Design review: Liberty Commons proposes 130–140-unit mixed residential neighborhood at Depot Road

Developers of a project called Liberty Commons returned to the Kingston Planning Board for design review of an 85-acre mixed residential proposal at the corner of Route 125 and Depot Road that would include roughly 130–140 dwelling units distributed across five housing types, a central common green, clubhouse, trails and a network of small “courtyard” pods.

Applicant Keith Martel (project applicant) and civil engineer Brian Pratt presented the revised plan, saying the design shifts density away from the wetlands and toward the front of the site, organizes houses into smaller pods and includes a boulevard-style entrance to provide redundancy for emergency access. Pratt described a 1-mile perimeter walking loop, a dog park set away from the central green, and three multifamily buildings anchoring the main green. “We now have 5 different types of housing stock within the property,” Martel told the board, describing duplexes, townhouse-style courtyard units, quad buildings, garden-style flats and multifamily flats as the proposed mix.

Key technical points discussed with staff and departments included wetlands crossings and buffers, on-site water supply and septic, stormwater management, traffic, and access. The applicant reported an estimated wetland impact of about 7,000 square feet — below the 10,000-square-foot threshold noted during the meeting — and said the proposed domestic water demand would be about 38,000 gallons per day for the full development. The team described a plan for two new community production wells, a proposed on-site mini wastewater treatment plant to reduce nitrates and a phased build: Phase 1 would include the boulevard, the clubhouse and pods A–C with subsequent pods built as the project is developed.

Board members and staff pressed the applicants on emergency access and ownership of an existing right-of-way that runs down Depot Road and toward the property; the developer said the right-of-way is currently DOT-owned and that making it a gated emergency-only access would likely require state-level action and a change to the original plat. Fire Department staff had reviewed the layout and provided initial support, with the applicant using the department’s turning template to demonstrate access for apparatus.

Public comment included a resident question about expected sale prices for units; Keith Martel said he expected the smallest one-bedroom flat-for-sale units would be at an entry price point near $300,000. An abutter asked about well testing and protections for nearby private wells; the applicant and his water-system designer said the state (NH DES) permitting process includes pump testing and monitoring and that abutters are typically notified for well tests.

No formal vote was required at the design-review stage. Board members expressed broad positive feedback on the architecture, the emphasis on walkability and the use of courtyard pods. Staff and the applicant agreed on next steps: further coordination with the conservation commission on wetland buffer impacts, pre‑application meetings with DES and NHDOT (driveway permit), final design of stormwater management to address high seasonal groundwater, and preparation of any required applications for conditional use or zoning relief (buffer impacts).