The Point – Littleton, MA

The Point sits atop a hillside, adjacent to Route 495 off of Great Road (route 119) in Littleton, MA.  Its unique position along the Route 495 corridor attracts shoppers from all directions where closer alternatives of this size and kind do not exist.  The Point is a destination experience that showcases a dynamic mix of office, retail, dining, lodging and entertainment.  Allen & Major Associates, Inc. (A&M) was the lead civil engineer, land surveyor, and landscape architect for this 500,000 square foot mixed use development.  The scope of services included master planning, site design, permitting, construction documents and construction administration.

The Point is one of the largest mixed-use developments in the area.  The size alone determined some of the complexity of the project, but the 90 acre parcel also had bigger challenges.  It had previous permits in place that the developer challenged A&M to meet, and a 150’ elevation difference across the entire site. This meant A&M needed to “retrofit” any possible design in order to utilize the existing stormwater BMP designs and existing leach fields as well as work the site to accommodate a 150’ elevation difference.  The overall site design had to be flexible to allow for the most variations of tenants, developed responsibly, and constructed in phases.  Because it was phased, the design was a constant moving target and the development team needed to be diligent to not overlook permit conditions and design goals.  Instead of leveling the whole site, a “stacked” retail concept was utilized which allowed the development to work into the hill and utilized some of the natural grades.  Stacked retail allows consumers access from two floors, reducing horizontal spread by going vertical.   This concept also provided more natural connections that made for a pedestrian friendly environment.

While the project came with some permits in place, there was an extensive list of permits that the project would need in order to proceed.  A&M obtained Subdivision, Site Plan and Special Permit approvals from the Town of Littleton, a Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) Groundwater Discharge Permit, Board of Health Disposal Works Permit, an Amended Order of Conditions, a Notice of Project Change under the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA), National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) General Construction Permit,  Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program (NHESP) and Site and Highway Access Permits from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT).   The successful execution of these critical permits allowed the developer to meet tenant milestones, which determined the economic success of the project.