The need for a two-year extension request by Diamond Edge Realty and Development to begin work on their planned subdivision was met with skepticism by the Planning Board. The subdivision, Kestrel Estates, is planned for the area of 115 Hovey Road. The plan for six single family house lots on 8.87 acres was originally conditionally approved by the Planning Board in May 2014. A two-year extension was granted in May 2016.
Jonathan Lacombe, President of Diamond Edge, requested the extension to allow time for the company to find a solution for storing the large amount of earthen material that would have to be excavated and stored somewhere else to put in the planned road for the cul-de-sac off Hovey Road.
Lacombe stated, “That road is what they call a significant cut. In other words, there is a lot of material that must come out of that subdivision to put the road in. The problem that we’re having is where are we putting that material? As of right now I’m looking for other pieces of land in the general area where it could be almost like a donor lot where I could bring that stuff over there at a reasonable rate.” Lacombe estimated that it could take several weeks to excavate and haul the material.
According to Lacombe, the extension granted in 2016 was to allow Diamond Edge to get bonding in place for the road and to address some financial aspects of the project. Those have now been addressed and the only issue remaining is what to do with the excavated material.
Lacombe added, “I need to find a home for that material or its just not going to work out.” In response, Board Member Mary Wing Soares asked if that meant they would abandon the project if they could not find a local solution for storing the material. Lacombe backtracked and said that regardless the project would still go forward.
Board Member Leitha Reilly wondered if they granted the two-year extension what would keep Diamond Edge from coming back again for another extension. Lacombe indicated that this would not be necessary unless the town subdivision regulations change in the interim. He stated that he was looking for a two-year extension to provide breathing room to find, purchase and get a plan approved for donor lots locally.
Board Member Roger Fillio inquired about the possibility of using some of the six planned lots as storage for the material. Lacombe responded, “Usually in a subdivision you would pick one lot as the donor lot, but in this case, we are talking 2.5 lots worth of material.” The implication being that using that many lots for storage would make the project infeasible.
Wing Soares pressed Lacombe to explain, “you’ve know this was how much material you were going to have to move for four years, so why haven’t you found a place to move it?” Lacombe answered that they needed to get the financial plan and road bonding in place first because without those the project could not move forward.
Board Members were not inclined to grant the full two-year extension. After a brief discussion about whether to limit the extension to six months or one year, the Board voted unanimously to grant a one-year extension.