Wells planning board grants waiver for Dewey Subdivision, schedules site review

The Town of Wells Planning Board voted unanimously Jan. 12 to receive a pre‑application for the Dewey Subdivision and granted the applicant a waiver to allow a standard‑lot design in place of the ordinance’s typical rural‑zone cluster requirement.

Lynette Dewey, the property owner, presented two concepts for the 91‑acre parcel off Bradenton Road: a cluster plan with roughly 15–16 small lots served by a new 1,100‑foot internal road, or a standard layout of approximately nine conventional lots with frontage on Brackton/Bradenton Road that would avoid building a new paved road and related stormwater infrastructure. Town staff said the ordinance generally requires cluster subdivisions in the rural zone for developments larger than four lots but permits the board to grant a waiver for subdivisions under 20 lots if existing site conditions favor a standard layout.

Board members weighed the tradeoffs: cluster design yields more housing and a single curb cut, while the standard plan would have fewer lots, more individual driveways and fewer septic systems, and less overall disturbance. Several members said conditions could accompany any waiver, including increased setbacks, a no‑cut buffer along the road and shared driveway requirements to limit curb cuts.

One board member moved to approve the waiver for the standard‑lot plan, emphasizing lower impact and fewer new wells and septic systems. The board voted to grant the waiver. The applicant requested more time to finalize sidewalk details tied to the chosen design; the board approved a motion to continue the workshop for 90 days to allow staff, the applicant and the board to conduct a drive‑by site review and return with recommendations.

The board’s next procedural steps are a site visit and a followup meeting to confirm conditions and finalize required plan notes. No final subdivision approval or permits were issued at the Jan. 12 hearing.