Accountability posts
Drafts ready to share. Click to copy, then post. Planning Board · Amherst, NH · May 7, 2025.
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off-agenda impact fee discussion as transparency failure
At the May 7 Planning Board meeting, members spent significant time debating impact fee categories for LaBelle Winery's proposed 8-bedroom guest house and whether fees apply to Route 101A state road impacts—neither topic... https://meetingwatch.org/nh/amherst/planning-board/2025-05-07/ #MeetingWatch #AmherstNH
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deviation from expected agenda process for LaBelle
Instead of a completeness review for the LaBelle Winery site plan amendment, the board heard a full presentation, approved a lot line adjustment, and voted to continue the application for third-party engineering review and town... https://meetingwatch.org/nh/amherst/planning-board/2025-05-07/ #MeetingWatch #AmherstNH
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off-agenda substantive review of Route 101A project
The board also advanced the 95 Route 101A commercial site plan past completeness review into detailed waiver votes on landscaping, parking islands, and space counts, then continued it to June 4—all without the item being... https://meetingwatch.org/nh/amherst/planning-board/2025-05-07/ #MeetingWatch #AmherstNH
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May 7 Planning Board meeting: two development applications received full substantive review and multiple votes even though the agenda listed them only for completeness checks. Residents had no notice these items would move to decisions. #MeetingWatch #AmherstNH
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Board members debated whether LaBelle Winery's new guest house should pay retail-level impact fees or only police/fire fees, plus whether fees could apply to Route 101A impacts. This extended discussion was not on the agenda.
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Both the LaBelle lot line adjustment and three waivers for the Route 101A project were approved unanimously. The site plans were continued for further review. No public speakers appeared because the scope was not disclosed in advance. https://meetingwatch.org/nh/amherst/planning-board/2025-05-07/
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Longer-form draft.
On May 7 the Amherst Planning Board moved two site plan applications well beyond what the public agenda indicated. LaBelle Winery's amendment was listed for completeness review but instead received a full presentation, lot line adjustment approval, and a continuance for third-party review plus counsel input on impact fees for the proposed guest house. The 95 Route 101A commercial project similarly advanced into waiver votes on landscaping and parking standards before continuation to June 4. Neither the impact fee classification debate nor the shift to active review was noticed in advance, leaving residents without opportunity to prepare comments or attend for those specific issues. https://meetingwatch.org/nh/amherst/planning-board/2025-05-07/ #MeetingWatch #AmherstNH