Procedural Conflict Derails Lowell Road Duplex Permits at Pepperell Planning Board

PEPPERELL — November 2, 2020 — Pepperell Planning Board stalls on three Lowell Road duplex permits after a procedural conflict derails the vote. The board was considering special permits for Brymar Realty Trust to build three two-family dwellings at 91, 93, and 95 Lowell Road when member Chuck abstained mid-vote, citing personal ties to both the applicant and a project opponent — leaving the board short of the four affirmative votes required under Massachusetts General Law Chapter 40A, Section 11. Planning Director Lisa Davis said Chuck should have formally recused himself at the outset, allowing alternate member Joyce to vote in his place, and recommended consulting town counsel before proceeding. In a separate cannabis retail special permit hearing for New England Craft Cultivators, the board closed the public hearing but deferred a decision pending a revised site plan addressing ADA sidewalk compliance and rear emergency egress. On a positive note, the board voted unanimously to recommend residents Deb Fountain and Mark Matthews to the Select Board for appointment to the new master plan implementation team, and unanimously designated member Chuck as team leader — the same meeting in which his abstention upended the Lowell Road vote.