Pepperell Commission Continues Scotch Pine Farm Driveway Hearing to September

PEPPERELL — August 21, 2018 — Pepperell Conservation Commission continues Scotch Pine Farm driveway hearing to September 25. The commission opened but did not close a public hearing on a Notice of Intent filed by Michael and Donna Quintel to build a 16-foot common driveway at 34 Sherwood Street, the site of the former Scotch Pine Farm on Elm Street, where up to five proposed residential lots — including a duplex development — share a single access corridor running between two wetlands. Engineer Jack Krusniewski said the driveway would be rebuilt largely in its existing footprint, widened from approximately 12 feet to meet the required 16-foot standard, and served by a stormwater plan including subsurface infiltration basins and rain gardens. Commission members pressed Krusniewski on whether the alignment could shift away from the closer wetland; Krusniewski replied, "I tried to just stay right on top of that existing driveway," but agreed a site visit could determine whether a modest lateral shift was feasible. The hearing was continued to September 25 pending the Planning Board's September 17 action on required special permits. The commission also voted unanimously to issue a certificate of compliance for 32 East Street and heard a request from the town's Master Plan climate working group for member participation in a habitat vulnerability assessment intended to lay groundwork for state MVP program grant eligibility.