By Holly Crocco
A property owner in the Town of Southeast is seeking to develop two single-story office warehouse buildings – 14,000-square-foot and 12,500-square-foot, respectively – on a 10.5-acre parcel at 45 Holmes Road, with associated parking, stormwater management, lighting, landscaping, a new well and septic system.
When PLDC, LLC, first submitted the proposal in August 2023, it included three buildings totaling 54,000 square feet with individual driveways on a two-lot subdivision. The project was reduced in April 2024 to a single 14,000-square-foot building, eliminating the subdivision and providing a single driveway, along with a 65,000-square-foot storage area. In June, the project was reduced further, to include only 31,000 square feet of outdoor storage.
However, following concerns and comments from the Southeast Planning Board/Architectural Review Board and neighbors, the project has been revised yet again, removing the outdoor storage altogether and instead adding a second, 12,5000-square-foot building in the rear of the lot.
The driveway entrance has been shifted north, closer to the main building on Lot One, with road widening proposed from the curve in Holmes Road south of the project, to the new driveway location.
Office hours are proposed to be 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays, with warehouse operations beginning at 6 a.m. weekdays and 7 a.m. Saturdays.
During a Dec. 9 public hearing regarding the subdivision, members of the planning board/ARB commented on the project, before hearing concerns from a number of neighbors.
“I just think the height is exorbitant on the site,” said Vice Chairman David Rush.
In written comments, board member Lynne Eckardt said she is not thrilled with a commercial structure being located in a residential neighborhood, adding that the “architecture doesn’t work at all.”
Holmes Road resident David Keith, who lives directly across from where one of the buildings is being proposed, said, “We stand to lose quite a bit if this project proceeds as proposed.”
Keith cited concerns over stormwater runoff worsening the issue of lawns flooding, widening of the road encouraging more traffic at a higher rate of speed, effects on the nearby wetlands, and the height of the main building being an eyesore in the neighborhood.
“This is a warehouse,” he said. “Whatever it’s being sold as – ‘office space’ – it’s not… I think there are numerous things that could be developed here. There is a reason this property was undeveloped for so long and that’s due to the size of the lot and the adjacent property. And I feel there is something better that could be proposed here.”
Fellow Holmes Road resident Lenna Perrotta expressed similar concerns regarding the neighborhood character being disrupted by such a large project, which will bring traffic and trucks on the weekend.
“To have trucks six days out of the week is really a lot to be asking in the middle of a neighborhood,” she said.
Tammany Hall Road resident Jonathan Sumber noted that Holmes Road is narrow, and often has neighbors walking their dogs or children playing on it.
“It feels very out of character with the neighborhood,” he said. “I believe this neighborhood is truly at risk with this project.”
He implored the board to hold the developer to the highest standards if the project goes forward.
The board closed the public hearing, with the expectation that the developer will return before the board with some of the concerns and questions addressed.
“We’ve still got a ways to go here,” said planning board/ARB Chairman Tom LaPerch.
THE PROPERTY IN QUESTION WAS OWNED & DEVELOPED BY JOHN & TAMAR ZIMMER IN 1870 i WORKED AS A KID WITH MY FATHER ON THAT FARM BEFORE RT. 84 CUT IT IN HALF THAT LITTLE SLIVER OF LAND WAS AN APPLE ORCHARD & GRAZING FOR COWS .. THE PROPERTY SHOULD NEVER BE DEVELOPED ( INDUSTRIAL ) THIS PROJECT IS JUST PLANE WRONG R ALLEN... 71 ZIMMER RD (((THANX )))