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Windham planning board approves final site plan for 5 Enterprise Drive with conditions
Summary
On May 6, 2026, the Windham Planning Board approved a final major site plan and related wetland and woodland permits for a redeveloped coffee shop at 5 Enterprise Drive, imposing six conditions including additional erosion control, WWPD boundary markers, and use of a native pollinator mix instead of lawn.
The Windham Planning Board on May 6 approved a Final Major Site Plan, a Wetland and Watercourse Protection District (WWPD) Special Permit, and a Wooded Protection of Development (WPOD) Special Permit for Case 2026-08, a proposed redevelopment at 5 Enterprise Drive that would replace a previously approved coffee shop.
Karl Dubay of The Dubay Group, representing the applicant Ms. Meseti, told the board the redesigned plan reduces total site impervious area and the work inside the WWPD while keeping parking, seats, usage intensity and septic flows at previously approved levels. “They are trying to comply with the parking, traffic, setback and corporate building requests,” Dubay said, and described updated sign packages and outstanding well and septic sign-offs.
Board members questioned technical details including soil-note language, fertilizer restrictions tied to RSA standards for waterways, seating counts (including outdoor seating), erosion-control measures and WWPD marking. Vice Chair Jack Gattinella pressed to replace the word “should” with “shall” in certain notes; member Derek Monson read relevant standards about fertilization near tributaries and wetlands. Dubay agreed to clarify plan notes and to implement additional erosion-control practices “via the SWIPP protocols.”
The board voted 6-0 to waive Section 704.2.1 (the street-tree requirement) for the site. It then approved the WWPD Special Permit and the WPOD Special Permit by 6-0 votes after staff and the fire department review were discussed. Finally, the board approved the Final Major Site Plan with six conditions by a 4-2 vote; members Derek Monson and Heath Partington opposed the final site-plan approval.
The conditions attached to approval require: 1) submission of additional erosion-control measures and SWIPP documentation to the Community Development Department; 2) addition of WWPD boundary markers on the plans; 3) use of natural vegetation (a dry native pollinator mix) instead of lawn on the building’s north side; 4) installation of an ADA ramp egress to the patio if code requires it; 5) changing “should” to “shall” in the low-phosphorus fertilizer note (Section 3); and 6) compliance with all items in the Keach memo referenced in the file.
Board members also discussed site logistics including shown snow storage, potential removal of some fencing after construction, sidewalk grading, egress from an elevated patio (an architect’s response is pending) and the size of delivery and emergency vehicles the site can accommodate. The fire department and building inspector will review egress and emergency-access concerns before construction proceeds.
The board had earlier voted 5-0-1 to forgo the preliminary hearing for this case (Heath Partington abstained) and then voted 6-0 to open the final hearing. The final-approval vote on the site plan was 4-2, with Monson and Partington recorded as opposed.
Next steps: the applicant must submit the required erosion-control/SWIPP documents and plan revisions reflecting the board’s conditions to Community Development before any building permits are issued.
