Planning board directs Bluestone to seek ZBA variances for age-restricted development after design review

Bluestone Investment Group returned to the Kingston Planning Board for design-review comments on a proposed market-rate age-restricted single-family development spanning parcels on Marshall Road. The developer described a concept of 26 single-family units on a 17.93-acre parcel (Map R33 Lot 21) plus four units on two adjacent C-2 parcels across the street (Map R41 Lots 14 and 15). Planning board members directed the developer to pursue variances from the Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) before completing full engineering and site-plan submissions.

Engineer Barry Geier and developer representative Alex Molastero said the concept responds to prior board input by proposing single-family homes with a minimum 25-foot building separation rather than multi-unit buildings; they also said the homes would be served by a community water system and common septic. The team explained that, under the town’s “innovative land use” rules (discussed as Article 208 in the meeting), age-restricted market-rate projects are generally limited to parcels of 20 acres or more and that the code’s minimum building separation is 40 feet. Bluestone proposed using the project’s upland acreage (reported as 18.23 acres of upland across the parcels) and a 25-foot separation, and requested guidance before completing final design work.

Town staff and board members noted procedural issues and asked for confirmation of zoning relief. Town planner Glenn Greenwood said a prior variance process for a similar plan had been approved previously and that the board could consider the developer’s rationale; however Greenwood and board members said relief for parcels in the C-2 district (the two lots across the street) would require a zoning-board process. Board members asked for input from the fire department on building spacing (the applicants said they had already consulted the fire chief and no objections were raised) and noted that further engineering will be required for full site-plan review.

After discussion, a board member moved and the board voted to direct Bluestone Investment Group to file for the required variances at the ZBA for the C-2 parcel use and for the parent-parcel size/separation relief. The board advised that the ZBA route should be pursued before the applicant completes a full engineering submission to the planning board. The board characterized the meeting as design review only and took no final land-use action tonight; the referral to the ZBA was the board’s formal direction to the applicant to seek the necessary zoning relief prior to final plan submission.

Bluestone representatives said they would pursue ZBA relief and then return with a full site plan package and engineering once relief and design details were clarified.