Peabody Planning Board Meeting: Site Plan Approval for 103 Foster Street and Minutes – December 4, 2025
Peabody Planning Board Meeting – December 4, 2025
The Peabody Planning Board convened on Thursday, December 4, 2025, at 7:00 PM at PBD City Hall, Wigan Auditorium, 24 Low Street. The meeting included approval of previous minutes and a continued discussion on a site plan application for 103 Foster Street, resulting in conditional approval with specific conditions.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes: The board unanimously approved the minutes from the November 6, 2025, and November 20, 2025, meetings via separate motions.
Discussion Items
- 103 Foster Street – Site Building Permit Plans (Continued from November 20, 2025):
- The applicant's attorney, John Kelty, and engineer Gene Christie (Tai Bond) presented a revised plan (dated December 2, 2025) that reduced the curb cut opening to 30 feet to improve pedestrian safety, while maintaining two 13-foot travel lanes.
- The board accepted two late submissions: the revised plan and a memo from the Department of Public Services (DPS) dated December 4, 2025, containing comments and conditions.
- DPS conditions required the applicant to: (a) perform a camera inspection of the culvert at the property entrance prior to building permit issuance, and (b) inspect and record the pre-existing condition of the existing canal wall, with a follow-up inspection after construction to ensure no damage occurred.
- A key issue was the requirement for floor drains in each of the 18 units per plumbing code. Because the property lies in a flood zone, standard MDC drains were deemed unsuitable. The building commissioner and DPS agreed to a solution: install a sealed tight tank that would be periodically emptied, setting a new standard for flood-zone construction.
- Board member Dennis Feld noted that the landscaping buffer requirement (Section 10-104D) may require a variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals because the proposed fence alone does not meet the code (which requires landscaping in addition to a fence). The applicant acknowledged the need to discuss this with the building department.
- Other minor clarifications were made regarding guardrails and interior plumbing details.
Key Outcomes
- Unanimous Approval of Minutes for November 6 and November 20, 2025.
- Conditional Approval of Site Plan for 103 Foster Street: The board voted unanimously to approve the site plan application and plans (dated November 24, 2025, and supplemental plan dated December 2, 2025) with the condition that no building permit issues until the applicant satisfies all conditions and comments in the DPS memo dated December 4, 2025.
- The meeting adjourned shortly after the vote.
Meeting Transcript
Like the call to order agenda for Thursday December 4th, 2025 for PBD Planning Board meeting will be held at 7 o'clock PBD City Hall Wigan Auditorium 24 Low Street PBD Mass. First item on the agenda is the approval of the minutes of 116 2025 and 1120 of 2025. First one would be 116, 2025. Mr. Chairman, I move that we accept the minutes for November 6, 2025. And Mr. Chairman, I move that we accept the minutes for November 20th, 25. No, no, no. Did do one set of minutes as one motion. We have a second. No, we'll need the motion one more time. Okay, sorry about that. Uh Mr. Chairman, I move that we accept the minutes for November 6, 2025. Second. Um all those in favor? Aye. Unanimous. Thank you. Next item is uh the and Mr. Chairman, I move that we accept the minutes for the approval for the minutes for the November 20th, 25 meeting. Second all. Uh okay, A and R and Land Court. We have none. Site building permit plans 103 Foster Street map 095 lot 001A continued from meeting of 1120 to meeting of 124 today. Mr. Chairman, just before Attorney Kelty here uh presents for his client, I just wanted to update the board that yesterday uh afternoon we received a revised plan. Uh it's just a singular page highlighting the front entrance to the property. Uh this plan came about due to a conversation myself, police or myself, fire conservation engineering had with Mr. Attorney Kelty and his client on site. Uh this would be considered a laid out, and then this afternoon we received a memo from the Department of Public Services outlining uh a series of comments and conditions as well for this property of the vote. Board chooses to wish to accept these as laid ads and discuss. Mr. Chairman, in a matter of one oh three Foster Street, I would move to receive as a late ad a drawing, a plan. Uh uh plan is identified as C is in cat 103. It appears to be drawn by Thayan Bond for Dandario Brothers General Contractors Oakville Street Lynn Mass. Secondly, secondly, uh on the same matter, I would move to receive a late communication from Will Paulitz, Director of Public Services in Phoebe. Uh the date on this memo is December 4th, and it is a two-page memo. So moved. We have the second. Second, uh Mr. Dennis Feld. Mr. John Ford. Yes. Mr. Roy Simos. Yes. Dr. Otto?
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