Large Trucks From Project in Westford Could Come to Chelmsford

Drivers on Littleton Road be warned, large trucks may coming your way thanks to a decision by the Westford Planning Board last night.

to deny an earth removal permit for the Cornerstone project near the corner of Boston and Littleton Road, the Westford Planning Board unanimously approved the same permit in their meeting on Thursday night.

Ultimately, no decision could be made at the last meeting due to the lack of legal notice given to the public as town officials noticed the earth removal coming from the site only days before the meeting, forcing the issue to this meeting.

According to town planner Angus Jennings, only two earth removal permits had been issued in recent memory, one for the Country Club Estates development in 1997 and another for Hitchinpost Greens in 1994, despite the apparent necessity for the permit under town bylaws.

During deliberation for the permit, Planning Board member Kate Hollister was concerned when she reported that her husband saw trucks removing large piles of earth material from the site after the last meeting, citing that the removal was also occurring at 6:30 a.m., before the allowed time for any work to begin under the current specifications of the project.

Cornerstone attorney Doug Deschenes explained that the material in question was large stones and tree stumps, which he and his client had informed the town about due to the confusion over the permit, which they believed was not subject to the earth removal bylaw.

Deschenes also noted that other piles of dirt visible were being moved to the back of the development near I-495, giving the appearance that they were being removed from site to anyone driving by.

After this, a discussion ensued over which route the trucks should take, given frequent congestion at the intersection of Boston and Littleton Road and concerns from Westford Police chief Thomas McEnaney. McEnaney is concerned that if an accident were to occur at the intersection, it would severely hamper traffic.

Due to those concerns, the board added a stipulation to the project that the 30- yard-long trucks could only make right turns out of the site onto Littleton Road heading west and could only get onto Interstate 495 at Exit 31 in Littleton unless they were making trips to transport the dirt to sites in Westford or Chelmsford.

Deschenes told the board that his client had been attempting to keep the materials within the local area if possible, but barring any local use, the material would be shipped to nearby Sterling, Massachusetts.

According to Deschenes, the earth removal portion of the project is expected to take approximately three weeks to a month.

A subsequent amendment to the permit proposed by Dennis Galvin to delay the date of approval of the permit until questions were answered from town legal counsel over other permits to the project was defeated 4 to 1, with only Galvin voting in favor.