Chelmsford warehouse plans criticized at Planning Board meeting
CHELMSFORD — The Planning Board met Wednesday night to continue the public hearing for a much-scrutinized warehouse project on Billerica Road.
The plan is to demolish the existing office building at 270 Billerica Road to construct an 85,000-square-foot facility to function as an industrial warehouse. The public hearing began on June 22, when representatives from applicant DH Property Holdings, its legal team and architects received criticism for the plans and were forced to return with revisions.
One such revision was the appearance of the proposed warehouse, as some board members complained it did not match the character of the neighborhood. While the designers have added a 24-foot screening wall and line of trees to block drivers’ sightline to the loading bays on the building, some still objected to its look.
Board member Annita Tanini suggested the building, though still marketed as a commercial lot, should appear more like an “office complex” as opposed to “a large warehouse that has been prettied up.”
“I appreciate the design of the building, the effort that was put into it,” Tanini said, “however, looking at that, it still really sticks out as a warehouse, warehouse-y.”
Michael Bennett, vice president and head of development at DH Property Holdings, said the company is open to adjusting the exterior.
Community Development Director Evan Belansky said the town has the authority to restrict outgoing truck traffic to a left turn only to prevent trucks from driving through the center of town, but enforcement would pose a challenge.
After the town peer reviewers analyzed the original traffic report and delivered feedback, a final report was submitted. Now, the study will include the intersection of Route 129 and Omni Way and then count the amount of traffic after the site is running. The town may have to adjust signals at those intersections if needed.
Project managers estimate there will be 48 trucks going in and out of the warehouse each day, most of which would occur during nonpeak hours. While there was some hesitation over traffic through neighborhoods, Shaun Kelly of Vanasse and Associates said it will “not be a significant increase” in volume.
“The truck traffic’s really going to be oriented to and from Route 3, we don’t really see a lot of it being locally oriented,” he said. “This isn’t a very busy generator in terms of trucks. … This project certainly isn’t going to solve backup on (Interstate) 495. If it happens, it happens.”
Traffic Consultant Kerry Pike said truck drivers can receive instruction as to which specific route to take when they routinely visit and leave the facility.
Belansky said the town is unable to limit trucks on the nearby residential Golden Road, because it is the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s jurisdiction. Several years ago, Chelmsford put up unauthorized truck exclusion route signs, he added, and MassDOT had the town remove the signs and did not approve such a motion.
Now, the Select Board and other agencies are looking into solving the truck traffic problem, Belansky said.
There is no tenant yet for the facility, so that traffic volume may change post-occupancy. There is a previous traffic study from that area that the Planning Board said it will find and review.
After 90 minutes of discussion, DH Property Holdings’ attorney, Douglas Deschenes, said the team will make landscape and architecture upgrades before the next public hearing.
Originally published at https://www.lowellsun.com on August 11, 2022.
