Pepperell Planning Board continues Nashua Road warehouse hearing, approves $278,200 in earmark spending

PEPPERELL -- January 23, 2024, Pepperell Planning Board continues contested Nashua Road warehouse hearing and approves $278,200 in state earmark spending. The board voted 4-0 Tuesday to push the major site plan hearing for a proposed Serenka Partners warehouse at 149-163 Nashua Road to February 5, after engineer Matt Waterman of Land Infected Consultants reported that MassDEP had issued its first review comments within an hour of the meeting and that the full revised site plan remained days away from submission. Staff presented conditions that would require the applicant to post surety covering up to $782,000 for a bypass lane and $253,000 for a heavy-duty pavement overlay, figures derived from federal highway cost guides, with improvements triggered upon building permits for a second phase or 12 months after the first building's certificate of occupancy. In a separate 4-0 vote, the board recommended the Select Board approve $260,500 from a state legislative earmark for Phase 1 commercial kitchen development at the former Peter Fitzpatrick School, including $53,000 for a kitchen supervisor over Chair Al Patteno's initial reservations; a 3-1 vote (Member Joan dissenting) sent the Agricultural Commission's $17,700 food hub feasibility request forward as well.