By Scott Calzolaio

A proposed contractor’s yard at 225 West Street was presented to the Planning Board on Feb. 17 by Milford-based D&L Design Group, representing Alpine Place LLC of Franklin.

Peter Lavoie of D&L Design outlined the preliminary site plan and answered initial questions from board members during the meeting.

A contractor’s yard is a small lot where local tradespeople can store work vans and equipment overnight and when not in use. 

The proposed site would include 11 parking spaces and one handicap-accessible space. Plans call for a two-story building with a 3,600-square-foot footprint. The first floor would contain six separate storage units for contractors. The site would be used for van and equipment storage only. Abutting properties include residential and commercial buildings. 

Board members discussed placing restrictions on the property if approved. One concern focused on prohibiting outdoor storage, limiting all materials and equipment to the interior of the building. 

Another concern involved trailer access, as the entrance to the proposed lot begins on a steep hill. A restriction on trailers at the site is being considered, said Planning Board Chair Marble Mainini. 

“There’s no way a trailer could make it up that hill back there without getting hung up, so there’s no way a trailer could make its way to that site,” he said.

No new curb cuts off Route 140 are proposed. Contractors would enter and exit the property using the existing curb cut at 215 West Street (currently a medical office building) and travel around the rear of the property.

The project must still go before the Conservation Commission. There is a question as to whether part of the site is classified as wetlands or a detention basin. If the land underneath proves to be a working basin, it would need to be cleaned and confirmed to be functioning properly.

The Planning Board is scheduled to revisit the proposal on March 17.