Planning board accepts jurisdiction on Sanborn Seminary redevelopment; wetlands, aquifer and gym parking remain unresolved

Kingston Planning Board members on the evening of the hearing accepted jurisdiction and opened a formal review period for an application to redevelop the former Sanborn Seminary property at 178 Main Street, a roughly 12.8-acre parcel that sits in the town's Historic 1 Zone and Aquifer Protection District A. The proposal converts the seminary into 12 studio and one‑bedroom apartments, adds 13 detached condominium-style single-family homes on one lot, and retains the existing Swayze Gymnasium and parking configuration subject to a parking-waiver request.

The application, submitted by Major Sanborn Seminary LLC and presented by Paul (applicant representative) and Brian (project engineer), proposes to keep the parcel as a single lot with limited common areas for each dwelling type, construct a small parking lot for the seminary building (two spaces per apartment), and provide private wells and individual septic systems for the dwellings. Paul said the developer "believe[s] we have" a feasible project after several years of design iteration, inflationary pressures and coordination with the Historic District Commission (HDC). The HDC has approved the design direction for the seminary and for four of the street-facing homes, the applicant said.

Why it matters: the site is in both a historic district and an aquifer-protection zone and contains wetlands and a vernal pool. Town staff and outside reviewers identified multiple technical and regulatory issues that could affect siting, septic and stormwater design, and overall feasibility. The Planning Board moved to send the developer's hydrogeologic study for peer review, requested legal review of condominium documents (including whether the condominium plan constitutes a…