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Planning board approves Coombs driveway with conditions, declines full paving requirement
Summary
The Francestown Planning Board approved the Coombs driveway application with conditions including a town-engineer-approved hard-pack surface, a Fieldstone restoration/stabilization bond estimate, blown-up entrance plans and culvert profile, and ongoing SWPP inspections; the board voted 5-2 against requiring full paving.
Francestown — The Francestown Planning Board on Jan. 6 approved a driveway application for the Coombs property on Mountain Road with multiple technical conditions after reviewing a third technical report from the town engineer.
Robert Lindgren recused himself for missing prior meetings; alternate Jeff Rider served as the voting alternate. Town Engineer Kevin Leonard submitted a detailed technical review (dated Dec. 31, 2025) that led the board to request several plan corrections and clarifications, including a detailed entrance-improvement image, addition of a culvert at STA 2+60 to the profile, updated pre/post modeling for pond 2P, and corrections to the Tc calculation.
The board debated whether paving should be required for the driveway. The Road Agent and Kevin Leonard recommended paving; applicant Michael Coombs and Fieldstone consultant Chuck Ritchie argued that properly designed gravel with erosion control measures would be adequate. On a motion by Susan Kane, seconded by Jeff Rider, the board voted 5-2 not to require full paving but to require a specified hard-pack surface approved by the town engineer.
Fire Department access was discussed: Chief Kullgren said the emergency turnaround looks adequate but raised questions about the approach; the department indicated it would use the shoulder if necessary. Mr. Ritchie asked for a restoration and stabilization bond (loom and seed) rather than a traditional performance bond; the board directed Fieldstone to provide a restoration/stabilization proposal and cost estimate for review.
After listing conditions precedent (town-engineer-reviewed hard-pack spec, a Fieldstone restoration/stabilization bond estimate approved by the town engineer, blown-up plans for items noted in the technical review and a culvert profile, and corrections requested in the 3rd technical review) and noting that inspections would proceed according to the site-waste pollution plan (SWPP), Gerri Bernstein moved and John Ludlam seconded to approve the driveway application with those conditions. The motion passed unanimously among voting members.
The board also approved amended minutes from Dec. 9, 2025 (motion by Karen Fitzgerald, seconded by Betsy Hardwick) and scheduled upcoming meetings for Jan. 13 (Master Plan Committee) and Jan. 20 (Planning Board). The meeting adjourned at 8:47 p.m.
What happens next: Fieldstone will provide a restoration/stabilization bond estimate and the applicant must submit revised plans addressing the engineer's technical corrections before final construction approvals.
