Charlton Planning Board Continues Hansen Road Hearing, Demands Full Engineering Package

CHARLTON -- February 4, 2026, Charlton Planning Board continues disputed road hearing, advances master plan consultant review. The board voted unanimously to continue the C.R. Hansen Construction LLC site plan application for Beach Middle Road to March 18, 2026, after Planning Board Attorney Christopher Alphen told members the applicant must file a subdivision-equivalent plan, including a two-column waiver table and an engineered road design asserting load capacity for emergency vehicles, before any decision can be made. An abutter at 98 Cranberry Meadow Shore Road objected that the proposed road would damage a septic system in service for over 30 years, while a second abutter, Natasha Emper-Rollins, raised concerns about construction truck access on a one-lane dead-end road. Alphen said easement rights under the Massachusetts derelict fee statute favor the applicant and that private septic disputes fall outside the board's purview. The board also unanimously approved an Approval Not Required plan creating two house lots on North Main Street and continued the Nextera Energy decommissioning bond hearing for 261 North Sturbridge Road to February 18 at the applicant's request. On the master plan RFP, members found their independent consultant scores closely aligned, with Barrett Planning, BHB, and CMRPC emerging as likely top-three candidates; each member will return to the next meeting with a completed scoring matrix and a prepared list of finalist questions. Chair Bill Fontaine announced that Planning Director Randy Benson is on FMLA leave and that Assistant Planner Jayne Gamey is serving as Interim Planning Director.