Pepperell Planning Board Approves 147 National Road Storage Facility Special Permit

PEPPERELL — December 16, 2024 — Pepperell Planning Board unanimously approved a contractor vehicle storage and parking operation at 147 National Road and accepted an approval-not-required subdivision plan at 96 Mount Lebanon Street at its December 16 meeting. The board voted 4-0 on both items, with Chair Alan Patten and members Amanda, David, and Joan present; member Brian was absent. On 147 National Road, engineer Kenneth Lania of Cornerstone Land Associates told the board applicant Fabio Lacerda plans to complete all site infrastructure in a first phase and construct the permitted building "approximately a year and a half to two" years later, prompting Town Planner Jason Sousa to revise the notice of decision to add a portable restroom requirement and tie construction photo monitoring to the start of site work rather than a certificate of occupancy. Agricultural Commission Co-Chair Cheryl Rozoff reported the town's cold storage food hub has secured 3,100 square feet at Pepper Place on Mill Street — its first choice, a Lomar Park unit, sold two days after the Select Board appropriated project funds — with Lexvest agreeing to build the partition wall and install a dedicated entrance at no cost, a three-year lease under negotiation, and an early summer 2025 opening targeted. Two public hearings — on Appendix A Table of Principal Uses and on revised subdivision rules and regulations — were continued to January 13, 2025.