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Hampstead Planning Board approves two‑lot subdivision of Ordway Park to fund park maintenance
Summary
The Planning Board voted 5-0 on March 2 to approve subdividing part of Ordway Park at 599 Main Street into two building lots, with remaining acreage preserved for the park and oversight provided by the Board of Selectmen as trustees of the Martha Ordway Fund.
The Hampstead Planning Board voted 5-0 on March 2 to approve a subdivision that will create two road‑frontage residential lots from part of Ordway Park at 599 Main Street while leaving the remainder of the property in park ownership.
Neal McCarthy of Promised Land Survey presented a revised plan addressing the town engineer’s comments and explained the project will break off two conforming road‑frontage lots; the remainder will remain a park. Town engineer Steve Keach reviewed his February 25, 2026, letter and noted a stonewall easement that will require driveway openings; Keach said sight distance for the new driveways will be confirmed through the standard driveway permit process.
Chairman Bob Weimar said the subdivision was instituted to generate funds to maintain Ordway Park in perpetuity. During public comment, David Grant of 595 Main Street asked whether the new lots would be outside the trust area and whether utilities would affect the park; Julia Forbes explained the land is principal of the Ordway trust and that the Board of Selectmen will act as trustees of the Martha Ordway Fund. Forbes also said the applicants have engaged with the New Hampshire Attorney General’s office on the trust conversion.
Following discussion, Member Mike Hanides moved to accept jurisdiction of the subdivision and later moved to approve the subdivision subject to the comments in the KNA letter dated February 25, 2026. Matt Johnson seconded the final approval motion; the board voted 5-0 to approve the subdivision.
The approval includes the board’s requirement that driveway sight distance be addressed at permitting and that the subdivision comply with the town engineer’s comments as noted in the KNA letter. The warrant language (Warrant Article #11) will ask voters to approve the subdivision at the appropriate town vote so that proceeds can be held by the Board of Selectmen as trustees for park maintenance.
The board closed public comment on the item before the vote. No further public objections or conditions were recorded at the meeting.
