Acton Planning Board Reviews Gravel Pit Permit, Tables Decision

The Acton Planning Board reviewed a conditional use permit application for a small gravel pit on Lakeside Drive at its October 1 meeting, with the applicant's engineer presenting revised plans for an internally drained operation of about four acres. The board raised numerous questions about truck traffic, road conditions on the private Lakeside Drive, fuel storage, and wildlife review, and took no action, directing the applicant to address a list of items before returning. The board also continued discussion of tabled minutes from July 16 and confirmed a separate applicant had withdrawn a request.

Key points

• The board took no vote on the Lakeside Drive gravel pit application, with members saying more information is needed before the application can be found complete.
• The applicant's engineer, Jeff Oliva, said the pit would operate Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with no weekend work and no retail sales, and estimated roughly 30 to 40 truck trips per day.
• Board members questioned whether the private Lakeside Drive could handle the truck traffic and asked that a third-party road engineer assess the road, pending a legal opinion from town counsel on the board's authority over a private road.
• A board member suggested the site be surveyed by a qualified professional for wildlife and plant species, noting state agencies had not visited the property.
• The board discussed tabled minutes from July 16, including the designation of alternates and a motion regarding a 630 Youngs Bridge Road subdivision, with a member noting the board did not approve the subdivision that night.
• Town staff said a separate applicant seeking a greatest practical extent review withdrew his application after a site visit showed no reason for board review.

Next steps

• The applicant's engineer will revise the plan to address board notes, including removing the phasing reference, adding a volume estimate, total trucks per day, site distance at the entrance, fuel storage details, and project-specific operation notes.
• Town staff will consult town counsel about the board's authority regarding the private road and report back.
• The board will seek a third-party road engineer to assess Lakeside Drive once the legal question is resolved.
• The applicant's consultant will send his notes to board members, and the application will return for further review.

Read the full transcript