The Londonderry Planning Board voted to continue two separate agenda items during its most recent meeting on Wednesday night, July 10, and at least one town staff member making it known that she didn’t agree with the decision.
Planning Board Chair, Jake Butler, made the announcement before hearing each of the cases.
“I do apologize folks, on the behalf of the town of Londonderry and the Planning Board, but we do feel like we need a little bit more time, I’m sure that we will be able to hear you on the Aug. 7,” Butler said following the first continuance.
The agenda items being continued were Public Hearings on an application for a rezoning request at 42 Ash Street from AR-1 (Agricultural Residential) to IND-1 (Industrial I) in the Woodmont Commons PUD and lot line adjustment at 41 Stonehenge Road.
Assistant Town Manager and Director of Economic Development, Kellie Caron, who was attending the meeting through videoconference, expressed her concerns with the decision.
“From staff’s perspective, I’m in complete disagreement with this continuance,” she said.
Butler said the Board wasn’t happy with the amount of time it had to review materials for the two site plans.
“From the Planning Board’s perspective, we’re in disagreement with what the amount of time we’ve been given to review these applications, so that’s absolutely fine,” he said.
Later in the meeting, Caron said she is very concerned “about the Board taking action to continue the new site plans that were scheduled this evening. I found the reasoning to be unjustified and quite frankly, I’m concerned about it causing a potential legal issue for the town.”
She added that the agenda for the meeting was sent to the Planning Board three weeks ago, giving them ample time to bring up any issues.
“You were aware of the applications that were scheduled. You could have contacted staff or come into the Town Hall at any time to view them,” Caron told the Board.
She also noted that the full application and associated plans were sent to the Board by email two weeks ago, and they had the chance to review the materials “and make an informed decision.”
Caron said the staff recommendations were sent yesterday afternoon, but reminded the Board that within the last six months, the Board wouldn’t have received comments until 7 p.m. the day of the meeting, and that the town isn’t required to provide recommendations to the board, adding she didn’t think it was a valid reason to continue an agenda item.
She also said the continuance impacts the applicants, who pay engineers and other representatives to attend these meetings.
“I’m disappointed quite frankly in the decision, I was under the impression that we staff and the Board were working together towards a solution about our review process and our regulations, so it’s unclear to me why this decision would be made this evening, and why that justification would be used,” Caron said.
She finished by saying, “You do have a responsibility, as a Board, to make your own decisions and you need to consider your responsibility to these applicants and property owners in doing so.”
Butler, who said he didn’t want to entertain a back and forth on the matter, said, “The Board has made a decision and that’s the decision we’ve made, that was, at the time, what we felt was in the best interest of the residents of Londonderry. I leave it at that.”
Caron also let the Planning Board know that she will be going on leave in the near future. She said she will be working through the end of July, but this meeting would be the last meeting until “a later time.”