Chad Brannon, a civil engineer and principal with Fieldstone Lane Consultants, told the Swansea Planning Board on Nov. 20 that his client, 234 Old Homestead Highway Realty LLC, is seeking to rezone parcels along New Hampshire Route 32 to Residential District to create continuity with adjoining neighborhoods and permit potential extensions of municipal water and sewer.

Brannon said the client owns parcels 21012, 21941, 21942 and 21946, composing roughly 113 acres, and argued the parcels are back-lot properties currently split among Industrial Park, Business and Rural/Agriculture zones. He said switching the land to residence district would reduce minimum lot sizes from a 3-acre standard in rural/ag (with 225-foot frontage) to a 1-acre standard in the residence district (with 150-foot frontage), which could make future subdivision and infrastructure extension more feasible.

Board members pressed Brannon about outreach to other landowners, potential road access and wetlands. Brannon said he had not personally contacted all adjacent owners and that roads were not part of the rezoning application. He described wetlands on the client parcels as limited drainage channels rather than extensive marshland.

Several members expressed caution about capacity limits: police, fire and water services in parts of Swansea (including West Swansea) were cited as constraints that the board should weigh before moving to higher-density zoning. Brannon and others replied that rezoning is a planning step and that detailed site plans, infrastructure analysis and impact fees would follow before any subdivision or construction.

Michael York moved and Brandon Self seconded a recommendation to advance a warrant article to rezone the area; the board approved the motion by voice vote and directed staff to post the item for a Dec. 18 public hearing. The board also asked staff to refine the amendment language and notify impacted landowners ahead of the hearing.

The next procedural step is the Dec. 18 public hearing, when residents and owners will be able to comment on the precise amendment language and any refinements staff places on the warrant article.