Accountability posts
Drafts ready to share. Click to copy, then post. Planning Board · Amherst, NH · November 6, 2024.
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Individual posts for different angles. Pick the one that fits your audience.
Off-agenda final decision on significant subdivision approval and developer exactions
⚠️ TRANSPARENCY ALERT: On 11/6, Amherst's Planning Board agenda listed the Vonderosa 9-lot subdivision as a simple continuance. Instead, the board held a full hearing and approved the project — including $272,500 in developer road fees — with no public notice of a final decision.
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Community traffic safety concern dismissed during subdivision approval
Amherst Planning Board (11/6) approved a 9-lot subdivision on County Road with $240K in road improvement fees and $32.5K for intersection work. A neighbor warned: once that road is paved, speeds will go from 40 to 70 mph. The board approved anyway without resolving it.
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Climate adequacy of stormwater design standards
An Amherst Planning Board member said it plainly on 11/6: he's seen multiple '100-year storm events' happen within 25 years. The board still approved drainage designs built on those outdated standards. Is Amherst engineering for the climate we have — or the one from 1980?
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Ongoing driveway safety waiver dispute and deferred resolution
A driveway permit in Amherst was denied twice (at 18% and 15% grade) before being approved at 12% with 3 regulatory waivers. Neighbors say the combo is still dangerous. The board ordered independent review — decision delayed to Dec 18. Abutters didn't get the denial they asked for.
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🧵 What actually happened at Amherst's Planning Board on Nov 6 — and what residents weren't warned was coming. A thread. /1
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The agenda listed the Vonderosa 9-lot County Road subdivision as a *continuance request*. Residents who read that had no reason to show up prepared for a final vote. Instead, the board held a full hearing and approved the project that night. /2
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That approval included $240,000 in road improvement exactions and $32,500 for the Upham Rd/County Rd intersection — $272,500 total. These are significant financial conditions tied to a final land use decision. None of that was signaled on the public agenda. /3
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Residents who did show up raised real concerns: one neighbor warned that paving County Road will push speeds from 40–50 mph to 60–70 mph. Another challenged whether the applicant's frontage measurement (300 ft vs. a possible 600 ft) was accurate — which would affect the fee math. /4
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The board approved anyway. Traffic speed concerns were not resolved. The frontage dispute has no documented resolution. The chair was clear that taxpayers shouldn't subsidize developer road needs — but neighbors' safety concerns got no equivalent commitment. /5
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Meanwhile, a separate driveway permit (Map 8, Lots 8314–8315) has now been denied twice and is under appeal. Abutters say 3 simultaneous regulatory waivers — grade, side slope, and apron — compound risks and send stormwater onto their properties. /6
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The board ordered independent review by Keach Nordstrom and asked DPW/Fire to re-examine the latest plans. Decision pushed to Dec 18. That's the right call — but neighbors have been fighting this for months with no resolution yet. /7
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One more thing: a board member noted he's personally witnessed multiple '100-year storm events' in the last 25 years. He questioned whether current drainage design standards are adequate. The board acknowledged it — then moved on without changing anything. /8
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Bottom line: Amherst residents deserve agenda notices that reflect what will actually be decided. A final subdivision vote with $272K in conditions is not a continuance. Show up to the Nov 20 and Dec 18 meetings — bigger decisions are coming. /end
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📅 Next meetings: Nov 20 & Dec 18, Amherst Planning Board. The 44-lot Vonderosa subdivision (PZ18273) is also pending — expected large enough turnout that they may move it to the high school.
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Longer-form draft.
⚠️ Amherst Planning Board – November 6, 2024: What the agenda said vs. what actually happened The public agenda listed the Vonderosa Properties 9-lot subdivision on County Road as a continuance — meaning residents reading the agenda had every reason to believe no final decision would be made that night. Instead, the board conducted a full hearing and voted unanimously to approve the subdivision, including $240,000 in developer contributions toward County Road paving and $32,500 toward the Upham Road/County Road intersection. That's $272,500 in financial conditions attached to a final land use approval — decided without public notice that it was on the table. Residents who showed up still raised serious concerns. One neighbor, Phil Martin, warned the board directly: once County Road is paved, drivers won't be doing 40 or 50 mph — they'll be doing 60 or 70. That's a real safety concern for people who live there now. Another resident questioned whether the applicant's frontage measurement was accurate (300 ft claimed vs. a possible 600 ft), which would directly affect how the road improvement fees were calculated. Neither concern was resolved before the board voted to approve. Separately, a driveway permit appeal for Map 8, Lots 8314 and 8315 — already denied twice at higher grades — continues to be contested. Abutters argue that three simultaneous regulatory waivers (grade, side slope, and apron) create compounding safety and drainage risks for neighboring properties. The board ordered an independent technical review by Keach Nordstrom and asked DPW and the Fire Chief to re-examine the latest plans before a December 18 continuation. That's a reasonable step, but abutters have been seeking a denial for months. Also worth noting: a board member raised a pointed concern about whether stormwater systems designed to handle '100-year storms' are still adequate, given that he's personally seen multiple such events in the last 25 years. The board acknowledged the concern and moved on. With a 44-lot subdivision (PZ18273) still pending — and the board already discussing whether to move that hearing to the high school due to expected public turnout — now is the time for County Road-area residents to pay close attention. Next meetings: November 20 and December 18.