Global Partners seeks diesel truck fueling canopy, board asks for more traffic and stormwater data

Global Partners presented plans to amend an existing special permit and obtain site‑plan review to add a high‑speed diesel canopy with four fueling positions, a 300‑square‑foot employee kiosk, associated underground storage tanks and truck parking at 95–99 Westford Road.

"We're before you tonight looking to amend a special permit and also seeking site‑plan review," said Doug Troyer, representing Global Partners. Site civil engineer Connor Bailey described the layout: seven standard car spaces (one accessible), four truck fueling spaces, one‑way circulation through the site and new utility connections, including a sewer tie for a restroom in the kiosk.

The project's traffic consultant, Aaron Purdette, said the team used the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Trip Generation manual and coordinated with MassDOT on signal and lane changes. "We're proposing an additional left‑turn lane into the site and converting an existing lane to left‑turn only to separate larger vehicles," he said.

Town peer reviewers and board members pressed the applicant on several technical points. Reviewers asked for clarification on whether the lots will be consolidated, confirmation of rights to use a 50‑foot right‑of‑way that would serve as the truck exit onto Industrial Way, and more detail on stormwater calculations and model consistency. Technical questions included the slope of a 200‑foot outlet pipe, consistency among hydrology models, legible test‑pit logs and a standalone operation and maintenance plan for the stormwater system.

The peer review also flagged potential problems in the traffic analysis: reviewers said counts omitted nearby Westtec Drive, questioned a 1% background growth rate used in the study, and urged the applicant to use a land‑use code that reflects a truck‑oriented fueling facility rather than a large travel center—because a small kiosk and an exclusively truck‑focused fueling pattern will generate a different mix of trips.

Several board members and neighbors focused on operational and safety concerns. Board members asked whether the facility will operate 24 hours; the applicant said yes. They also asked the applicant to provide a clarified daily truck‑trip estimate, additional counts at the Westtec/Industrial Way intersection, and plans to prevent overnight truck layover, including signage and enforcement measures.

Members of the public described safety risks at the Industrial Way/Westford Road approach, citing limited sightlines, school‑drop‑off traffic and instances of vehicles that already obstruct the stop sign near the existing station. "When you come out at that angle you can't see anything coming at 50 miles an hour," said Ralph Lomando, a longtime local business owner, who asked the board to weigh safety and queuing impacts.

The applicant said the intent is for the facility to function as a high‑speed, in‑and‑out fueling location and not a truck stop, and offered to provide additional plan details, a signed deed showing right‑of‑way authority and revised traffic data and signal plans. The project team also committed to responding to the peer‑review comments and providing architectural and photometric plans requested by reviewers.

The board voted to continue the hearing to July 16 so the applicant can supply the outstanding traffic counts, revised trip‑generation analysis, MassDOT coordination materials and the requested stormwater clarifications.

What happens next: the applicant will submit responses to peer review, additional counts (including the Westtec Drive approach), and a revised traffic and stormwater package; the planning board will review those materials at the continued hearing on July 16.