Pepperell Planning Board releases Birch Drive escrow, targets early 2026 for subdivision regulation adoption

PEPPERELL -- November 17, 2025, Pepperell Planning Board unanimously votes to release the Birch Drive Extension financial security and advances subdivision regulation revisions toward department review. Acting Chair David Ganong presided Monday in the absence of regular Chair Al Patnott, with all other five members present. The board voted to disburse the balance of an escrow account originally set at $150,000 in 2020, following Town Meeting acceptance of the road and a final inspection that staff called "excellent." On subdivision regulations, staff presented a red-line draft trimmed primarily by removing stormwater passages now covered in a separate town document, with minor consistency fixes flagged by Member Joan Laddick including standardizing "local street" terminology and adding "Massachusetts" to a civil engineer registration requirement on page eight. Staff said preliminary comments from the Conservation Commission and DPW are expected before December 1, with a goal of holding two required public hearings for adoption in early 2026. Staff also reported that a second Chapter 40B affordable housing application has been formally submitted, with a first public hearing anticipated before the Zoning Board of Appeals on January 7.