The Sanctuary at Ashland Mills - 10-60 Main Street

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

TOWN OF ASHLAND

 

The Ashland Zoning Board of Appeals will hold a Public Hearing on Tuesday, January 7, 2025 at 7:00 PM in the second floor Select Board Hearing Room, Ashland Town Hall, 101 Main Street, Ashland MA, 01721. This Public Hearing can also be joined via Zoom video conference, please click the link below to join this meeting:

 https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87432693610?pwd=Y3ByREZXOFRhalROWjhMN2p3anhxUT09


The petition is from SLV Ashland, LLC, requesting a Comprehensive Permit per M.G.L. Chapter 40B, Sections 20-23 to allow for the development of two (2) multifamily story buildings for 250 apartment units, and 337 concealed podium parking spaces. The applicant also proposed to restore and convert the northernmost mills 7,500 sq. ft. into commercial and retail space, some of it open to the public. The property in question is located at 10-60 Main Street, Assessors Map 14, Lot 128, in the Ashland Overlay Downtown District A (ADD-A) and Industrial base zoning. Parties wishing to be heard on this matter should appear at the time and place indicated above.


Materials may be viewed at: https://www.ashlandmass.com/543/Current-Cases-Before-the-Planning-and-Zo . For more information or to submit comments, please contact Peter Matchak at (508) 532-7927 or at pmatchak@ashlandmass.com

 

 

John Trefethen, Chairman

Ashland Zoning Board of Appeals

DEP Waste Site & Reportable Releases Results

To keep up with the RAM updates on DEP/EEA's website please click here.

DEP/EPA Questions 9.30.25 

The Zoning Board of Appeals requested that questions for the EPA/DEP/LSP for the project be submitted to the Economic Development and Planning Office prior to the hearing on September 30, 2025. The questions received were summarized at the public hearing and the EPA/DEP/LSP responded to the summarized questions with the answers provided here (to view the recording of this meeting please click here). The most recent Q&A from the EPA is below. These are questions summarized by the Town with answers from EPA in bold. PLEASE NOTE THESE RESPONSES ARE DIRECTLY FROM THE REPRESENTATIVE FROM EPA AND THE DESIGNATION OF ASSIGNMENT FOR UNANSWERED QUESTIONS MAY NOT BE FULLY ACCURATE.

1. The current deed prevents residential housing on the site.  Before the deed can be changed, a new AUL (Activity and Use Limitation) must be made.   

Actually, the AUL would need to be modified, not replaced by a new AUL.

  1. How could the deed be changed before the new AUL?   

There will be no new AUL.  The LSP (George Campbell) would modify the current AUL to allow residential after he feels they have collected sufficient data to support residential use on that property.  EPA and DEP would be involved in review of his work to make sure we concur.  Both MassDEP’s Superfund Section and MassDEP’s Northeast Regional Office will do an in depth review.  Keep in mind residences will only be located above an open air garage which, when coupled with vapor barriers beneath the garage-level utility/storage/elevator shaft rooms, should prevent indoor air in residential areas from becoming contaminated by the underlying groundwater plume.    They are proposing to conduct two rounds of indoor air testing within garage-level utility/storage/elevator shaft rooms, the 2nd floor (residential area), and also within 10 Main St (which is actually staying commercial). 

  1. How could there be construction before the AUL testing?  

This actually happens often when buildings are being constructed or retrofitted with vapor barrier systems.  They need to conduct indoor air testing after the new building is constructed but prior to residential occupancy to confirm there isn’t an indoor air issue.  If there is an indoor air issue (not expected considering the open air garage and proposed vapor barriers), then they would need to retrofit or install an active sub-slab depressurization system (or take other measures) to address the issue so that the indoor air within the residential area is no longer impacted by groundwater contamination prior to residential occupancy.

  1. According to the law, “to change a deed from commercial to residential use, you must follow a multi-step legal and administrative process involving zoning changes, removing deed restrictions, and obtaining permits.  Would the town of Ashland Zoning Board determine the deed restriction?  

This is a question for the Ashland Zoning Board.

  1. Please explain the deed change process and what agency would be responsible for this.  

As previously stated, the LSP would submit a modified AUL allowing residential use of the property to MassDEP (assuming he is able to demonstrate there would be no indoor air impacts).  The AUL would also need to be recorded.  The LSP is aware that MassDEP plans to review the (forthcoming) proposed modification of the AUL to allow residential use.

2. What would happen if the air quality failed after construction?  

Please see the answer above.

3. Given the known contamination of the site, why is it considered safe to do excavation on the site?  This is not a dust-concern question.  There are plumes of heavy metals underground that could be disturbed.   

Please note that metals and VOC contamination present in soils on the 10-60 Main Street property are related to the former historical mill operations and are not affiliated with the Nyanza Superfund Site.  This is a question for the Project LSP, who is addressing contamination related to the former mill operations at the property. EPA’s focus is the impact of the Nyanza Superfund Site on this property.  Plumes occur within groundwater, not soil.  Groundwater at the site is impacted by VOCs versus heavy metals.  There may be metals contamination in the soil, which the LSP will address, as mentioned above.  DEP’s Northeast Regional Office is planning to review and audit future submittals to address these concerns.

  1. Why is excavation acceptable on the site when excavation could cause further leaching of contaminants into the Sudbury River, due to the river’s close proximity. 

I don’t believe that is a concern as the LSP plans to cap any residual contaminated soils, thereby preventing soil contamination from leaching to the river.  This can be further confirmed by the LSP. 

The river is a potential drinking water source for Boston.  

The Sudbury River in Ashland is not designated as a potentially productive aquifer nor future drinking water source.

  1. Is it possible that excavation could disturb the underground plume, causing increased contamination to surrounding properties?  

The RAM indicates that they only plan to conduct limited excavation and that they do not anticipate encountering groundwater.  The Project LSP should have a groundwater management plan in place should groundwater need to be collected and disposed off-site during excavation activities.  This is something we would look for in a future workplan for the project.  EPA and DEP do not anticipate that the Nyanza Site groundwater plume would be impacted, because other similar shallow excavations have occurred in downtown Ashland, including a new building at 21 Main Street and underground utilities projects on Main Street which have not impacted the footprint of the plume. 

4. As many as 250-500 parked cars will be located near the Sudbury River, in a flood plain.

  1. When the river floods, and if cars are not moved, could the contaminate the river? (There is already limited car parking in town so relocating 250-500 cars is practically impossible.  In addition, there is no agent to move 250-500 cars.)   

This is a question for the Town of Ashland.

  1. If the cars are not moved, could the contaminated river contaminate the cars?  

This is a question for the Town of Ashland.

  1. If this is not part of the EPA purview, what agency does have purview?  

The Town of Ashland.

5. If the EPA does not have purview regarding possible environmental effects caused by a 250 unit, 5-6 story, 1 inch shy of a high-rise complex, who does have purview of the following topics?

  1. Disruption of the EPA’s Sudbury River Cleanup.  

Assuming that all applicable environmental permits are obtained in advance and best management practices are employed during the construction process to prevent runoff of soil, sediment, debris, etc. into the River, then EPA and MassDEP would not be concerned that this project would impact the Sudbury River.  Currently, EPA does not have a Sudbury River cleanup project in progress.  However, previous remedial actions, such as extensive excavation of wetlands and waterways between the Site and the River, removed the continuing source of mercury that had previously impacted the River.

  1. Shadow effect on neighbors’ mood and sense of well-being.  

The Town of Ashland.

  1. Reduction of sunlight effect on neighbors’ vegetation (grass, trees, gardens,, etc) 

The Town of Ashland.

  1. Neighbors’ heating cost increases due to lack of sunlight. 

The Town of Ashland.

PLEASE NOTE THESE RESPONSES ARE DIRECTLY FROM THE REPRESENTATIVE FROM EPA AND THE DESIGNATION OF ASSIGNMENT FOR UNANSWERED QUESTIONS MAY NOT BE FULLY ACCURATE.

PUBLIC HEARING DOCUMENTS

Decision

December 9 - Public Hearing

Extensions

October 28 - Public Hearing

October 14 - Public Hearing

Extension

September 9 - Public Hearing

Extension

August 12th - Public Hearing

Soil & Groundwater

Architectural

Signage

General

July 22nd - Public Hearing

Sewer

June 24th- Public Hearing

Sight Distance Plan

Signage

General

June 10th- Public Hearing

Traffic

Civil

Water and Sewer

May 13th - Public Hearing  

Traffic

Civil 

April 22nd - Public Hearing (Continued) 

April 8th - Public Hearing 

March 25th - Public Hearing 

March 11th - Public Hearing (Continued)

February 11th - Public Hearing 

January 7th - Public Hearing 

Peer Review

  1. Traffic Peer Review Report - MDM - Received January 31, 2025
  2. Civil Peer Review Report - Hancock - Received January 28, 2025

Boards Comments 

  1. 10-60 Main St - Road Traffic Safety Committee - January 31, 2025
  2. 10-60 Main St - Planning Board Comments - January 27, 2025
  3. 10-60 Main St - Conservation Commission Comments - January 14, 2025
  4. 10-60 Main St- Board of Health Comments December 17, 2024
  5. 10-60 Main St - Sustainability Committee Comments December 12, 2024
  6. 10-60 Main Street - Affordable Housing Trust Comments January 6, 2025

Additional Documents Submitted November 19, 2024

  1. 10-60 Main Street - Cover Letter Re: 40B Permit Resubmission Addendum
  2. 10-60 Main Street - Scaled Architectural Plans Set
  3. 10-60 Main Street - Unit Table Summary Resubmission
  4. 10-60 Main Street - Preliminary Drainage Report
  5. 10-60 Main Street - Environmental Impact Analysis
  6. 10-60 Main Street - Project Data Summary

10-60 Main Street Local ZBA Application and Meeting Extension Agreement 

  1. 10-60 Main Street - Extension Request TC Filed November 22, 2024
  2. 10-60 Main Street - ZBA Application TC Filed November 22, 2024

10-60 Main Street Applicant Submitted Documents  

  1. 10-60 Main Street - MassHousing Project Eligibility Letter October 11, 2024
  2. 10-60 Main Street - 40B Application Overview
  3. 10-60 Main Street - Project Data Summary
  4. 10-60 Main Street - Applicant Status
  5. 10-60 Main Street - Development Team Information
  6. 10-60 Main Street Traffic Study Performed August, 2024
  7. 10-60 Main Street - Preliminary Site Plan
  8. 10-60 Main Street - Location Map
  9. 10-60 Main Street - Architectural Plans
  10. 10-60 Main Street - Site Context and Nearby Features
  11. 10-60 Main Street - Aerial Photographs
  12. 10-60 Main Street - Aerial Map
  13. 10-60 Main Street - Tabular Zoning Analysis/Waiver Requests
  14. 10-60 Main Street - Site Approval Application For MassHousing
  15. Ashland Subsidized Housing Authority Dated July 15, 2024