The Buzzards Bay Coalition is looking to build an office in Marion.

At Monday night’s Planning Board meeting, Susan Nelson of COE Engineering presented a possible plan for the property at 172-177 Spring St., once occupied by a hardware store.

The proposed building will mainly be a small office and a storage facility. Specifically, Nelson said the building will be the site for coastal water collection and analysis, volunteer training, and vessel and science equipment storage and maintenance.

Nelson also asked the board for waivers on the environmental impact assessment and traffic study.

“It’s a previously developed site, and we feel the resulting traffic will be minimal,” she said. “There will be maybe eight or nine parking spaces, and not a lot of foot traffic, so to speak. It’s really primarily going to be used for storage.”

The board had a few concerns, but generally approved of the idea.

“I think this is a good use for this site,” board member Will Saltonstall said. “It’s attractively scaled and that site has been neglected for a long time…And I support the two waivers. I think those are reasonable requests.”

Board member Eileen Marum asked about lighting, and how it will impact the surrounding streets and housing.

“We haven’t gotten that far yet,” Lars Olsen, the property owner’s representative, said. “But this building will only be used during the day.”

The main concern of the board is the circulation of traffic within the site. In the plans it was depicted that a 30-foot boat would be stored in the building.

Chair Rob Lane’s wasn't so sure about getting the boat in and out of the property, particularly backing out into an already “dangerous” intersection.

Nelson insisted moving the boat would only happen twice a year, once in the spring to put it in the water and once in the fall to take it out, but Lane was still wary.

“Would you consider a restriction on how frequently you can do that?” he asked. “You say to us now [it’s only twice a year], but what about five years from now?”

It was agreed that the restriction would be something to consider.

Board member Steve Gonsalves also pointed out that there could be a lot of future development in that area because the barbershop across the street was just sold and the former Sippican Cafe is for sale.

“I don’t think we need a traffic study, but that will be a key corner,” he said. “That intersection is already dangerous, so just a bigger picture is something to keep in mind.”

Ultimately, the board decided to waive the environmental impact assessment but was not yet ready to waive the traffic study.

“We’re more worried about internal circulation,” Lane said. “It’ll be a limited traffic study if anything.”

Olsen said the hope is that the project can go out to bid in December and workers can break ground in the spring and have the project completed by this time next year.