Pentucket North Planned Development District

I Street is a narrow, dead-end residential road that was never designed to accommodate the traffic associated with a development of this size.

Without sidewalks or infrastructure designed to support this additional activity, I worry about pedestrian safety, emergency vehicle access, road conditions, and, most importantly, the safety of the children and families who live here.

Based upon the review of the application and comments received during the hearing process, improvements to I Street are necessary to provide adequate and safe access to the proposed development and to address the impacts associated with the proposed project.

McClure further recommended plans depicting the turnaround for fire apparatus and widening and fixing I Street.

Pentucket North has agreed to widen I Street to 24 feet and to mill and overlay I Street post construction. Such work would be coordinated with the required City Departments.

The applicant has proposed improvements to I Street to be reviewed by Engineering and Police prior to construction of the improvement.

The addition of 14 residential units would bring a significant increase in vehicles, along with construction traffic, deliveries, and service vehicles.

Traffic-volume increases related to the Project, external to the Study, are anticipated to range from 1 to 4 vehicles or 0.4 to 2.3 percent, during peak periods

The City's peer report, performed by McClure Engineering Co. ("McClure"), determined that VAI's methodologies were consistent with accepted MassDOT practices, and the findings were reasonable.

Of particular concern is the proposed alteration of Y Street, an undeveloped public right-of-way, commonly referred to as a "paper street."

According to the submitted plans, the proposed regrading of the western half of the Y Street right-of-way would raise existing elevations by as much as seven feet in certain areas.

Additionally, the proposed drainage outflow pipe and associated riprap splash pad appear to extend approximately 10 to 15 feet into the Y Street right-of-way.

Currently, I Street serves 15 residential units spread across roughly four to five acres of land. The proposed development would introduce an additional 14 residential units on just 1.5 acres, nearly doubling the number of households relying on this single dead-end street for access.

Adding nearly as many residential units on 1.5 acres as currently exist throughout the surrounding neighborhood represents a significant and disproportionate increase in density.

Change is never easy. Mr. Mailloux understands this and is sympathetic to the older generation currently residing in the area. However, Pentucket North beliefs that the Project's benefits outweigh the acknowledged inconveniences to the neighbors.

During a Planning Board hearing, a neighbor expressed her concern that the Developments would become rental property.

Pentucket North has agreed to create a Home Owner's Association ("HOA") which will include among other things, a restriction prohibiting the rental of any units.

The Fire Department is satisfied with the plans and layout of the Development and their only request was for Pentucket North to install an additional fire hydrant at the Development's entrance.

Pentucket North has no issue with this request.

The applicant has also agreed to place additional hydrants within the site and will place sprinklers in all the units.