The Planning Board on Feb. 11 approved a major modification to allow a 25-space parking lot (a net increase of 20 spaces after removal of five existing spaces) at Alliance Braintree, a skilled nursing facility on Grove Street, concluding a public hearing continued from an earlier meeting.

Attorney Frank Marinelli, representing Alliance Health and Human Services, described the request as a site adjustment to meet demonstrated staffing and visitor parking needs. Marinelli said the applicant revised the plan after a neighborhood meeting on Feb. 4, moving the parking field 9 feet farther from adjacent homes and adding an evergreen buffer of 46 Green Giant arborvitae and additional shrubs. He said Alliance is finishing an approximately $6,000,000 renovation of the facility and that the parking addition primarily serves caregivers and staff during daytime shifts.

Marinelli said traffic consultant reports in the record indicated heavy utilization of existing parking; he summarized prior traffic counts and the staff report’s language that the facility demonstrated “a drastic need for the parking.” He said Alliance planned to plant year-round screening and to construct a stockade fence on top of a retaining wall where required. He also noted the applicant would replace five lost spaces elsewhere on site and add three additional facility spaces, producing the net gain of 20 spaces.

Several family members and residents spoke in favor during public comment. Sandy Zervos described daily difficulties visiting an in-patient family member and said the project would be “a tremendous improvement” for access and care. Nancy Kevin and Paula Gowen also urged approval citing frequent visitor parking shortages and hardship for elderly visitors.

Board members asked technical questions about landscape species, drainage, snow removal, construction staging and pest control; landscape designer Karen Gosselin and project engineer Chi Minh explained that the plan adds new arborvitae and oakleaf hydrangeas, restores missing dogwoods, uses an infiltration system with sandy soils and provides space for snow storage. Alliance Chief Operating Officer Tom LaValley said the contractor estimates were revised after moving the lot and that the parking construction bid is about $700,000.

Member Connolly moved to accept the staff report with draft findings and conditions as modified during the meeting; Member Kent seconded. Before voting, Member Connolly said she was more comfortable increasing the proposed as-built surety in the draft conditions from $2,000 to $5,000 given the amount of landscaping. The applicant agreed to $5,000 during the meeting. The motion carried with members present recorded as answering “Aye.”

The board also voted to add the written correspondence submitted through Feb. 10 to the record and to close the public hearing. Draft conditions were to be updated to reflect the plans dated through Feb. 10 and the revised surety amount.