LYNN — The Conservation Commission resumed review of the Lanzillo Lane development project Tuesday night, focusing on stormwater management details included in the developer’s refiled application.
The Lanzillo Lane project proposed by Danvers-based Z&L Development Company provides for the development of the wooded area between Judge and Quinn roads, near Lynn Woods. The project proposes the construction of eight new residential homes and remodeling of one existing house on a plot of land that sits 100 feet from a wetlands area.
Although the project was originally filed on Jan. 6, 2020, the Lynn Law Department recommended a refiling of the project in March because newly-appointed Conservation Commission members have not participated in meetings regarding Lanzillo Lane held before December 2021.
“It is the same exact design,” said civil engineer Giovanni Fodera of Fodera Engineering, who represented the development team along with the Attorney Samuel Vitali at the Conservation Commission meeting. “I feel confident that how it was designed was good and there was no need to change it.”
The discussion on Tuesday revolved around the ability of the underground stormwater and drainage management system designed by Fodera to manage 25- and 100-year storms and the project’s possible contribution to flooding of neighboring properties on Judge, Quinn and Martin roads.
Commissioner Michael Toomey was concerned that the project’s stormwater-management system would not be able to contain a 100-year storm. He suggested that a different engineer needs to look at it.
Fodera said that the system was designed to hold a 100-year storm and referred to calculations of peak-storm elevations contained in submitted documentation. He said the system is designed to be fully underground and slowly exfiltrate the storm and run-off water through smaller pipes into the city outflow.
Commissioner Paul Gouthro asked if the developer had already identified a contractor to build the system as its precise design might present challenges on the lot with a widely varying height of soil above the ledge.
“I think it is very delicate. It has to be built carefully to work,” said Gouthro. “The onus is on everyone to do it correctly.”
Fodera responded that the contractor has not been identified yet.
Gouthro asked more questions and pointed out minor shortcomings in the submitted documentation before addressing his major concern — what he termed a “showstopper.”
Although he believed the drainage system as designed would eliminate run-off to the neighboring properties, Gouthro said, he was worried the city’s outflow system would not be able to withstand both the existing outflow and the new outflow created by the development, which could lead to flooding on Judge and Martin roads.
“According to our by-laws, you cannot cause flooding,” said Gouthro. “I would like a Water & Sewer engineer to tell us that it won’t cause flooding on Judge Road.”
Gouthro put forward a motion to ask for a consultation from the Lynn Water & Sewer Commission (LWSC) at the next Conservation Commission meeting, which was eventually supported by the rest of the members present at the meeting.
Fodera and Vitali referred to a letter from LWSC dated Nov. 9, 2021, that they already possessed, which stated that the project’s underground-detention areas and other stormwater-management techniques are satisfactory and follow engineering best practices.
The topic caused a prolonged discussion between the commission and the petitioners on whether an inquiry to LWSC was within the commission’s jurisdiction and whether a new letter from LWSC would suffice.
“The letter is barely acceptable to me,” said Gouthro.
Toomey suggested they hire an outside consultant to review the drainage design.
“This project went through enough consultants,” Fodera said.
Several direct abutters and neighbors of the project spoke against Lanzillo Lane at the meeting. They attested to the existing flooding issue in the neighborhood, expressed their desire to keep the wooded area untouched, and voiced concern about rock blasting the project would need.
Fodera reassured them that the project’s drainage system would help decrease the volume of water that runs off into the abutting properties. Gouthro seconded his statement.
The Conservation Commission decided to continue discussion of the project at its next meeting in May.
