Planning Board approves 36‑lot mobile‑home subdivision at 201 Waterville Road

The Planning Board approved a subdivision application from AL Properties Incorporated to build a 36‑lot mobile‑home park and six RV sites at 201 Waterville Road at a Planning Board meeting (date not specified).

The board’s approval included staff recommendations related to fire and stormwater measures; developers will need to obtain required state permits before construction proceeds.

The project proponent, Randy Butler of Durago Engineering, told the board the plan retains wooded buffers around much of the site, adds a wet pond for detention and treatment, and will include on‑site soil filters. “Anytime you add more than 1 acre of impervious area to a site, then you’re required to go through DEP, what they call a stormwater management permit,” Butler said, describing on‑site features intended to treat and detain runoff and to avoid increasing peak flows downstream.

Butler said the plan shows wooded buffers of roughly 40 to 50 feet on the south and east sides and about 100 feet of retained woods on the west. He also told the board the plans now include a note to provide a dry hydrant in the wet‑pond area in response to the fire chief’s request.

Residents who spoke during the public hearing raised questions about lot size, drainage and traffic. Richard Vittney asked how large the lots would be; Butler said the minimum lot size would be 6,500 square feet with minimum frontage of 50 feet, and that some lots are laid out for single‑wide homes (50 feet by about 30 feet) while other lots are shown wider to accommodate double‑wide units. Tom Loftin and other neighbors described existing culvert and drainage conditions near the site and asked where stormwater would be routed; Butler and staff explained the wet pond and underdrained soil filters are intended to treat and slow runoff.

Town staff and board members noted procedural and oversight points raised during deliberations. Brian (town staff) told the board that if the project triggers state Department of Transportation review for the stretch of road in question, DOT would examine driveway changes and traffic impacts; staff also confirmed the town’s notification procedure that property owners within 500 feet of the development get mailed notice and the notice is published in the local newspaper.

Board discussion focused on whether the packet reflected the fire chief’s recommendations and on whether abutters had been personally contacted. A resident said some neighbors immediately across the street did not receive separate personal outreach; staff responded that the town’s ordinance requires the 500‑foot mailed notice and newspaper posting rather than individualized door‑knocking.

A board member moved to approve the subdivision application for 201 Waterville Road, Map 9, Lot 77, with the staff committee’s recommendations related to the dry hydrant; Michelle seconded the motion. The board took a hand vote and the motion carried; the minutes record approval but do not specify a numeric roll‑call tally.

After the vote, the applicant representative said he had plans available for signature and the board briefly recessed so the applicant could sign. The project will advance to required permitting steps, including the state DEP stormwater management permit and any DOT driveway or traffic approvals if triggered by the state review.

Votes at a glance: Approval — Subdivision application by AL Properties Incorporated for 201 Waterville Road (36 mobile‑home lots, six RV sites). Motion: approve with staff recommendations related to dry hydrant. Moved by: board member (name not specified). Seconded by: Michelle (board member). Outcome: approved (hand vote; counts not specified).