The Planning Board on Monday voted 8-0 to continue the hearing for the proposed parking lot expansion at the UniBank/Starbucks plaza. The applicant decided to reduce the number of new spaces requested from two to one and later proposed restriping the lot.

The commercial parking lot at 85-89 West Main Street is located on an acre at the corner of West Main Street and Lumber Street. The small but popular shopping plaza is occupied by UniBank, Starbucks, Verizon and a nail salon.

The original proposal presented in June sought four spaces that would be created by reducing two landscape islands. The Planning Board continued that hearing until after the Conservation Commission reviewed the plan. On July 22, the Conservation Commission voiced concerns about the increase in impervious space on a revised plan for three new spaces. At the Aug. 4 Planning Board meeting, a request for two spaces was submitted. Concerns were raised about the need to install infrastructure for electric vehicle charging stations.

At this meeting, project engineer Andrew Steiner explained that a surveyor analyzed the site since the last discussion to correct a “slight discrepancy” from what had been submitted. Steiner confirmed that the parking lot currently has 42 spaces.

The applicant was seeking to add two spaces, he said. Room for these spaces would be made by restriping several current spaces for compact cars.

The purpose of the new plan is to document the number of spaces currently on the site as well as to make the parking lot “compliant with the town’s accessible parking regulations,” according to Steiner.

Because this plan does not require buffer zone disturbance, he noted that the applicant has withdrawn the application from consideration by the Conservation Commission.

EV waiver request prompts debate

The town’s bylaw requires that any project that has to go for site plan review for parking provide EV connections. Charging stations either have to be installed, or the parking spaces have to be EV ready. The applicant requested a waiver. Steiner noted that the board has the power to waive the requirement.

Samara Solan, a co-owner of the plaza, advocated for the waiver, citing the financial impact of infrastructure installation. She noted that the proposal’s goal now is to “construct a single parking space for the purpose of meeting the handicap parking requirements.”

“The cost of this minor project is under $10,000,” said Solan. Making two spaces EV ready would cost “over $50,000 and perhaps significantly more.”

About 50% of the current parking spaces are located within the 100-foot buffer zone, Solan noted. The utility room is located “deep within the buffer.” Electrical cables would need to run from there to modified spaces.

She added that 15% of the spaces are reserved for UniBank and cannot be modified, and 7% of the spaces are reserved for accessible parking, which Solan said was “not suitable for electric charging stations.” Most of the remaining spaces are used by Starbucks, which she said has “a lease provision that prohibits any action that would reduce parking capacity at the site.”

Member Parker Happ noted that the plaza’s location near Interstate 495 makes it “a logical place” for motorists using EVs to stop and charge them.

Happ added that members of the Sustainable Green Committee alerted him to the PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) loan program through MassDevelopment for businesses that are upgrading their property to include “energy improvements.”

Chair Rob Benson questioned whether the small project review would still be required if the proposal were solely about restriping the lot. John Gelcich, the director of Land Use, Planning and Permitting, said it would not.

Victor Teglasi, who also represented the property owners, said one new accessible space is proposed. Two others exist.

Added Teglasi: “The handicapped spaces are not good candidates for EV utilization because the population that could use it would be very limited.”

Questions raised about site history

Vice chair Matthew Wronka questioned the documentation about the history of the site. He noted that “we’ve not had a great history with this specific project” and its requests to add spaces over the years. He also pointed out the lack of a peer review of this plan.

“There are a lot of things that concern me about the viability of this project,” he continued. “We’ve had three meetings on this, and this is the fourth site plan that we’ve had that’s had some drastic changes in it.”

After more discussion about the history of extra spot requests since 2017, Teglasi asked that a straw poll be taken regarding waiving the EV requirement. It failed by a 6-2 vote.

“The bottom line is there just isn’t room,” said member Amna Diwan regarding additional spaces.

Teglasi sought a conditional approval for restriping the lot for three required accessible spaces, which Gelcich said was not allowed. He explained that it called for a new application because it now was for “a completely different scope of work” that had not been previously advertised.

Teglasi pushed for “contingent approval” based on future plans that would not include a new spot, which Gelcich said could not be done. Gelcich recommended that the hearing be continued so new plans could be submitted. Teglasi then asked for a straw poll, which Gelcich said was not possible.

Added Gelcich: “It’s getting very confusing, honestly, trying to decipher all the hypotheticals.”

The hearing was continued until the next meeting on Nov. 3.

Deiana Farm bond reduction approved

The board voted 8-0 to approve the request for a bond reduction for the Deiana Farm subdivision at 6 Nebraska Street. The original bond was for $124,000; the request was to lower it to $12,090.

Applicant Jeff Deiana explained that he requested the reduction because he did not realize that the bond was only intended for the work in the town right of way. He initially assumed that it was for all of the infrastructure work on the property as well as the road. Deiana has not yet posted the amount because he wanted to seek clarification, he explained.

He added that he priced everything on the project “by the foot,” including machinery and labor costs.

Once the bond is posted, Deiana said he can get the building permit and begin construction. The plans call for site improvements for the existing lot and the proposed single-family house lot. Work would be performed in the town right of way.

Lots released for Red Tail Circle

The board also voted 8-0 to release two lots for the Red Tail Circle subdivision, located at 24 Chestnut Street. The other three lots in the five-lot subdivision previously were released. The proposal called for four homes to be built and one existing home to be modified.