Selectmen Consider Development Plan for the Former Travelodge Site

Plot plan for the projected development
Plot plan for the projected development

By Joan Bowen

At the January 27 meeting of the Selectmen, Bill Moonan raised on his concern about the plans for the development of the former Travelodge site in terms of the additional traffic problems it will add to the Great Road.  Given that the Zoning Board of Appeals granted a special permit for a bank and retail/office space with access via the Great Road on January 23, he suggested that the Selectmen vote to challenge the Great Road access to the parcel in Land Court.

As a state-owned highway, the Town has no jurisdiction over any changes to the roadway that may be proposed to accommodate the new access.  Final decision about changes to the road will be made by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (DOT).  Mr. Moonan reported he had contacted DOT.  In response to his questioning, he was told that DOT is not required by regulation or practice to notify the Town of any hearing nor to provide a copy of the approved plan to the Town.

Jeff Cohen, member of the Zoning Board of Appeals, provided information on the hearing on the site proposal for a nonconforming use on January 23.  For the ZBA, the access discussion had to be based on counts for the prior use versus the proposed use.  Based on the numbers reported, they did not see a significant increase.  However, several ZBA members questioned why the owners/developers were not using access through the adjacent Shopping Center.

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Mr. Cohen reported that the initial response was that current leases restrict this access.  Several ZBA members challenged this argument.  As this issue was probed further, the owners pointed out that the rear access would create traffic in the narrowest portion of the Center parking lot onto lanes that are also used by trucks to access the rear of the Center building.  The owners stated their concern that this would create significant safety problems.

With respect to the Great Road access, the ZBA granted the special permit with the provision that the traffic plan presenting the changes to the Great Road previously approved by DOT based on a restaurant  be used even though the traffic impact has been reduced.  The owners agreed to the condition.

The Selectmen reviewed the traffic plan and discussed the information provided by Mr. Cohen.  Concerns about the impact on traffic in an already problematic area of the Great Road continue.  However, there is generally less concern with bank and retail/office use of the site than the earlier restaurant plan.

Because of reduced concern about the traffic impact of the current plan and doubts that the Town would be successful in legal action, no motion to consider Land Court was offered.

To read The Citizen’s story about the ZBA’s  January 23 vote: https://thebedfordcitizen.org/2014/01/29/zba-approves-special-permit-for-banksmall-retail-space-on-travelodge-site/

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EastCoastElitist
January 29, 2014 8:34 pm

Just goes to show that you can’t have too many bank branches in town. What’ll that be now, about 16 of them? (If I had my druthers they’d put in a pub instead.)

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