Local resident Don Charette came before the Planning Board with Jason Lopez of Keach-Nordstrom Associates seeking approval for a site plan for a new business to be located at 9 Buttrick Road near the intersection with Peabody Row.
The business, Wicked Good Scoops, would be a coffee and ice cream shop that also offers pastries and other breakfast goods. Eventually there would also be whiffle ball batting cages at the location. The property abuts Schaefer Mortgage and is owned by JMMKC Corporation whose managing partner is Ken Schaefer, owner of the mortgage business. Charette would be leasing to start but shared that he has an option to purchase the parcel if he so desires in the future.
Charette said that he plans to develop the parcel in two phases. In the first, an existing building that was a former beauty salon would be converted into the ice cream stand and coffee shop along with a parking lot with 16 spaces.
In a second phase, as the business expands, a deck overlooking an existing pond would be constructed as would the batting cages for whiffle ball.
Lopez shared that the business would be serviced by an existing septic system that would not need to be modified to support the new business. There is an existing well on the site but given the significant planned use of water by the business, they plan to connect into Pennichuck Water Works. Use of the well would be discontinued.
To meet town requirements for sight distance when exiting the property, some trees and brush will be cleared along part of the Buttrick Road frontage. Additionally, the existing gravel driveway will be widened and a stone wall along the road will be removed. According to Lopez, “In order to do some of the clearance Don had negotiated a sight distance easement over land of [abutter] Karen Hutchinson.”
Board Member Ann Chiampa hoped that the stone wall could be moved to be closer to the entrance. The proposed plan is to move the rocks to build a wall at the head in end of the parking lot. Lopez replied that while they did not want to move the stone wall they were required to do so to achieve the required sight distance clearance.
Board Member Scott Benson wondered if 16 parking spaces would be enough for this type of business. Charette said that he was exploring using the parking lot of the next-door mortgage business as overflow parking. An existing footbridge connects the two parcels. According to Charette, Ken Schaefer is supportive of the idea.
Board Member Leitha Reilly asked how the resident at 11 Buttrick Road felt about the project. That resident, Karen Hutchinson, expressed support saying, “I’m happy with it. We worked out a nice easement agreement.”
At the Board’s request, Town Planner Colleen Mailloux gave the planning staff’s view of the project. The only significant sticking point is that the town requires a 25-foot easement on the property along Buttrick Road. This is required in case the road needs to be widened in the future. Charette was not able to agree to that in the meeting because he does not own the land and needed to consult with JMMKC Corporation about that.
That left the Board with two options for how to handle the approval. One was to continue the public hearing until their next meeting or grant a conditional approval assuming that Charette could secure permission for the easement. If permission where not granted then Charette would have to come back to the Planning Board. In the end, the applicant decided to opt for the conditional approval.