Pepperell Planning Board grants two-family permit, backs adaptive reuse article for town meeting

PEPPERELL — April 19, 2022 — Pepperell Planning Board votes 4-1 to recommend adaptive reuse zoning article for town meeting. The board, meeting virtually April 19, also approved a 5-0 special permit for a two-family dwelling at 11 Sartell Street for applicant John J. Hills, attaching conditions on native plantings, exterior lighting limited to 2,700-Kelvin downlights, and stone infiltration swales along the driveways to manage runoff. On the adaptive reuse article, revised draft language from Town Planner Jenny and town counsel narrowed eligible community-type buildings to houses of worship, schools, convents, rectories, parsonages, parish halls, and fraternal society lodges, and added a requirement that project lots be contiguous. Member Al voted against recommending the article, saying "if it was straight municipal buildings, I'd be fine, but I'm not in favor with churches being listed." The board also unanimously adopted stormwater regulations under Section 178-6 of the town code and heard a Climate Change Committee presentation on municipal energy aggregation — a state program under which the town would purchase electricity collectively for roughly 4,500 residential and 450 commercial National Grid customers, with opt-out available at any time.