OUT-OF-TOWN BLOW-INS FILE A COMPLETELY BOGUS SO-CALLED ‘MULTI-FAMILY DEVELOPMENT’ PLAN FOR 121-125 FLANAGAN HILL ROAD

The Sterling Zoning Board of Appeals conducted its initial hearing on the completely BOGUS plan filed by Out-of-Town Blow-Ins to build 30 so-called ‘multi-family’ housing structures, all apparently duplexes, at 121-125 Flanagan Hill Road. Sterling ‘Multi-Family’ developments are governed by Sterling Zoning By-Law Section 301-4.2 et seq. SEE https://ecode360.com/37344979

The Sterling land in question consists of two (2) parcels totaling 9.9 acres, or 431,244 square feet. In Sterling sixty per cent (60%) of the land area upon which a ‘Multi-Family Development’ is built MUST be preserved as ‘open space,’ leaving forty per cent (40 %) of the land available for dwelling structures, access road(s), septic field(s), etc.. In this instance that leaves a total of 172,497.6 square feet available for infrastructure construction.

Sterling Zoning By-Law Section 301-4.2.2.1 under NOTES provides: “Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 301-4.2.2.1, the lot area per dwelling unit for any multifamily dwelling consisting of only two units [a duplex] shall be 20,000 square feet per dwelling unit (emphasis added).”

One hundred seventy-two thousand four hundred and ninety-seven point six (172,497.6) square feet divided by 20,000 equals 8.6 dwelling units, OR FOUR (4) DUPLEXES ONLY, NOT THE THIRTY (30) UNITS SET FORTH ON THE PLAN PROPOSAL REPRINTED BELOW.

IF the ENTIRE lot area of 431,244 square feet is taken into account and divided by 20,000 the result is 21.5 dwelling units OR TEN (10) DUPLEXES ONLY. Nothing in the Zoning By-Laws says that these Clowns are entitled to claim a round-up to 22 dwelling units or 11 duplexes.

NOTE that this COMPLETELY BOGUS plan submitted by the proponent ‘LANCASTER STERLING LLC’ of West Greenwich, Rhode Island, and its engineering firm, J.M. Grenier Associates, Inc., Southborough, MA, in the legend, refers to 1 unit x 30 units, meaning that the plan is FOR 30 SINGLE-DWELLING-UNIT STRUCTURES THAT DON’T QUALIFY FOR MULTI-FAMILY DEVELOPMENT TREATMENT. The plan shows four (4) of those units encroaching on the unbuildable wetlands buffer zone on the southerly side of the property. That is a display of BOTH UTTER ARROGANCE AND STUPIDITY.

NOTE also that the purported soil percolation and deep hole testing records for this proposed development’s septic field, on file with the Sterling Board of Health, has an illegible soil tester, an un-named purported Sterling Board of Health ‘witness,’ and a date of January 23, 2025.

Ya’ think any reputable soil testing is done in the dead of winter??? ME NEITHER.

NOTE FURTHER: The purported soil testing was done on the Northwest corner of the property not far from the Spotted Turtle culvert crossing under Country Club Road. The Spotted Turtle was on the Massachusetts Endangered Species List until 2006.

The Sterling Zoning Board of Appeals continued the hearing on this completely BULLSHIT PROPOSAL to 12 August 2025. I assume that a revised plan will be filed before then showing duplexes instead of single-dwelling-unit structures.

Stay tuned.

J.G.