Jennifer Copeland

The meeting addressed two public hearings, both of which were continued. The first hearing concerned a Comprehensive Permit application for a 300-unit multi-family residential development under M.G.L. c. 40B, requiring various waivers. Discussions centered on pending peer reviews, traffic analysis, and comments from the Fire and Water Departments, leading to a continuance to March 4th. The second public hearing involved an application to extend a non-conforming structure to construct a garage with a room above and a connecting walkway, primarily to facilitate aging in place. Board members raised concerns regarding setbacks, the need for a variance, and the structure's placement relative to existing trees and property lines, resulting in a continuance to March 4th.

The meeting addressed several agenda items, including a Request for Determination for a septic upgrade at 44 Spruce Drive, which involved replacing the existing system and filling the old one. A Notice of Intent for a raze and rebuild project at 247 Scraggy Neck Road was continued to a later date, with discussions focusing on the coastal bank, impervious surface maintenance, and stormwater collection. Requests for Certificates of Compliance were reviewed: one for 3 Red Brook Pond Drive was continued pending monitoring reports on buffer re-vegetation, while the request for 8 Heron Lane was granted as the required vegetative management for a filtered vista corridor was met. The Commission also held preliminary discussions regarding amending the Bourne Wetland Regulations, specifically concerning salt marsh walkways, reviewed draft DEP regulations for land subject to coastal storms, and voted to excuse absent members.

The Planning Board meeting addressed several agenda items, including the approval of previous minutes and the release of Lot #2. A site plan review application to amend a Special Permit for a shared driveway to access a fourth lot on Scenic Highway was continued to January 22nd, 2026. A Special Permit application for natural cover removal at 21 Canal Street was approved with conditions, including detailed discussions and concerns raised regarding the construction schedule, erosion control, and the protection of a potential turtle habitat, despite assurances from the applicant's environmental representatives. An enforcement item concerning landscape corrective actions at 13 Kendall Rae Place was referred to the Select Board and Town Counsel to place a lien. Two Site Plan Reviews were approved with conditions: one for redevelopment at 45 Barlows Landing Road to include retail, golf cart sales, and contractor bays, addressing concerns about display vehicles and operating hours; and another for a 12,860 sq. ft. expansion of the Cape Cod Veterinary Specialists animal hospital, which included granting waivers for landscaping requirements. Finally, a Planning Board member, John Duggan, was appointed to the Community Preservation Committee.

The meeting addressed multiple agenda items, beginning with the approval of minutes from previous meetings (12.17.25 and 1.7.26). Old Business involved closing the public hearing for application #2025-APP04 concerning an appeal by Christina Stevens regarding the building commissioner's action at 20 Quaker Lane, which was subsequently dismissed. A new public hearing was held for application #2025-SF08 by Zachary Hindman requesting a supportive finding for an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) exceeding 50% of the principal dwelling size; this application was approved. The public hearing for application #2025-V6, seeking variances for setback and height requirements for the proposed South Side Fire Station, was continued to February 18th, 2026, due to concerns about setting a precedent and the nature of the hardship presented.

The hearing addressed two applications concerning a circa 1895 single-family dwelling: an Express Permit (No. EXB-25-700) for roofing, siding, windows, and doors, and a Building Permit (No. B-25-411) for removing an existing deck and rebuilding it on the same footprint. The applicant's representative detailed that the work involves updating the house while maintaining existing materials and colors. A neighbor inquired about the use of the term 'demolition,' which was clarified to mean any removal of structural elements, not just total demolition. The Commission unanimously approved the project in accordance with the plans presented.