Development gets one approval, stalled on others
SANDOWN — A proposed 142-unit 55-and-older housing development for 200-plus acres between Snow Lane and Odell Road was approved for a conditional use permit, but the approval stopped there.
The Planning Board refused to accept the Hershey Highlands plan for further consideration because there are outstanding conditions that have not been met.
The plan has not received Department of Environmental Services comments, permits and approvals, and the Rockingham County Conservation Commission hasn't sent in all of its approvals. In addition, there is more design work that has to be done on septic system placement.
A group of homeowners, led by Kevin Major of Snow Lane, pushed project designers to consider using a different road for a second emergency access and demanded greater consideration by planners of the wetland impacts.
The homeowners don't want the development in their backyard, but are resigned to having it, Major said, The group believes using Hershey Road would have less wetlands impact than building the developer's proposed new road. Design engineer Jeff Lewis strongly disagreed, saying that access was considered and rejected.
Town engineer Steve Keach said the board really had to look at the proposed plan the way Norma and Richard Drowne have designed it. The board voted not to accept the plan for consideration until all the conditions are met. The plan will be on next month's meeting agenda.
