Kingston Planning Board approves conditional use permit for well access road at 83 Route 125 with utility and buffer conditions

The Kingston Planning Board on a vote approved a conditional use permit to allow construction of an access road to an on-site public drinking water well at 83 New Hampshire Route 125, the board heard at its meeting. The applicant, CJ and Jay Leasing (Greg and Scott Dimitri), sought a modification to a site plan approved Sept. 17, 2024, after the well location shifted during permitting for the public water and septic systems.

The board’s action matters because the proposed access would cross the wetland buffer for a nearby vernal pool and requires balancing well siting, wetland protection and utility placement. Town engineer Dennis Quintel recommended limiting disturbance in the buffer, reestablishing vegetation on the slope, avoiding snow storage in the buffer and moving sewer and electric lines out of the buffer. Town planner Glenn Greenwood and land use administrator Robin Carter confirmed the application was being treated as a conditional use permit under the zoning ordinance (referenced in the meeting as section 202.8).

Applicant counsel Cindy Theriault and contractor Keith Wentworth described the change: the well was moved away from a cemetery to meet DES guidance on nitrate risk and, in the new location, an access road is needed because the well lies closer to a vernal-pool buffer. Theriault said the access route proposed is the shortest alignment with the least buffer impact and that the temporary driveway would be removed after construction. Wentworth said the access would be used to install the well and periodically for maintenance, noting typical maintenance visits are infrequent — “generally once every five years” unless a pump failure requires additional service.

Quintel reviewed alternatives and concluded the proposed access road would result in the least impact compared with other alignments he examined. He recommended revegetating the disturbed slope with trees, installing fencing at the top of the slope, prohibiting snow storage in the buffer area and locating electric and sewer lines outside the planted buffer so roots will not damage subsurface utilities. Quintel also suggested the water line be routed along a portion of the buffer that will not be planted or within an existing access easement to reduce future root conflicts.

Board members asked for clarity on frequency of use and on whether existing monitoring wells were separate from the new production well; applicants and contractor confirmed monitoring wells exist but that the access road’s primary purpose is well installation and periodic maintenance. The board also discussed ensuring the temporary driveway would be removed and the slope restored after work.

After discussion, a planning board member moved to invoke jurisdiction and then moved approval of the conditional use permit with conditions addressing Quintel’s note: relocate sewer and electric lines to avoid root impacts and move the water line as recommended. The motion passed and the board moved on to other business.

The board’s written permit will need to capture the conditions discussed tonight (utility relocations, revegetation plan, prohibition on snow storage in the buffer and an expectation that the access drive will be removed once construction and required maintenance tasks are complete). The town will monitor compliance through standard site inspections and as-built submissions.