Neighbors urge in‑depth review of proposed Maple/Park estate after applicants propose 40‑car underground garage

An applicant team presented a pre‑application to consolidate four adjacent parcels into a single estate and build a substantial new residence with a guest house, indoor padel court, indoor pool, and an extensive below‑grade garage. The plan prompted extensive neighborhood pushback.

Tom Hegney described the intent: the project would unify 59, 63 and 75 Maple Avenue and 8 Park Avenue into a single estate with new circulation and consolidated parking. “My client's looking to construct their home…to provide for their art and a car collection,” Hegney said. But neighbors and commissioners pressed for detailed technical review before the project advances. Speakers asked for an independent drainage analysis (the town’s zero‑net increase standard), a traffic and construction management study (given an estimated multi‑year program and many truck trips), and an objective neighborhood scale/context comparison that includes below‑grade volume.

Residents emphasized flood and storm concerns, the long duration and safety impacts of rock removal or blasting, and questioned whether a large underground car gallery (tens of thousands of square feet) is truly accessory to a single‑family residence. “This is the car collection and display facility on a scale more typical of a private museum than a household,” said neighbor Ian Burke. The commission instructed the applicant to return with drainage, traffic and construction logistics studies, a clear explanation of legal rights for shared driveways, and a comparative context study to show how the proposed scale fits local zoning standards and section 6‑17 special‑permit tests.