Planning Board Halts Dealership Expansion, Demands Professional Stormwater Engineering Report

GROTON — June 11, 2026 — Groton Planning Board votes 4-0 to stall used car dealership parking expansion over stormwater concerns. The board unanimously continued the public hearing for a site plan modification at 14 Townline Road to June 25, telling applicant Aline Gomez the project cannot move forward without a licensed engineer's pre- and post-construction stormwater analysis of the site's drainage system along Route 119. Member Russell Burke made the motion, saying the board has "no clear data points to work with," while Chair Paul Hathaway said it "behooves us" to have a professional explain where water will go if the rear of the property is graded and filled. The applicant said costs have already exceeded $30,000 and that a topographic engineering quote came in at $7,000, but board members said verbal assurances from the property owner about wetland status and water flow are not a substitute for documented analysis. The board also confirmed Phil Francisco as the Community Preservation Committee representative and resubmitted Russell Burke as the Planning Board's rep to the Montachusett Regional Planning Commission.