Scituate Planning Board Delays Country Way Multifamily Decision Until June

SCITUATE — March 12, 2026 — Scituate Planning Board continues contentious Country Way multifamily hearing to June amid unresolved water quality and environmental concerns. The board voted 4-0 at its March 12 meeting to continue the public hearing on a proposed five-unit building at 18-20 Country Way — a former gas station site — until June 25, 2026, after peer review engineer Janet Bernardo of the Horsley Witten Group flagged a prohibited Zone A stormwater discharge during a 10-year storm event and an unresolved Phase I Environmental Site Assessment. Town Planner Karen Joseph outlined additional obstacles including unmet Fire Department comments, a missing 150-foot non-disturbance buffer from Old Oaken Bucket Pond, and the need for Zoning Board of Appeals relief for impervious coverage exceeding the 20 percent limit in the Water Resource Protection District. The board also voted 4-0 to strip Section C from the proposed General Bylaw Section 32050 Stormwater — despite Chair Patricia Lambert and Clerk Ann Burbine stating on the record they believe Section C is needed — after both the Advisory Committee and Select Board voted 8-0 for the removal, clearing the article for the town meeting warrant. The board approved a $1,325 purchase order for peer review services on the Country Way project and endorsed an Approval Not Required plan dividing 48 Neal Gate Street into four lots for Faceoff Holdings LLC.