Auburn Planning Board Approves Contractor Site Plan, Moves to Revive 19-Year-Old Subdivision

AUBURN -- May 26, 2026, Auburn Planning Board conditionally approves contractor complex, kicks off revival of 19-year-old subdivision. The board unanimously approved a modified site plan for a two-building contractor facility at 282 Southbridge Street, conditioned on Zoning Board of Appeals approval of a parking waiver, the site proposes 25 spaces against a roughly 52-space requirement, and a prohibition on retail sales; engineer Zach Less of Existing Grade said light poles will be reduced from 20 to 15 feet with directional shielding to eliminate property-line light spillage measured at up to 21 foot-candles. The board also unanimously directed staff to engage Graves Engineering for a bond cost estimate on the Stoneville Estates subdivision at 88 Wallace Avenue, a nine-lot subdivision approved in 2007 that was never built; the property owner told the board he has paid close to $100,000 in property taxes over 19 years and has three prospective buyers waiting. Assistant Town Manager Paul Delacuilla presented four gaps between the 2007 plans and current DPW standards, including pavement thickness of three inches versus a current four-inch minimum and a detention basin sited on an easement rather than its own parcel, but the board agreed the 2010 deadline bylaw cannot apply retroactively, with the chair suggesting four-inch pavement could potentially be imposed as a condition rather than requiring a full redesign estimated at $60,000 to $70,000.