Accountability posts
Drafts ready to share. Click to copy, then post. Planning Board · Amherst, NH · June 5, 2024.
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Potential health concern — well contamination risk from pervious pavers in wetland buffer area, raised during an incomplete application
Amherst Planning Board (6/5/24): A board member warned that pervious pavers at 70 Chestnut Hill Rd may channel polluted runoff into the property's well. Application was incomplete. Board allowed discussion anyway & continued to June 19. Watch this one.
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Board requiring stormwater plan before subdivision approval to protect future property owners — sound rationale worth highlighting
Amherst Planning Board (6/5/24): Board won't approve 110 Spring Rd subdivision until applicants show where stormwater infrastructure goes. Board's words: 'It's hard to say no to an individual that's already bought the property.' Good planning.
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Procedural transparency concern — the formal 'complete' designation may not reflect actual application readiness
Amherst Planning Board (6/5/24): Board chair confirmed it's routine to accept applications as 'complete' while still able to request more studies later. What does 'complete' actually mean? Neighbors and applicants deserve a straight answer.
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Amherst Planning Board met June 5, 2024. Three issues residents should know about — a well safety concern, a stormwater standoff, and a question about what 'complete' even means. 🧵
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1/ At 70 Chestnut Hill Rd, a board member flagged that pervious pavers installed within 75 ft of the property's well could funnel the first inch of rainfall — the most pollutant-laden — straight into the ground above it. That's a potential drinking water issue. Application was deemed incomplete. Board allowed conceptual discussion anyway and continued to June 19.
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2/ At 110 Spring Rd, a couple wants to subdivide their 4.78-acre lot to build a smaller home for retirement. Sympathetic case. But the board required a stormwater plan showing a notional house layout first. Their reasoning: once a lot is sold, 'it's hard to say no' if the new owner's plan pushes stormwater infrastructure into wetland buffers. Requiring the plan now protects everyone downstream.
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3/ On that same application, the board chair defended a standing practice: formally accepting applications as 'complete' while still retaining the right to demand more studies. If 'complete' doesn't mean fully ready for review, neighbors who assume otherwise could be caught off guard. Worth clarifying publicly. Next meeting: June 19, 7pm.
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Longer-form draft.
Here's what happened at the Amherst Planning Board meeting on June 5, 2024 — and what residents should pay attention to heading into the June 19th meeting. At 70 Chestnut Hill Road, a conditional use permit is being sought for existing conditions — a portico and sidewalks already in a wetland buffer area. One board member raised a pointed concern: pervious pavers installed within 75 feet of the property's well could direct the first inch of rainfall — which carries the heaviest concentration of surface pollutants — directly into the ground above that well. This is a potential drinking water safety issue for the property owner. The application was deemed incomplete at the time of the meeting. The board chose to allow a conceptual discussion rather than a formal hearing, and continued the matter to June 19th. Residents should watch whether the full stormwater and drainage documentation is submitted before that hearing proceeds. At 110 Spring Road, a couple is seeking to subdivide their nearly 5-acre lot into two residential parcels so they can downsize to a smaller home. The board voted to require a stormwater management plan — with a notional house layout — before moving toward approval. The board's rationale was explicit and worth knowing: if they approve the subdivision without one, a future buyer could purchase the vacant lot and then present a house plan that forces stormwater infrastructure into wetland buffers. As one board member put it, 'It's hard to say no to an individual that's already bought the property.' That's responsible long-term planning, and applicants must submit the required plan by the Monday before the June 19th meeting. Finally, a procedural note: the board chair confirmed that it is routine practice in Amherst to formally accept applications as 'complete' while still reserving the right to request additional studies later. If the word 'complete' carries a specific legal meaning under state statute — but doesn't reflect whether an application is actually ready for full technical review — then neighbors relying on that designation to gauge a project's status may be getting an incomplete picture. That's worth asking about at a public meeting. Next Planning Board meeting: June 19, 2024 at 7pm.