The Planning Board held a public hearing for a formal review of a subdivision plan to subdivide 94 Hardy Road during its May 8 meeting.
Jason Lopez, who was representing the applicant, Marathon Building, formerly Legacy Building during the meeting, explained that they were looking to build seven residential lots.
“This proposal is to subdivide 94 Hardy Road into seven residential lots,” he told the Planning Board.
He noted that the property in total size is 11.8 acres.
“The lots will be between 1.4 and 2.3 acres,” Lopez said, noting that there is an existing home on the property that will be raised.
Lopez also explained that there are wetlands on the property but since it is less than a half an acre in size, it means that they won’t have any buffers as part of the requirement.
As part of the process they went in front of the Conservation Commission, and said that they addressed the minor comments that they had.
One resident who spoke about concerns was Anne Fogarty, who said she and her brother both live on the road, where the project is being proposed.
“Our family has owned the property across the street since the late 50s,” she said.
She explained that she has been living in her current home for the past 10 years, and she was extremely concerned about the traffic.
“We call it Hardy Highway, it’s like New England dragway,” Fogarty said, explaining that they can hear cars revving up the hill on both sides, and saying there is a lot of cut-thru traffic.
She asked if they could have a type of a slow down sign on the top of the hill or change the speed limit.
Resident, Deb Paul, who lives on the road, said she is concerned with the proposal, mainly due to the traffic concerns already that are on the road.
“This project concerns me,” Paul told the Planning Board.
She also noted that they had a death on the road saying “The traffic on that road is crazy.”
“Traffic is a huge, huge concern all over town, but some roads are much worst then others, and this is one of those roads” Paul said.
She also explained that if there is an accident between Exit 4 and 5 then they reroute traffic to the road. She also noted it would have been a better design if they had done what the developer down the road did on Gilcreast Road did and that was only two cuts onto the road, instead of seven. After all, safety should come first.
Alternate Planning Board member, Tony DeFrancesco, said they should look at things to help with the traffic on the road.
Planning Board Chair, Jake Butler, agreed, saying that he thought it made sense to address the traffic concerns on the road.
“I think if we can get some speed limit signs there, it would certainly be appropriate,” Butler said.
The Planning Board ultimately approved the subdivision during the meeting.
The next meeting is set for June 5 at 7 p.m.