The Rochester Planning Board on June 2 approved a two‑lot residential subdivision for 239 Walnut Street submitted by Dejan Realty Trust, with conditions including a recorded maintenance and access agreement for a shared driveway.

Board approval matters because the split creates one new buildable lot and preserves an existing residence on the larger, western parcel; the planning department flagged the shared driveway and other standard final plan items as conditions of approval.

Bob Stoll of Tri Tech Engineering represented the applicant and said the parent parcel, tax map 231 lot 9, is just over two acres and the proposal splits it into two roughly one‑acre lots. Stoll said the eastern lot (9‑1) will use municipal water at the street and on‑site septic and that the project has obtained necessary state subdivision approvals and driveway permits from the New Hampshire Department of Transportation for a new driveway and use of an existing shared easement.

Planning staff described the proposal as “a fairly straightforward two‑lot subdivision” and drew the board’s attention to a suggested condition requiring a maintenance and access agreement for the shared driveway so responsibilities are clear and recorded. “That’s really what condition number 3 is about,” the planning staff member said, noting shared driveway disputes have arisen in the past and the agreement should be recorded on the plan or deed.

The board voted to accept the application as complete, determined the proposal is not a development of regional impact, and approved the subdivision with standard conditions including: submission of final plans that address TRG and third‑party comments, a recorded maintenance and access agreement for the shared driveway, and standard plan notes and signage as required by staff and DPW. The applicant and the landowner, Dennis Allfree, were present during the hearing and indicated they would address staff comments.

The application included DOT driveway permits and a state subdivision approval letter in the submission package, and the applicant said the final plan will show the required on‑site septic designs. The board’s motion and subsequent approval were recorded by voice; no roll call tallies were included in the public transcript.

The applicant is to finalize the items listed in the staff memo and obtain final sign‑offs prior to plan recording. Planning staff said they can answer any follow‑up technical questions as the applicant completes the final plans.