Sanbornton planning board advances subdivision regulation amendments, sets public hearing

The Sanbornton Planning Board on April 2 voted to advance draft subdivision regulation amendments for a future public hearing, contingent on a minor correction to an illustrative image. The board also recommended a companion fee schedule to the town selectboard.

The move came during discussion of Land Conservation Areas (LCA), where Selectman Representative Brandon Deacon said he would correct the labeling on an image representing a parent lot. Board member Will Ellis asked that contour-line requirements be changed from 5-foot intervals back to 20-foot intervals except in highly developed areas. Tom Lynch made the motion to consider the draft regulations complete enough to proceed to a public hearing; Chairman Andy Sanborn seconded. The motion passed 5-0-0.

The board separately reviewed proposed fees that would accompany the regulation changes: a $50 fee for an amended plan and a $10 fee for an abutter notice. Andy Sanborn moved to recommend the fee schedule, including those amounts, to the selectboard; Tom Lynch seconded and the motion passed 5-0-0. The planning board noted that recommendation of fees does not itself set town fees — that authority lies with the selectboard as reflected elsewhere in the meeting record.

Why it matters: Subdivision regulations and related fees guide how new lots are created and managed in town, affecting developers, landowners and abutters. The contour-interval discussion concerns how topographic detail will be shown on future plats; changing intervals from 5 feet to 20 feet would reduce map detail in less-developed areas while preserving finer detail in developed locations.

Next steps: The board advanced the draft to a public hearing and directed the listed image correction. The selectboard will receive the fee recommendation and may act separately on fees before they become effective.