Acushnet Planning Board approves Middle Road storage facility site plan

ACUSHNET -- April 2, 2026, Acushnet Planning Board approves commercial storage site plan, advances Deep Brook Estates, and continues over-55 housing hearing. The board voted 4-0, with one abstention, to approve a site plan for a proposed single-story contractor storage building at 0 Middle Road, submitted by Chris Ciano of Meet in the Middle LLC and engineered by SiteTech Engineering; the plan dated March 16, 2026 was approved with conditions including permanent restrictions on hydraulic equipment storage and a detailed spill containment protocol reviewed by peer reviewer Merrill Associates. The board also voted unanimously to release lots 13, 14, and 15 in the Deep Brook Estates subdivision on Park Drive, where applicant Joe Costello reported roughly $287,000 in remaining infrastructure work secured by 10 lots still under covenant, and unanimously accepted a declaration of trust making a homeowners association, not the town, responsible for road and stormwater maintenance. A public hearing on a special permit for a 12-unit, six-duplex over-55 complex proposed by N.D. South Coast Properties LLC at 72 Middle Road was continued to May 7 pending Merrill Associates peer review; Vice Chair Richard Ellis said he wants a Registry of Deeds instrument making clear that owners, not taxpayers, are responsible for all private road and utility maintenance.