Planning Board Meeting

The Planning Board spent substantial time on a pre-application for the Meadowbrook Landing Drive cluster subdivision on a roughly 153-acre site adjacent to Lake Attitash and the Merrimac line. The applicant presented a clustered plan concentrating development in a previously disturbed area, proposing 47 single-family lots with 82% open space preserved, new road and utility connections to Birchmeadow Road, and several requested waivers (sidewalks on one side only, reductions to the required 50-foot open-land strip, and secondary access). Board members expressed concern about the proposed long road length, long sewer run, maintenance and potential municipal burden if the road is accepted, and the need to permanently protect open space; the Board agreed to seek Open Space Committee feedback. Public commenters included the Lake Attitash Association expressing support for the open-space emphasis and a nearby resident worried about access and the narrowness of Birchmeadow Road for public access to the open space.

The Board also heard a new public hearing for 19 Prospect Street involving restoration of an 1870 two-family historic dwelling and an infill three-unit building; staff and the applicant reported revisions addressing DRC, TRC, and Historic Commission comments and staff was asked to draft a decision. For 29 Lake Attitash Road the Board authorized staff to engage Stantec for peer review. Administratively, the Board approved a minor modification for 80 Haverhill Road to increase units from 4 to 7 (after debate about parking adequacy), endorsed subdivision plans for 102 Kimball Road and requested legal review of the buyer-provided covenant, established covenants and erosion-control bonds for 201 Elm Street and 26 Friend Street, and approved a partial $60,000 bond release for 36 Haverhill Road. Several ongoing hearings (Oakland St., School St., Maple St., and others) were continued to future meetings.