Peabody Planning Board Meeting - August 13, 2026
Peabody Planning Board Meeting - August 13, 2026
The Peabody Planning Board met on August 13, 2026, at 7:00 PM. The board addressed three main agenda items: an Approval Not Required (ANR) subdivision plan for 309 Lowell Street, a site plan approval for 532 Lowell Street, and a requested continuance for 81 Prospect Street. The board also revised its administrative procedures for late ad submissions.
Consent Calendar
- Unanimously approved the minutes from the July 16, 2026 meeting.
Discussion Items
ANR Subdivision Plan – 309 Lowell Street (Map 52, Lot 005)
- Attorney John Kelty (representing the Vangelities family) presented a revised ANR plan subdividing a 4.3-acre parcel into four lots (A, B, C, D). The plan uses long, narrow strips to connect each lot to frontage on Lowell Street or North Shore Road, meeting R2 zoning minimum square footage requirements.
- Board members questioned the rationale for the strips, intended use (single-family duplexes for sale, not group homes), and driveway placements for lots C and D onto North Shore Road. Concerns were raised about safety due to high-speed traffic and the potential for a shared driveway to reduce curb cuts.
- A motion to recommend endorsement of the ANR plan passed 7–1 (Tom French dissented). The board encouraged the applicant to work with the Department of Public Services on a shared driveway for lots C and D.
Site Plan Approval – 532 Lowell Street (Dr. Peter Frozer/Postal Dental)
- Attorney John Kelty and Rick Salvo (Engineering Alliance) presented updated responses to outstanding comments from Will Pollets (Public Services) and Horsley Witten. Late ads dated August 10 and August 11, 2026, were accepted by separate unanimous votes.
- Key discussion centered on a small parcel of land (the “dog”) owned by unknown parties and previously part of MassDOT’s I-95 takings. The applicant may pursue adverse possession claims. The board also discussed coordinating with community development and MassDOT on a landscape plan for the front section to avoid a guardrail and unused parking spots along the future bike path.
- The board approved site plan approval with a condition that the applicant work with staff to finalize the landscape plan for the front section. The motion passed unanimously.
81 Prospect Street – Request for Continuance
- The applicant requested a continuance to the September 3, 2026 meeting to respond to comments. The board unanimously granted the continuance.
Administrative Procedure: Late Ad Deadline
- The board debated frustration with receiving late materials and reviewed a proposal to move the agenda deadline from Thursday at noon to Tuesday at noon (nine days before the meeting), allowing staff more preparation time and board members more review time.
- After discussion, the board voted unanimously to adopt the new deadline and authorize the chair or vice chair to accept exceptions at their discretion.
Key Outcomes
- 309 Lowell Street ANR: Endorsed (7–1). Applicant to coordinate shared driveway approach.
- 532 Lowell Street Site Plan: Approved unanimously with a condition to finalize the landscape plan.
- 81 Prospect Street: Continued to September 3, 2026.
- Late Ad Procedure: Agenda deadline moved to Tuesday at noon; chair or vice chair may permit exceptions.
- The board noted upcoming city council zoning changes on Lake Street (four lots rezoned from R1 to BN/I) but took no action.
Meeting Transcript
We're on time. We're on. Don't look at that one. Meeting agenda for August 6th, 2006, 7 p.m. So it's the whole wiggle auditorium. First item on the agenda is the approval of the minutes of 716, 2026. Mr. Chairman, I move that we accept the minutes to the July 16th 2026 meeting. So I have a second. Dr. Autosecond, all those in favor? Aye. Unanimous. Thank you. Next item on the agenda is ANR Land Court 3309 Law Street PBD map. Map 52 Lock 005. Yes. Okay. The existing party-four thousand three hundred and but for minus acres. Thank you. Uh for the record. My name is John Kelty. I'm an attorney. I have offices at 40 Lowell Street here in PVD. Uh and uh I'm appearing on behalf of the uh Vangelities family who have uh submitted uh some months ago. We submitted uh an approval not required uh plan which uh um broke up the lot uh differently the acreage differently uh and now uh we presented to the uh conservation commission and encountered uh some um objection and uh with the layout of uh the units that we showed on that plan uh which was your earlier uh anr plan tonight uh we're presenting uh a second uh anr plan that uh each of the lots on the uh plan show area and frontage on public way either Lowell Street or uh North Shore Road. Uh and as such I believe that it uh uh requires uh an endorsement from uh the planning from the board any questions Dr. Otto. What is the zoning district here, Jack? Where is what the zoning district? What's on the we are in an our uh one I'm sorry uh two because uh they could be duplicate can you explain the rationale behind these long skinny strips behind lots? They are uh strips that uh uh connect uh the front portion of the lot with uh uh with the um providing it with the necessary uh area uh in order to meet uh the zoning. So lot um two financial seven areas so this is 50 plus the 15 gives you. So uh the existing dwelling uh lot A uh shows 7660 square feet and in order to get that uh entire 7660 square feet we have to follow one of the uh uh uh uh one of the snakes or the alleys down to uh the last uh rectangular piece uh showing on the plan before uh the open space of the uh that provides it with its uh necessary square footage. Likewise uh lot B is 21,000 that connects to the very last space um the very uh most northerly uh area shown on the plan. So that 21470 is the uh rectangular area running on Lowell Street along with uh the very last area uh showing uh to the south of uh Proctor Brook and the north of uh lot D and the remainder of uh lot A. Any other questions from the board? Yes, Roy. Thank you to the chairs. So my memory serves you were before us representing your client a few months ago. I was yeah six months, four to six months ago, four to seven months, something like that. And and that was that was uh cutting up this big lot in such a fashion that it made three additional lots, if I'm not mistaken, is that correct? Uh plus the existing yes four total three edition. That's correct, right? Okay. So is it is the applicant we're still at four lots. No, I understand. So is is the intent still to try to build something on lot B? Yes, something can be built on lot B on that little narrow lot, very small, yeah. And and I can in order to uh achieve the side uh side gap requirements.
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