Planning board finds Sanborn Seminary project has no regional impact

The Kingston Planning Board voted to find that the proposed Sanborn Seminary LLC development at 178 Main Street (Map R34, Lot 17) does not constitute a development of regional impact after reviewing the standard six-factor test used for DRI determinations.

The finding matters because projects with regional impact require mailed notification to abutting communities and potentially broader review; the board determined this project’s scale and location do not meet that threshold.

Town staff and board members discussed the development’s size (13 single-family units and 12 apartment condominiums, for a total of 25 units), proximity to the town border (the site is in the town center, not near municipal boundaries), transportation impacts (not expected to affect regional network), potential emissions (lighting and noise regulated through site-plan review), proximity to aquifers/surface waters (system uses normal septic; DES review required), and shared facilities such as schools. Glenn Greenwood, town planner, explained that because Kingston and Newton share a school district the board would send a courtesy notice to the district superintendent even though the project does not trigger formal regional-notification requirements.

After the discussion Peter Coffin moved and Ellie Alessio seconded a motion to determine the project is without regional impact; the board voted unanimously in favor.

The board’s decision does not change the local site-plan review process or local permitting requirements; it only declines formal regional-notification procedures under the DRI framework. Staff will send a courtesy advisory to the Newton-Kingston school district superintendent as a follow-up step.