Eight-unit subdivision proposed off Cato Lane
DEVELOPMENTS
BY PETER B. BRACE INDEPENDENT WRITER
Proposing to develop their 2.7-acre property at 37 Cato Lane and call it Hiawasse Lane, Richard E. Lewis, Jr. and Sylvia I. Lewis are well on their way toward Planning Board approval of their definitive plan.

The Lewis' submitted their plan for a four-lot subdivision on land just west of the intersection of Cato Lane and Washaman Avenue in the Residential- Two district where the minimum lot size is 20,000 square feet.

Developer Jeffery Kaschuluk told the board that the lots would be 20,135 to 27,745 square feet in size, would tie into town sewer and water lines, and would be accessed by 537-foot interior road off Cato Lane. One of the lots already has two dwellings on it. The board considered the staff recommendation that the road be 20 feet wide to accommodate vehicles and keep them from parking on Cato Lane. And it had issues with the asphalt sidewalk on the south side of the Hiawasse Lane

"I agree with the staff recommendation of the road being 20 feet because people these days have more than one car. I don't; see much difference," said Planning Board member Nat Lowell. "I think you should go to 20 as recommended by the staff."

Kaschuluk said they chose 18 feet wide to lessen the overall visual impact of this development on the neighborhood. For the Lewis', Kaschuluk is also including a 15-foot-wide easement to a cemetery at the western end of this development.

At least one neighbor, Edward Woolley, a board member of the Nashaquisset Cooperative representing the residents of the adjacent Nashaquisset subdivision, asked for a vegetative buffer zone between the lots and their houses along Cato Lane among other requests.

"If there is to be any repaving of Cato Lane, that it not be substantially beyond where it is now," said Woolley who added that his board is registering opinion on this project, but asking for a few modifications. "If there could be screening of the properties that abut properties of the coop, that would great."

Kaschuluk said paving would extend just beyond (south) of the entrance to Hiawasse Lane but that the rest of Cato Lane would not be opened up and paved. As a condition of approval, he would have to extend the paving 300 feet south of Hiawasse Lane.

Regardless, Planning Board Chairman Frank Spriggs reminded Woolley that none of his constituents were abutters of the proposed subdivision.

And, speaking for several neighbors in the area, Land Use Planner Tom Broadrick said there are concerns about the lack of parking related the secondary dwelling that would eventually be built on the lots.

"They would like to make sure Cato Lane does not become a parking lot for those second dwellings," said Broadrick.

Though the board liked with it saw at its Oct. 22 meeting having approved the Lewis' preliminary plan 5-0 on Jan. 8, it did need more time to give neighbors of the project to speak their minds about the Lewis' proposal, allow Kaschuluk to generate some road improvement options for Cato Lane south of Hiawasse Lane to accommodate an increase vehicles in the area, said Broadrick.

The board continued this hearing to

its Nov 26 meeting. I