Developers propose Elm Street redevelopment with new stormwater system and reduced pavement

Crosspoint Associates told the Natural Resources Commission on Monday night that its proposed redevelopment of 768 Elm Street would replace a largely paved, failing commercial parcel with a smaller footprint building, new stormwater controls and native landscaping.

Carrie McCormick, director of development for Crosspoint Associates, said the proposal would convert the site into an approximately 8,000‑square‑foot, four‑tenant building with new septic and grease‑trap infrastructure sized to support restaurant tenants. "We're here before you tonight to review our notice of intent," McCormick said, summarizing the application and the team's outreach to town staff and boards.

The applicant's engineers described a layered stormwater approach that includes bioswales, rain gardens, subsurface recharge chambers and deep‑sump catch basins designed to meet MassDEP stormwater management standards and to treat the project's water‑quality volume. The engineering presentation summarized modeling showing a net reduction in pavement and a drop in peak runoff; the team said the package yields a net reduction of 7,761 square feet of pavement inside the 100‑foot buffer zone and additional reductions in the riverfront area. The application also calls for multiple native planting zones designed and presented by Vesna Maneva of Halverson Tanvan Studio.

Why it matters: The site sits adjacent to riverfront and buffer areas. Commissioners and town staff framed the project as an opportunity to improve stormwater treatment and reduce runoff to nearby regulated areas while maintaining flexibility for commercial tenants. The applicant said the design both restores vegetation near the resource areas and adds features to capture roof and parking runoff that previously flowed directly to wetlands.

What commissioners asked for: Staff and commissioners requested clarifications and plan edits before final action. They highlighted snow‑storage locations, invasive species control (giant knotweed and other aggressive species present at the rear of the site), and coordination with the planning board and peer reviewers on traffic and stormwater. The applicant plans to present revised plans after the planning‑board hearing (scheduled by the applicant for Sept. 12) and after addressing peer‑review comments.

Next steps: The NRC and staff indicated they would continue the hearing to the Sept. 20 meeting to allow the project team to return with responses to the peer review and the planning board feedback. The commission requested a narrative describing invasive‑species management, clearer snow‑storage layouts outside regulated buffer zones, and a final planting list that confirms native, conservation‑grade species.

Provenance: Topic presented at SEG 1989–SEG 3245 (introductory presentation by Carrie McCormick, engineering details on stormwater and pavement reduction, landscaping presentation by Vesna Maneva).

Speakers (attributed in text): Carrie McCormick (Crosspoint Associates, developer) and Vesna Maneva (senior landscape architect, Halverson Tanvan Studio).