frontage setback requirement does apply to Colab Rd., the private road adjacent to 402 Main St., which would require that the facility be resituated on the lot. But his larger point was to challenge the drainage easement, which allows stormwater overflow to be discharged into the Wamesit Lanes treatment system. 

“They have a very expensive, you know, somewhat complex drainage facility underneath their site,” said Borenstein. “That easement requires them to maintain that at their expense.” 

He suggested that, albeit without doing a full study, “any future increase [in water volume] due to additional impervious area or regrading” might invalidate the easement.

“This proposal represents a very significant change in activity and traffic at this location,” said Borenstein, who also requested a peer review of the traffic study, citing the high volume of cars going in and out. He promised to return with Hanley and Cuoco. The hearing was continued to Dec. 18, with the possibility of sliding into January.

Finally, Michael Columba returned seeking signoff for the Brelundi Italian food outlet at 836 and 846 Main St., the former Mirabella’s. Lowder said there has been a new plan submitted and that there appear to be responses to all comments. Columba will construct sidewalks. 

“I had hoped we had a point tonight where we could approve this for you,” said Fratalia.

Columba said he has staffing for the location being trained at his Waltham location, but that he may need to lay off 10 people if he can’t get the Tewksbury site open — he characterized it as “90% done” inside.

In fact, Johnson said he would be willing to grant conditional approval contingent on the engineering department signing off on what’s been submitted. After discussion, the waivers were approved with conditions. The site plan passed by a vote of four to one, with Duffy voting no, stating he was not comfortable with the number of outstanding issues with engineering. 

The next — likely lengthy — meeting will be Dec. 18.