Board hears town‑engineer signoff on stormwater but abutter demands independent peer review for proposed self‑storage

The Wakefield Zoning Board of Appeals on Sept. 23 heard a contested update on a continued application for a proposed self‑storage project at 50 Corner Power Parkway.

Attorney Brian McGrail told the board that the conservation commission closed its hearing and will issue an order of conditions, and that the town engineering department issued a memo on Sept. 15 indicating its substantive stormwater comments have been addressed and only a few conditionable items remain. The town engineer told the board his department has submitted a follow‑up memo and that the remaining items can be handled as permit conditions.

An abutter’s attorney, Robert Hopkins of Phillips and Angley, urged the board to deny the applicant’s special permits or, at minimum, require an independent third‑party peer review of the stormwater management. "My client remains opposed to the project," Hopkins said, arguing that recent submissions "do not satisfy the flow rate that is anticipated" and that the proposed system "will be overtaxed and overloaded and will detrimentally affect my client's abutting property and the adjacent wetland resource areas." Hopkins also told the board that the proposed self‑storage use is out of character for the area and questioned whether the site can accommodate the building’s scale.

Chair Tom Lucy and several board members responded that the town engineering department serves as the board’s peer reviewer and that applicants have been offered opportunities to meet the town engineer. The board said stormwater matters appear nearly resolved and indicated it can take a final vote at a subsequent meeting after the applicant files final architecture, permits and any requested conditions. The board voted to continue the hearing to the Oct. 14 meeting to allow time for those filings.