A proposal for a three-lot housing development along Burma Road in Marlboro continued to elicit questions and criticism from attendees at a public hearing on Monday, December 16.

This was the continuation of a public hearing that commenced on December 2, and at this event just one individual spoke – neighbor Elisa Garbellano, a neighbor who lives on adjoining Austin Way. In her remarks Garbellano continued to press for details on the houses the developers plan for the subdivision – but this time she also raised concerns about the location of their septic facilities.

“The leach field for Lot 1 goes in is a straight line to our well,” said Garbellano, who also noted that her house is downhill from the one being built on that lot. “I do plan to have our water tested.”

The house on Lot 1 is already under construction, and Garbellano wanted to know whether it and the houses proposed for Lots 2 and 3 will be one- or two-family dwellings. “The building permit for Lot 1 was for a four-bedroom, two-family house,” noted co-developer David Mead. “Lot 1 is a two-acre lot while the other two lots are one-acre lots. One-family homes will be built on them.”

Mead noted that the two-family structure was in conformance given Lot 1’s size. The placement of the leach field and the lot gradient were more concerning to Planning Board Member Cindy Lanzetta. “The leach field is not supposed to be within 200 feet of the adjoining lot’s well, and it [that adjoining lot] is well down the gradient,” Lanzetta said.

“It’s absolutely not 200 feet,” said Pat Hines, the town’s consulting engineer. He noted that while these details had already been approved by the county’s health department, follow-up by the latter agency would be needed before any additional progress on the development.

Next up on the agenda was the 103-unit condominium complex on Dock Road in Marlboro center – which currently bears the name Orchard on Hudson. Although no representatives from SDL Marlboro LLC, the developer of the complex, attended the December 16 meeting, members of the board said they still had concerns about the project – particularly the placement of a gated entry to the complex.

“They’ve built other locations where they have done this,” noted board member James Garofalo. “Perhaps they can provide us with a video to show how it works. What’s concerning to me is that the call box will be 55 feet from the Route 9W roadway, which raises the potential of having traffic back up onto a major artery through the entire town.”

If security is the developer’s concern, Garofalo said, an alternative would be to install video cameras to monitor traffic entering and leaving the complex. Similarly, as an alternative to building sidewalks inside the complex, Garofalo called on the developer to build a sidewalk from the entry to Marlboro Elementary School, to afford a safe passage for any students living there who walk to school.

The Planning Board members ultimately voted to authorize Town Attorney Gerald Comotos to draft a conditional letter of approval. It did the same for three additional development proposals on the agenda: a proposal by ELP Solar Truncali for a five-megawatt solar farm on Bingham Road in Marlboro; the resort planned for 626 Lattintown Road in Marlboro, and a solar farm proposed by Highland Solar at 206 Milton Turnpike in Milton.

The draft letters approving all three contain a variety of conditions that must be met before they are given final approval. A fourth – at Milton’s Buttermilk Farms – will also be given conditional draft approval, based on the board’s.

The proposed additions to Buttermilk Farms have been under consideration since 2023 and would include a 65-room hotel, 35 cabins, a 60-seat restaurant, and 300-seat banquet facility. The proposal would need to meet the requirements from an array of both county and government authorities before it can move forward, said Hines.

The Planning Board capped its meeting by reviewing a new application: for the approval of a bed-and-breakfast lodging facility at 798 Lattintown Road in Milton. The new B&B is called Hilltop Farms and would be operated within the home of resident Linda Caradonna. Caradonna seeks approval to seek guests for three bedrooms at her house, for a maximum of six guests. She pointed out that her plan layout includes the required five parking spaces (three for guests, two for residents) required by town regulations for B&B operators.

Much of the property is enclosed by a stone wall, and Garofalo suggested that Caradonna clarify for guests that they could not venture beyond those boundaries to avoid conflict with neighbors. He also suggested that she add a small sign at the entrance as an aid to guests.

Lanzetta said that because guests can enjoy the pool onsite Caradonna needs to ask the town’s building inspector whether it will require approval from the town or county health departments. Ultimately, the board set January 21, 2025 as the date for a public hearing on the application.