Nine-lot Pippen’s Way angers neighbors
BY PETER B. BRACE
Residents of Gardner Road and the Shimmo area turned out in force at Monday night’s planning board meeting to protest the nine-lot subdivision proposed for 20.9 acres off the west side of Gardner Road and called Pippen’s Way.

Abutters of the project point to a perceived suburbanization of their neighborhood and potential pond pollution within the proposed development, much like the impacts property owners are concerned with at Ellen’s Way off Miacomet Road.

The development, formerly a farm owned by Catherine Nasser, is located in the Land Use General-One zone north of Moors End Farm where 40,000 square feet is the minimum lot size. Seven of the lots range from .92 of an acre to 1.1 acres with the eighth buildable lot at 8.7 acres. The ninth lot is an access road. Currently, a house sits on Lot Eight and a cottage and barn on Lot Seven. Inclusion of secondary dwellings could bump up the house total to 16.

Project engineer Dan Molloy of Cullinan Engineering explained that the developer, See Terrier Farms Trust,

wants to cut back brush from Polpis Road to Pippen’s Way — about 1,000 feet — opening up that access road — around 830 feet — and pave Gardner Road from Polpis Road to Gardner Road, as well as Pippen’s Way, both to 20 feet wide.

Molloy is asking the board to waive the requirements for a bike path and sidewalks along Gardner Road and down Pippen’s Way because there is not enough room in both road layouts. The board seemed to agree with this request. Abutters and neighbors of the project, however, were not as understanding.

The Nantucket Land Council, which has a conservation restriction on .35 of an acre of Tim Russert and Maureen Orth’s lot at 7 Juniper Hill — encompassing part of the pond that is also on the Pippen’s Way property — and another conservation restriction on the couple’s vacant 9 Juniper Hill lot covering the rest of that pond, strenuously opposes the development.

The Land Council is concerned about Pippen’s Way’s proximity to the pond, as well as possible nitrogen loading caused by the density of new septic systems, despite this land being in a sewer needs area for a future town sewer extension. Peter Fenn, attorney for the Land Council, called for modeling of groundwater in the area and for concurrent hearings of the Planning Board and Conservation Commission.

Orth, in a Dec. 7 email to the board, contested the need for the development at all, citing potential pollution of the pond and farm irrigation by the development’s septic systems, destruction of wildlife habitat and increased density.

“As summer residents we expend considerable energy contributing our time and resources to the hospital, the Athenuem, the Boys & Girls Club, etc., etc., because we so appreciate the unique beauty and sense of community of Nantucket,” said Orth. “These kinds of buildouts done ‘just because they can’ are offensive to maintaining the integrity of the island. As immediate abutters we strongly object.”

As does the Slosek family of Moors End Farm, who worries about how nine new septic systems will affect the health of the pond on the property and said that one-acre lots are too small for this rural area.

“This seems unacceptable based on the board’s previous approvals of subdivisions in the area,” said Sam Slosek. “This pond and the surrounding wetlands are a really good example. Like with Pest House Pond, that’s a pretty good example of how reckless development and septic systems can affect a pond.”

Because the Planning Board is awaiting its own engineering report on the project, and trying to clear up easement rights issues for the use of Gardner Road, it continued the hearing to its Jan. 22 meeting.

I