Accountability posts
Drafts ready to share. Click to copy, then post. Planning Board · Amherst, NH · April 16, 2025.
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Off-agenda major policy debate about taxpayer liability for developer-driven infrastructure costs
At the 4/16 Amherst Planning Board meeting, a $2.659M road improvement debate happened with NO public notice it was coming. The developer's attorney argued taxpayers should pay 55.83% of costs for a road the board says only needs work because of this project.
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Growth rate acceleration and premature development concerns for Vonderosa subdivision
Amherst typically issues 21 new home permits a year. A board member noted ~100 units are now approved, under construction, or proposed. On 4/16, the board heard a new 41-lot subdivision on 270 acres — and raised premature development concerns. No resolution yet.
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Unaddressed public safety concern about sole-source aquifer contamination risk
Amherst has one aquifer. It supplies all town drinking water. On 4/16, a 270-acre subdivision with blasting and grading near that aquifer was discussed. Residents raised contamination concerns. The board made no protective conditions and did not respond to those concerns.
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Quiet elimination of conservation commitments from major subdivision application
On 4/16, Amherst's Planning Board learned the Vonderosa developer dropped all conservation easements from their 270-acre subdivision plan. A 20-ft trail corridor is being discussed separately — but no formal conservation protections remain in the proposal.
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🧵 THREAD: What really happened at Amherst's Planning Board meeting on 4/16/25 — and why residents weren't warned it was coming. A 270-acre subdivision turned into one of the most consequential planning debates the town has seen.
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1/ The Vonderosa Properties subdivision (41 lots, 270 acres off County Road/Upham/Spring) was listed as a routine continued review. What actually happened: a major policy fight about WHO PAYS for $2.659M in road improvements — and it wasn't on the public agenda.
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2/ The developer's proposal: taxpayers cover 55.83% of County Road improvement costs (~$600K–$1.5M in public funds). The board's chair said plainly: 'The only reason we're talking about improvements to this road is because of this project.' One resident: 'I can't imagine what citizens would do if we presented a million dollars for a road nobody wants.'
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3/ TRANSPARENCY PROBLEM: The proportional cost-sharing debate — including a legal letter from the developer's attorney arguing constitutional limits on what the board can require — was NOT listed on the public agenda. Residents had no notice this legal and financial fight would happen at this meeting.
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4/ A developer attorney argued the board's 'but for' reasoning (road only needs work because of this project = developer pays) is unconstitutional, citing a NH Supreme Court case. One board member responded they'd 'disagree vehemently' with waiving impact fees. The matter was sent to town council — unresolved.
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5/ Also not on the agenda: a formal discussion of whether this project triggers NH's 'premature development' standard. Amherst averages 21 new permits/year. A board member flagged ~100 units now approved or proposed. The 41-lot Vonderosa project adds to that surge with unquantified school capacity impacts.
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6/ Amherst has a single-source aquifer — one water supply for the whole town. Residents raised contamination concerns from blasting and grading on the 270-acre site, referenced a cancelled EPA protection program, and asked for certified wetlands engineer oversight. The board did not respond to these concerns and adopted no protective conditions.
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7/ Also quietly disclosed at the meeting: the developer has dropped ALL conservation easements from the plan. No conservation lots. Only an informal 20-foot trail corridor being discussed separately with the Amherst Land Trust — with no formal commitment.
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8/ The Vonderosa application continues at the June 4th Planning Board meeting. Between now and then, town council must review the developer's legal letter on cost-sharing. Residents who care about roads, water, schools, and who pays for what should be in that room. /end
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Longer-form draft.
**Amherst Planning Board – April 16, 2025: What the Agenda Didn't Tell You** Last Wednesday's Planning Board meeting was listed as a routine continuation of the Vonderosa Properties subdivision review — 41 lots on 270 acres along County Road, Upham Road, and Spring Road. What it became was a major unannounced policy debate about taxpayer liability, development law, school capacity, and Amherst's sole drinking water supply. Residents who didn't attend had no way of knowing any of this was on the table. Here's what happened: Road improvements to County Road are required for this subdivision to proceed. An independent engineering firm estimated the total cost at $2.659 million. The developer's proposal is that Amherst taxpayers cover 55.83% of that — somewhere between $600,000 and $1.5 million in public funds for a road that, as the board chair stated directly, 'the only reason we're talking about improvements to this road is because of this project.' A member of the public put it plainly: 'I can't imagine what citizens would do if we presented to them that we want a million dollars to make improvements on a road nobody wants.' The developer's attorney then argued — in a legal letter the board is now sending to town council — that the board's reasoning is unconstitutional. No resolution was reached. Taxpayer exposure remains open. Also raised at the meeting, without prior agenda notice: concerns about whether Amherst's growth rate now triggers the state's 'premature development' standard. A board member noted the town averages 21 new home permits per year, but roughly 100 units are now approved, under construction, or proposed. The Vonderosa project would add 41 more lots. School capacity impacts were flagged but not quantified. Separately, multiple residents raised serious concerns about contamination risk to Amherst's single-source aquifer — the only water supply the town has — from blasting and grading across 270 acres. The board made no protective conditions and did not directly respond to those concerns during the meeting. Also disclosed quietly: the developer has dropped all conservation easements from the proposal. No conservation lots remain. Only an informal 20-foot trail corridor discussed separately with the Amherst Land Trust, with no formal commitment. The Vonderosa application will be back before the Planning Board on **June 4th**. Town council must also review the developer's legal letter on cost-sharing before then. If you care about who pays for new infrastructure, what happens to Amherst's water supply, or how fast this town is growing, this is the case to follow — and the meetings to attend.