Planning Board Continues Elms Place Access Hearing Pending Fire Safety Review

HANSON -- March 24, 2025, Hanson Planning Board delays ruling on Elms Place LLC road access pending fire department review. The board voted 5-0 at its March 24 meeting to continue an adequate access determination hearing for three lots on Elms Place, a 470-foot private paved way off State Street, until April 14, after members raised fire safety concerns about the road's 15-foot traveled width and the absence of a turnaround area for emergency vehicles. Engineer Joe Webby of Webby Engineering, representing applicants Jason Kennedy and Andrew SP, said the road meets the bylaw's 15-foot minimum and that the applicants plan to add lot-level drainage to prevent additional runoff. Town Planner Tom Flamer confirmed the fire chief had visited the site Friday but had not yet submitted written comments. One board member noted Elms Place does not appear on the Select Board's accepted or private-road lists, a gap that may require a separate petition. The board also approved invoices totaling $742.24 and received an update that the town's draft ADU bylaw is under preliminary review by the Attorney General's office, with only minor grammatical changes anticipated.