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Board conditionally approves 50% road-bond reduction for Sea Spray Estates
Summary
The Portsmouth Planning Board granted a conditional 50% reduction of a $475,210 road bond for the Sea Spray Estates subdivision — to $237,605 — contingent on completing specific September 27 inspection items, installing monuments and providing an engineer's letter within a two-month timeline, after which the town planner may administratively approve the reduction.
The Portsmouth Planning Board voted Oct. 10, 2024 to permit a conditional 50% reduction in the road bond for Gregorio Corporation’s Sea Spray Estates subdivision, cutting the bond from $475,210 to $237,605 provided the developer completes specified corrective items and submits confirmation from the engineer of record.
Anthony DeRigorio, representing the developer, asked the board for leniency and said many final improvements depend on homeowners completing their houses. He told the board that several items recorded in a Sept. 27 inspection — including cleaning drainage structures, locating and installing monuments and addressing riprap/spillway maintenance — could be completed by his crew within roughly two months. ‘‘If I were to do all these, I would be asking for 100% of the bond to be reduced,’’ DeRigorio said, explaining why a staged reduction was being requested.
Board members and staff agreed the road-top and structure-raising work could wait until final construction, but they pressed for a firm timeline and conditions before reducing the bond. The board’s motion required the developer to (1) clean all drainage structures noted in the Sept. 27 inspection, (2) install survey monuments or provide a survey timeline, (3) obtain a letter from the engineer of record confirming drainage systems have been installed and are functioning properly, and (4) complete the four additional items listed in the inspection. Once the developer provided evidence of completion, the town planner would have the authority to administratively approve the 50% reduction.
The board moved and approved the conditionally structured reduction by voice vote. The minutes show the board discussed flexibility on exact timing for monuments because surveyors can be booked, and that the town planner would monitor compliance and administration of the approval. The motion and conditions were framed as a compromise to protect the town while allowing the developer to make near-term progress on-site.
The board did not record a roll-call tally in the meeting minutes; the motion was approved by voice vote. The reduction is subject to follow-up inspections and submission of the required engineer letter before the reduction becomes effective.
