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Kittery Planning Board continues review of expanded Village Green Drive plan after ledge-removal concerns
Summary
The Planning Board continued review of a proposal to add eight units to an 11-unit complex at 9 Village Green Drive after members requested code-enforcement review of proposed ledge excavation and research into prior approvals; the board unanimously voted to continue the application and asked for additional information.
The Kittery Planning Board continued its review of a site plan modification for 9 Village Green Drive on April 23, 2026, after members raised concerns about the proposed scope of ledge excavation and other safety and zoning details.
Erik Saari of Altus Engineering presented updates to the plan for the property (Map 8 Lot 41 A1, Business Local zone), describing numbered parking stalls, snow storage, sidewalk dimensions and peer-review (CMA) notes. The application seeks to add eight dwelling units to an originally approved 11-unit multi-family development and to establish a phasing plan for construction.
Board members focused on whether proposed ledge removal would be ‘‘normal or incidental’’ or would constitute abnormal excavation requiring further review. Members also questioned driveway safety, parking enforcement (including existing "no parking" signage and its enforcement), snow-storage and landscaping plans, and how the project’s construction phasing would manage traffic and public-safety impacts. Patrick Bedard addressed the board to raise excavation concerns and to suggest single-family use as an alternative in the area.
Vice Chair Ethan Bensley moved to deny the site plan modification; Member Earldean Wells seconded that motion, but Bensley later withdrew it. Member Dutch Dunkelberger then moved to continue review so staff could obtain additional information; Member Robert Doyle seconded. The board voted to continue the application, 6-0-0.
The board requested that town code enforcement review the proposed ledge removal, and that staff research prior approvals for Meetinghouse Village and Village Green Drive to clarify historical conditions and limits on excavation. The continuation also asks the applicant to provide clarified details on parking stall lengths, snow storage, landscaping, and any required surveyor stamps.
Next steps: the Planning Board will take up the application again after staff returns with code-enforcement guidance and documentation of prior approvals referenced by the board. No final approvals or denials were recorded at the April 23 meeting.
