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Planning Board Chairman John Giger, Land Use Director and Fire Chief All on Hand to Be Sure Fire Truck Can Navigate Boynton Meadows Cul-de-sac [with video]

The turning radius for the largest town fire truck was ample as it navigated the Boynton Meadows cul-de-sac roadway with "room to spare" according to Planning Board Chairman John Giger who was accompanied on the fire truck test by Land Use Director Michelle aCollette and Fire Chief Joe Bosselait. The Chief concurred adding, "It took a nice turn with the ladder truck. There was no problem."

This was one of the issues that abutter Karen Corey raised when Mount Laurel Development President Bob France went before the Planning Board with a request for approval of a special permit modification that would allow condo owners to finish the basements of the units they purchase if they so desired. In addition, there is one attic over a garage included in the modification request.

France explained that the Board recommended that he bring this forward as one request, rather than have each homeowner that wants to make the change be required to re-open the Special Permit. He stressed that these were not to be used as bedrooms and that the exterior of the units would not change as a result of basement refinishing.

Corey's second issue was her concern that in the event of a fire, she felt that there was insufficient distance between the new building and the rear of her barn and asked the Board to require installation of sprinklers. Chairman Giger told her that it is not in the town's code and, therefore, not mandatory to require sprinklers in two-unit buildings, and suggested that she work with France and perhaps his new building and her barn could both have sprinklers to protect each other.

While Chief Bosselait acknowledged that sprinklers are not required by the code, he stressed, "Sprinklers do contain fire in a building." He added that he would recommend sprinkles due to the "tightness of the homes."

Member Russ Burke stated that the proposed finished basements are not considered bedrooms, based on the code. France pointed out that it is not uncommon to have a half bath or a wet bar if the finished basements are used for TV watching or entertainment. Giger also pointed out that the original permit stipulated the number of bedrooms allowed at the Boynton Meadows development.

Land Use Director Michelle Collette added that oftentimes anyone who does such work without a permit can get picked up at conveyance, and there have been cases when an owner had to remove work that did not initially have a permit.

Following further discussion, the Board voted to close the public hearing. They then voted to approve the amended permit for Mount Laurel Development for the proposed finishing of basements and one attic; that there are no additional bedrooms, that there is no change in the footprint of the buildings and with the condition that any plumbing would allow only for a half bath lavatory and a wet bar, but no kitchen. It passed unanimously.

Groton Herald

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