Pulte Dover project update

Above photo is from Pulte’s slide used in its presentation to the Dover joint Select Board & Planning Board meeting

This morning a Medfield resident visit me at my monthly first Friday office hours at The Center to ask about the Pulte project off Junction Street in Dover. I shared what I knew from watching the Dover joint planning board and Select Board meeting at which Pulte made a presentation. In that presentation Pulte showed a slide on which it noted that the project could move forward via either a special permit from the planning board or a 40B comprehensive permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals. Where I knew nothing more than what I had learned attending that planning board meeting and my own research at the Norfolk Registry of Deeds, I suggested the resident contact the Dover Town Administrator. Dover turned out to be exceedingly helpful and said the information could be shared (hence below a copy of his email to me and of their emails to him).

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Hi Pete,

Thanks for the time this morning–good to see you as always! Per your suggestion, I wrote to Dover and have the following updates to pass along to you, with their permission. 

———- Forwarded message ———
From: Carol Lisbon
Date: Fri, Sep 1, 2023 at 12:40 PM
Subject: FW: Questions

XXXX, please share this email with anyone you think might be interested. We have already received other information requests from your neighborhood. The Medfield Town Planner, Maria De La Fuente, is serving as Medfield’s point person. The Dover Planning Board will add you to our list. We have created a webpage ( https://www.doverma.gov/646/Pulte-Homes—Junction-Street) as a repository for all documentation received by the Dover land use boards which I hope you will find helpful.

Best, Carol Lisbon

Chair, Dover Planning Board

———- Forwarded message ———

On Fri, Sep 1, 2023 at 11:21 AM Michael Blanchard wrote:

Good Morning XXXX,

Thank you for reaching out.  The Town of Dover was contacted by Pulte Homes regarding their intent to build multifamily housing on land they acquired at 17-19 Junction Street.  At this point, Pulte has only indicated their intent to pursue development of the site, no application for approval for development is before any board.  (Please note – Pulte has submitted an Abbreviated Notice of Resource Area Delineation (ANRAD) application with the Conservation Commission.  This is not for project approval, but is required to conduct test pit explorations as part of their due process on the site.)  Should Pulte pursue development of the site they have options that could include approval by the Planning Board (under existing or new zoning bylaws) or by the Board of Appeals (under Chapter 40B).  Until there is a formal application, we do not know if, when, or which board this development will be before.  I have cc’d our Planning Board Chair and staff who are maintaining an email list and have created a webpage (Pulte Homes Proposed Multifamily Housing on Junction Street | Dover, MA (doverma.gov) to keep the public informed.

Thank you,

Michael Blanchard

Town Administrator

Town of Dover

508-785-0032

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Street connections to Evergreen Way in Medfield

I looked on-line at the Norfolk Registry of Deeds at the Town of Medfield takings for the streets around Evergreen Way and it seemed to me that the stubs that ran off Evergreen Way to the Dover town line, such as Stony Brook, were not taken by the Town of Medfield as public ways. That usually means that they remain as private ways and may therefore be owned by the adjoining home owners to the middle of the private way. That could lead one to conclude that without an easement from those home owners, one would not expect that Pulte could access any proposed development in Dover as of right from the streets in Medfield.

Wetlands

There was a wetlands delineation that was shared (see my prior post), which appeared to show a lot of wetlands on the site. I jogged the trail across the site maybe 30 year ago and recall wet feet.