Subdivision site in Athol to be examined for historical significance

Chris Stoddard of Stoddard Engineering at a public hearing with the Board of Planning and Community Development to discuss details of a proposed eight-home subdivision off of Pleasant Street and Victoria Avenue. A site visit is scheduled for July 31 and the public hearing will continue on Aug. 7.

Chris Stoddard of Stoddard Engineering at a public hearing with the Board of Planning and Community Development to discuss details of a proposed eight-home subdivision off of Pleasant Street and Victoria Avenue. A site visit is scheduled for July 31 and the public hearing will continue on Aug. 7. PHOTO BY GREG VINE

By GREG VINE

For the Athol Daily News

Published: 07-19-2024 2:51 PM

ATHOL – The first installment of a public hearing for a proposed eight-lot subdivision off of Pleasant Street and Victoria Avenue was held during Wednesday’s meeting of the Board of Planning and Community Development.

Chris Stoddard of Stoddard Engineering of Athol, the engineer for the project, provided the board with plans for sewer and electrical service to each of the proposed three-bedroom, single-family homes, as well as drainage, tree planting and other details.

Stoddard said water for the development will come from individual wells, explaining that pressure from the municipal water supply would be too low to service the homes. He said their close proximity to the municipal water tank would make it difficult to build up the same pressure as to homes farther away.

V & J Real Estate of Athol is seeking a special permit for the project under the Open Space Residential Design provisions, provided under both state law and Athol’s zoning bylaws. The OSRD will allow each of the homes to be constructed onsmaller lots than is traditionally called for.

The development would occupy about a third of the 13-acre parcel, with the remaining nine acres to be preserved as open space. The site lies well outside the 100-foot buffer for each of two wetlands that flank the development to the east and west.

The residential lots will be served by a 520-foot-long cul de sac, said Stoddard. The board must vote to approve the roadway because it exceeds the 500-foot limit for subdivisions in Athol. A sidewalk will be constructed on the north side of the cul-de-sac, which will essentially act as an extension of Spring Street.

Stoddard said sewage will be pumped from each home to a municipal station that sits about 150 feet south of the intersection of Spring Street and Victoria Avenue. Several abutters and nearby residents expressed concern that the addition of eight new homes could impact the portion of the sewer system that serves the surrounding area. One resident said he recently had to dig up the front of his property to repair a sewer line that runs to his home after the line ruptured.

Stoddard said that the town’s eight-inch sewer line should be able to handle the additional demand. Neighbors, however, wanted more reassurances, and the board voted to invite representatives of the Public Works Department to the board’s next regular meeting on Aug. 7 to answer questions from the public. The hearing on the proposed development will resume at 7:10 p.m. that evening.

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Residents also questioned whether the Fire Department would have an adequate supply of water to fight any fire that might occur at the subdivision, due to the area’s low water pressure. Stoddard said firefighters would need to respond to the site with a pumper truck.

A site visit, which is open to the public, will take place at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, July 31, to provide information on the homes, cul-de-sac and utilities.Stoddard added that all utilities, including electricity, will be run underground and no utility poles will be added beyond the intersection of Victoria Avenue and Spring Street.

Planning and Development Director Eric Smith said that the Historical Commission has asked for an archaeological survey of the parcel, as it may be the site of Athol’s first meetinghouse and other historically significant buildings.

Greg Vine can be reached at gvineadn@aol.com.