The Brookfield Town Planning Board agreed to send a formal letter to Moose Mountain requesting additional site-plan details and set a public hearing for Jan. 27 at 7:00 p.m., after members disputed whether existing rules required a hearing within 60 days or 65 days of accepting an application as complete.

The decision came after an extended public comment from the applicant’s representative (Speaker 5), who complained that changing meeting times and repeated requests for information have delayed operations and cost the business revenue. “This is getting absolutely ridiculous,” Speaker 5 said, adding that the business had lost multiple weddings and events while awaiting the board’s actions.

Why it matters: the board’s interpretation of internal rules and the site-plan regulations determines statutory timelines for hearings and formal action; delays affect Moose Mountain’s ability to market and book events and may require the town to add procedural clarity for future applicants.

Board discussion and outcome
Chair (Speaker 4) and several members debated whether the site-plan submission had been properly accepted as complete and whether the 60-day site-plan-review regulation or the board’s 65-day rule of procedure governed the timetable to hold a hearing. To ensure the board met procedural obligations while clarifying the discrepancy with the town attorney, members approved sending a letter that lists outstanding materials and informs the applicant of the hearing date. The chair said the office would prepare and mail the letter to the applicant and abutters.

The board also agreed that it could open the public hearing and continue it if necessary to allow for additional materials to be submitted and for any required zoning-board action to occur first. Speaker 8 recommended adding the scheduled hearing date to the letter so the applicant and the public would know the timeline while the applicant pursues any zoning relief.

Applicant’s concerns
The applicant’s representative repeatedly argued that the board had given shifting signals about what level of detail was required before a hearing and that the process had interrupted business operations. The representative told the board they had prepared a 32-paragraph site-plan narrative and that, because of the delay, “I’ve lost 4 weddings because I can’t have outdoor alcohol,” estimating those events at roughly $15,000 each. The representative said neighbors and frequent customers would attend the hearing and urged the board to schedule it promptly.

Next steps
The board directed staff to send the applicant a letter that (1) documents the information needed to move the application forward, (2) states the planned public hearing for Jan. 27 at 7:00 p.m., and (3) notes that any necessary zoning relief should be pursued with the Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) in advance of or concurrent with the public hearing. The letter will be mailed to the applicant and abutters; notice requirements discussed by the board included at least 10 days’ public notice before a hearing date. The board said it may open the hearing on Jan. 27 and continue it to a later date if outstanding items remain.

The planning-board office is responsible for sending the letter and posting the hearing notice; the applicant may contact the ZBA to seek zoning relief before the hearing.