SHIRLEY — A minor change to a town drainage easement will mean a nicer back yard for a future Shirley homeowner.
Oaks Landing Realty Trust representative Craig Erban met with the Planning Board on Dec. 20, asking for a minor modification to a drainage easement through lot 2A at that development, off Catacunemaug Road.
“It is a drainage easement that is significantly larger than it is needed to be,” Erban told the board. The lot already has a house built, with an interested buyer, and by changing the easement and moving the drainage collection basin further back from the house, it will give the property a more usable back yard, he said.
The board had previously met with Erban on the issue to inquire about how to proceed with this minor change for the easement, at which point the board decided to refer it to town council. The response was that because the easement deed for the town of Shirley was not finalized, the change could still be made as a minor modification.
Prior to the meeting, the board heard from Department of Public Works director Joseph Lynch about the site changes. Lynch stipulated that as long as the size of the site doesn’t change, moving the collection basin back is not a problem.
The only other issue was whether the board needed a performance bond posted to ensure that the work was done.
“I have no doubt that it will be done, and done correctly,” said board member William Carroll after raising the issue. Erban volunteered to post a $1,000 bond, saying he expected that the work would cost around half that much.
The board voted to approve the minor modification with the stipulation that the developer posts the $1,000 bond to ensure completion. — Richard Breyer
