Advisory committee favors short-side‑to‑street orientation for proposed Mutton Road highway building, sets permit and budget steps

The Highway Building Advisory Committee completed a site walk of the proposed Mutton Road building on July 30 and selected a preferred orientation: the committee agreed the building’s short side should face the street with equipment bay doors on the south side to allow truck access and maximize sun exposure for potential future solar panels, Chair Jim Hoyt said.

The decision followed a 6:00 p.m. site inspection during which members discussed driveway placements, sunlight and whether the septic could be driven over if constructed to withstand vehicle loads. Kevin O’Neil said orienting the longer side toward the sun would “allow for future solar panels to be added,” and Hoyt measured the back corner stake roughly 80 feet from the northern property line. Bill MacDuffie Sr. noted a 50-foot setback typically applies to commercial properties.

Why it matters: Committee members framed the next 12 months as a permitting and design phase rather than a construction phase. Members agreed to focus 2026 Town Meeting requests on site access and electrical service rather than asking voters immediately for a construction bond, and to divide work into phases so voters see concrete near-term requests rather than a single, large bond proposal.

At the committee’s 7:00 p.m. meeting at Academy Hall, members approved the June 11, 2025 minutes by motion. Brett Walker moved to approve the minutes and Chair Hoyt seconded; the minutes record the motion passed unopposed but do not include a roll-call tally. Walker later moved to adjourn at 7:52 p.m.; Hoyt seconded and the meeting adjourned.

Permits and schedule: William (Bill) MacDuffie Jr. said the first regulatory step will be obtaining a driveway permit from DES to cross the brook and to resolve whether the brook area qualifies as wetlands; Hoyt said he would consult Cheryl Bentley about the permitting process. MacDuffie Jr. cautioned that DES review could take a year or more. The committee listed immediate tasks for 2025 as securing a driveway permit, a wetlands determination/permit if required, and estimating electricity costs for the site.

Budget and design approach: Walker said the committee currently has about $10,000 set aside for initial work and estimated a draft plan could be produced for roughly $5,500, while warning that revisions would add costs. Members debated hiring an architect versus using a drafter; they tentatively favored limited upfront spending on plans sufficient to request specific appropriations at the 2026 Town Meeting and allow phasing of the overall project.

Project management and outreach: Sarah MacDuffie asked whether a project manager would be recommended; Hoyt said the Selectboard would act in that role. The committee discussed improving meeting advertising to increase resident participation in the process.

Next steps: MacDuffie Jr. will investigate septic design needs and topography requirements and will contact Cheryl Bentley about wetlands permitting and pricing; Hoyt will obtain drafter pricing and check with Town Administrator April Rollins about budget availability. The committee’s next meeting is scheduled for Aug. 13, 2025, at 7 p.m. at Academy Hall.

The minutes were signed by Municipal Assistant Samantha Wasil and later approved at the Aug. 13, 2025 HBAC meeting.