Boxborough Planning Board Continues Astro Crane Hearing, Endorses Middle Road Land Split

BOXBOROUGH -- February 3, 2025, Boxborough Planning Board continued the Astro Crane site plan review and set a packed March zoning docket at its February 3 meeting. The board voted 5-0 to continue the public hearing for two proposed industrial storage buildings at 340 Codman Hill Road to March 3, after reviewing a third revision of the site plans that includes 14 rhododendrons, 11 mountain laurels, and other native species, though member Rebecca Bernard pushed the applicant to install trees at 10 to 12 feet and shrubs at four to five feet rather than smaller stock that "does nothing" for screening. A last-minute letter from Fire Chief Kivlin, uploaded to the packet seven minutes before the hearing, outlined his rationale for waiving the sprinkler requirement for the structures, classified as S2 low-hazard occupancy under the International Building Code; the board agreed his proposed conditions should be embedded in the board's own order of conditions "so it doesn't get lost" through any future ownership change. The board voted unanimously to endorse an approval-not-required land division at 276 Middle Road for the Richardson family estate, with member Cindy White abstaining, and authorized the chair to sign on the board's behalf. In a separate unanimous vote, the board scheduled three March public hearing nights covering the MBTA Communities Act zoning district, a floodplain bylaw update, Mass Avenue zoning, a potential municipal-use code to resolve a fire station permitting impasse, and aquifer protection district revisions, all of which must clear the board before the annual town meeting warrant closes April 1.