Farmington board flags site‑plan draft errors, seeks clearer triggers and fewer paper copies; TRC to review landfill solar

FARMINGTON, N.H. — The Farmington Planning Board on Feb. 18 reviewed draft revisions to the town’s Site Plan Review Regulations and asked planning staff to refine applicability thresholds, reduce hard‑copy submission burdens and clarify when minor reviews are appropriate.

Planning Director Kyle Pimental identified Section 4 (applicability) as the critical element needing board direction. He pointed out a typographical error that cites the same sections for both full and minor review and a placeholder "XX" left in the draft that must be replaced with a numeric threshold for additional dwelling units triggering a minor review. Mr. Pimental said staff intends to narrow which design standards apply to minor reviews (e.g., focusing on stormwater and basic site impacts) while reserving full review for projects with broader design, lighting, utility and snow‑storage standards.

Member Charlie King suggested minor reviews should explicitly exclude projects with significant traffic impacts and used a drive‑through restaurant as an example that should not qualify for a streamlined review. The board also discussed reducing excessive hard‑copy requirements and favored electronic submissions with a limited number of paper sets for staff.

Separately, Mr. Pimental said the Technical Review Committee is scheduled to meet the following week to review a commercial‑scale solar project proposed for the Cardinal landfill site; the project is expected to return to the board at the second March meeting. He also reported other submissions in the pipeline, including a planned design review for an excavation on the Hawkins property, two minor two‑lot subdivisions and an anticipated Farmington Ridge expansion application in spring.

The board asked members to review Section 4 ahead of the March meeting so the draft can move forward with clearer thresholds and streamlined submission requirements.