As you may know, the former Peace Abbey and Life Experience School property on North Main Street is proposed for redevelopment as an age-restricted development. The proposal is to convert the existing brick building (originally built as the Town library and often referred to as "the Library building") at the front of the property into a single family residence, convert the existing house to the rear of the property into a duplex, and add five new triplex buildings for a total of 18 units. The plans and other information about the project can be viewed here.
A Preliminary Development Plan for the project and rezoning of the property to EA was approved at the 2013 Annual Town Meeting. Now an application for a special permit for the project along with a Final Development Plan has been submitted to the Planning Board. The public hearing for the special permit opened on July 23, 2014 at which time an overview of the project was presented. The hearing was continued until August 27 (and will likely be continued again into September).All are welcome to attend the hearings or otherwise provide comments on the project.
The project will eliminate the property's two curb cuts on North Main Street and provide an access driveway from Village Way. The project also requires a land swap from the Town. Authorization for the land swap was also approved at the 2013 Annual Town Meeting and the Board of Selectmen is currently in the process of executing that land transaction in accordance with state requirements.
The project also needs approval from the Board of Health (for septic system and wells) and the Conservation Commission (because part of it is within 100 feet of wetlands). An Environmental Health Impact Report (EHIR) has been submitted to the Board of Health. That report includes stormwater information which is also part of the review for both Planning Board and Conservation Commission. Consequently, the three boards have coordinated to select a single engineering consultant to provide peer review services for the project. That consultant is scheduled to be selected at the Board of Health meeting on August 20.
