Brookfield planning board seeks missing pit reclamation records, weighs 5‑acre grandfathering language

BROOKFIELD TOWN — The Brookfield Planning Board on Feb. 10 reviewed long‑running questions about local sand and gravel operations, said it has lost some historical permitting paperwork, and discussed next steps including inspections and a warrant article that would clarify 5‑acre grandfathering for earth extraction uses.

The matter drew extended comment from Frank Frazier, speaking as chairman of the Brookfield Conservation Commission, who said the original grandfathering document for the site traditionally called the “Mason Pit” on Moose Mountain Road appears to be a hand‑drawn sketch rather than a formal multi‑page plan. "It was literally a drawing of a big mound of sand," Frazier said, adding that the original submission looked like "half a piece of paper" or a back‑of‑an‑envelope sketch describing removal of a sand mound and reseeding rather than excavation down to grade.

The distinction matters because, as board members noted, RSA guidance allows existing extraction operations to be grandfathered in some circumstances, and the board’s local earth‑excavation rules set a five‑acre threshold. The board said it will try to locate archived files for the Mason Pit and the Smith Pit and requested copies from current owners where records are missing.

Why this matters: Reclamation plans and clear…