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11/20/2017 11:00 PMThe Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC) has approved a special permit that will allow the proposed Slate School to move forward at 124 Mansfield Road, following two long meetings over several months.
PZC members said they were impressed by the number of residents who came out to voice their support or opposition. The main issue and points of discussion related to safety concerns and traffic on Mansfield Road.
While they agreed the road may not be ideal for the increase in traffic the school will bring, some board members said the road issues were not a sufficient reason to deny the project, and a denial based on that likely not hold up in court, if it was challenged by the applicant. Board members also said that traffic on the road would inevitably increase if there was any development on the street. There were several conditions attached to the approval. The school was allowed a maximum of 70 students, no athletic fields are allowed, and no uses of the property are allowed other than as a school. Also, a conservation easement is required for the land not being developed, and a new traffic study is required after the first two years. Other conditions were attached to the approval as well. The Slate School is a nature-based elementary school, with grade from kindergarten through 6th grade. The school is a non-profit organization and is to be chartered as an independent school.