Objections by the Conservation Commission regarding the type of pavement proposed for use at A.D. Makepeace's Rosebrook Business Park has caused developers to reduce the size of the project.

At a public hearing on the project on Monday, representatives from A.D. Makepeace appeared before the Planning Board to present updates made to the proposal at the recommendation of the Conservation Commission and the town’s peer review engineer.

The hearing was a continuation of a May 25 meeting that was postponed in order to get input on the proposal from the Conservation Commission.

The company is seeking permission to not comply with certain zoning bylaws when moving forward with construction of the mixed-use retail center, which would be located off of Route 28 near the Interstate 195 intersection.

Tom Berkley, A.D. Makepeace Director of Landscape Development, said a reduction in the size of the building and the number of parking spaces was needed to accommodate a change being made to the type of pavement that would be used at the business park.

The company voluntarily reduced the size of the proposed building because the town’s peer review engineer suggested “pervious pavement" not be used. Using the recommended pavement calls for a reduction in the number of parking spaces, and the size of the building was correspondingly reduced.

With the change, the second building will be roughly the same size as the 68,000-square-foot Rosebrook medical office building, which opened this week.

The state Department of Environmental Protection also does not recommend “pervious pavement" be used. The Conservation Commission asked the pavement type be changed to meet state standards.

The project is estimated to create 171 permanent jobs and bring in roughly $300,500 in annual tax revenue. The development is proposed to include a hotel, pharmacy, bank, and a locally- or regionally-based restaurant in addition to retail space.

The medical office building does have the “pervious pavement.” This surface, which is costlier to maintain, is generally considered to be an environmentally responsible element of low-impact site design because it allows stormwater runoff to filter through the surface instead of flowing into a storm drain, according to Linda Burke, A.D. Makepeace Director of Communication and Marketing.

Berkley called the changes "minor" and said the updates will not drastically change the project.

"Rather than make a case, we chose to accept it and make the modifications," he told the Planning Board.

Monday's meeting wrapped up quickly with company representatives and Planning Board members agreeing to continue the hearing until Monday, June 27, giving both parties time to finalize the wording of the proposal.