Proposed subdivision under fire

groton » A proposed new subdivision is coming under fire for environmental concerns, however, its developer noted the Village at Shepley Hill is still in its planning stages and local review is not complete.

Shepley Hill Capital Partners is proposing the construction of a 14-lot, 28-unit residential development called Village at Shepley Hill.

Set to be located off the intersection of Longley Road and Sand Hill Road, the development would be connected by two roadways and a single shared septic system.

Each of the 14 lots on the property would have a two-unit townhouse, with each unit having two bedrooms, a two-car garage, a master suite on the first floor and a full basement.

Of the 45 acres on the property, developers hope to use 38 acres of it as open space for walking trails. Because of the units, the developer is also looking to extend Groton’s 12inch water main along Longley Road for 4,800 feet.

While new housing could be beneficial to Groton, local officials said, there are also environmental impacts to consider.

In a letter to the editor submitted to the Nashoba Valley Voice earlier this month, local resident Bob Pine stressed “deep concerns” about how the project will impact the surrounding environment.

Pine claims that most of the development would take place on a drumlin hill, which is a large mound of ground placed and sculpted by a glacier.

If the development is established, Pine believes it would “obliterate” the drumlin with “large roadway cuts and fills” along with “artificially shaped protrusions” for the townhouses.

“The proposal requires three wetland crossings and cuts and fills far greater than the regulations allow,” Pine added in a follow-up email on Tuesday. “The only way the developer could use the property would be to significantly reduce the number of units that are being proposed.”

Pine is the husband of Select Board member Becky Pine. Becky Pine is also chairman of the Groton Affordable Housing Trust.

Other town boards have stressed issues with the layout project. Conservation Commission Administrator Nikolis Gualco said the Groton Conservation Commission noted concerns about how the project will impact not only the wetlands and drumlins, but also the overall forest in the area of Longley Road and Sand Rill Road.

The Planning Board also discussed the project during a public hearing on Jan. 14, with multiple members worried about its impact to the land.

One of them was Scott Wilson, who called the proposed development a “serious degradation of a beautiful property.”