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Contractor and residents press Planning Board to tighten post‑approval inspections and require cash bonds
Summary
Contractor Rick Sharon told the Planning Board that approved site features — sidewalks, trees, retention basins — often go unbuilt and urged the board to require stronger post‑approval inspections, escrow uses, and cash bonds for landscaping so certificates of occupancy are not issued before work is completed.
At the June 16 meeting, contractor and longtime resident Rick Sharon appealed to the Planning Board for stronger post‑approval inspections and enforcement to ensure plans are built as approved. "Nobody ever looks at that again," Sharon said, describing projects that received site‑plan approval but never installed required sidewalks, trees or retention areas.
Sharon recommended the board require a site‑closeout sign‑off tied to the certificate of occupancy (CO) and said commercial developers often ignore nonstructural items unless the town holds cash bonds rather than letters of credit. "When it comes to landscaping and trees, if they're not done at occupancy permit, you require a cash bond because a cash bond's going to force them to do the work," Sharon said.
Board members discussed options including clarifying whether the building inspector or planning staff should perform close‑out inspections, circulating CO application lists to planning board members for spot checks, increasing escrow or restoration bond amounts, and allowing designated board members to perform inspections as part of an official process. Joan McKibben, planning board administrator, suggested consulting the new building inspector (Kenneth Dagel was later appointed by the select board) and reviewing whether the town’s escrow and inspection rules allow stronger holdbacks.
Sharon also recommended that yield plans show a viable 4,000‑sq‑ft septic reserve on each lot so that hypothetical buildable lots are realistic; board members tied that point to the earlier public comment on septic reserve area definitions.
Why it matters: Without consistent post‑approval oversight, town approvals can result in incomplete infrastructure, diminished neighborhood character, and potential long‑term maintenance or drainage problems. The board asked staff to consult with the newly appointed building inspector and return with options for inspection sign‑offs, escrow policy changes, and cost implications.
Next step: Staff and the board will discuss whether the building inspector will take responsibility for site close‑outs, whether COs should be routed for planning review or notice, and whether cash bonds should be required for landscaping and other items going forward.
