Carlisle Planning Board Continues Fenn School Gym Review, Seeks Traffic and Safety Details

CARLISLE — July 7, 2026 — Carlisle Planning Board defers Fenn School gym decision, awaiting traffic plan and fire department sign-off. The board continued its first site plan review of a proposed 16,000-square-foot athletic center at 516 Monument Street to July 28, 2026, after applicants from the Fenn School, Lewis Architect, Hancock Associates, and Stanmark Construction presented plans for a below-grade gymnasium building on an existing baseball diamond. Outstanding items include lighting cut sheets under a newly adopted April 2026 bylaw, sight-line analysis for a new Carr Road curb cut, a geothermal HVAC update, generator siting, and a revised fire department letter confirming acceptance of a stretcher-capable elevator in place of a rear vehicle access lane. Neighbors Dr. Susanna Bedell and Richard Chazer, both of 131 Carr Road, raised concerns about traffic queuing on the narrow road during events with up to 125 spectators and questioned whether outside rentals of the facility could push the campus septic system beyond its Title V permit limits. The board separately voted unanimously to send a positive recommendation to the Zoning Board of Appeals for Nashoba Country Club's replacement irrigation pump station in the Flood Plain Conservancy District at 1861 Sudbury Road, with compensatory flood storage provided at a 1.64-to-1 ratio against the required 1.5-to-1.