NOTICE OF SITE VISIT AND HYBRID MEPA CONSULTATION SESSION
A dual Expanded Environmental Notification Form (EENF) has been submitted to the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) office for this project. Information about the project, including a link to download the first several pages of the EENF (select ‘EENF’ hyperlink under Project Documents), can be found at the following address: https://eeaonline.eea.state.ma.us/EEA/MEPA-eMonitor/project/2d59614c-e222-45e9-ab9d-35594168bbe1. A copy of the complete EENF submittal may be requested from the “Project Contact” identified below.
The project requires the preparation of an EIR in accordance with 301 CMR 11.03(1)(a)(2) of the MEPA regulations because it requires an Agency Action and will create ten or more acres of impervious surface. It also requires the preparation of an EIR in accordance with 301 CMR 11.06(7)(b) of the MEPA regulations because it is located within an Environmental Justice (EJ) population. The Proponent (Banner Park Campus, LLC) has requested a Single EIR be granted in lieu of a Draft and Final EIR, in accordance with the MEPA regulations at 301 CMR 11.06(8).
The project proposes the redevelopment of an existing 69-acre site that is predominantly forested. The project will involve demolishing the existing 20,550 sf office building and constructing two industrial buildings (providing research, warehousing, and light manufacturing space) totaling 272,550 sf, with associated infrastructure. Building A will total 135,010 sf and Building B will total 137,540 sf. As described in the EENF, the Proponent is contemplating conserving the remaining 40 acres of undeveloped space on the project site.
Potential environmental impacts associated with the project include the new alteration of 12.2 acres of land, the creation of 16 acres of impervious surface (for a total of 20 acres on-site), the generation of 1,484 New average daily trips (adt) (for a total of 1,778 adt associated with the project site), the creation of 473 new parking spaces (for a total of 556 spaces), an increase in water usage of 74,505 gallons per day (gpd) (for a total of 76,200 gpd), and an increase in wastewater generation of 67,759 gpd (for a total of 69,300 gpd).
As noted above, the project requires the submission of an ENF and EIR pursuant to 301 CMR 11.03(1)(a)(2) of the MEPA regulations because it requires an Agency Action and exceeds a MEPA review threshold requiring the preparation of a mandatory EIR. The project also exceeds the following ENF thresholds:
- 301 CMR 11.03 (1)(b)(1): Creation of five or more acres of impervious area
- 301 CMR 11.03(6)(b)(14): Generation of 1,000 or more New add on roadways providing access to a single location and construction of 150 or more New parking spaces at a single location.
- 301 CMR 11.03(6)(b)(15): Construction of 300 or more New parking spaces at a single location.
A site walk followed by an evening hybrid meeting will be held on Thursday, December 8th to receive advice and comments from agencies, officials, and citizens regarding which environmental issues, if any, are significant for this project. Opinions as to the extent and significance of possible environmental impact will be welcome.
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