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Jefferson boards weigh phased approval for large Waumbek project
Summary
Select Board members said the Planning Board will consider approving the Waumbek Partners project in phases to manage the review; town officials also raised a right-of-way question for Hicks Field and approved a related building permit for Waumbek Partners.
Select Board Chair Terri Larcomb and members discussed the Waumbek Partners development during their July 29 meeting, with Planning Board guidance and legal input shaping how the town will review the proposal. The Planning Board recently met with the town attorney and is considering approving the Waumbek project in phases rather than granting a single blanket approval to make the review more manageable.
Why it matters: The Waumbek Partners project is described at the meeting as an unusually large proposal for the town; phasing approvals would let town boards evaluate discrete elements and reduce the administrative burden of a single comprehensive approval.
At the meeting, Selectman Kevin Meehan said it was “good to have the town’s attorney at the last meeting” given the size of the project and that the Planning Board is weighing whether to approve the whole plan at once or split it into phases. Chair Terri Larcomb said she expects the town attorney to advise the Planning Board but expressed concern about the attorney attending meetings that are specifically about the Waumbek project. Selectman Norman Brown said he contacted New Hampshire Municipal Association (NHMA) legal services on a separate access question for the project involving Hicks Field and asked staff to pull past Select Board minutes to clarify any existing town records on the right-of-way.
The board also reviewed and signed a building permit for Waumbek Partners LLC to construct a bathroom with an above-ground holding tank at 28 Waumbek Road; the motion to approve the permit passed unanimously.
What happens next: The Planning Board will continue its review and is expected to decide whether to pursue a phased approval process. The Select Board instructed staff to retrieve deeds and minutes relevant to the Hicks Field right-of-way to clarify access questions before any action that depends on that access.
Meeting context: The discussion appeared during routine Planning Board and other-business agenda items; the Select Board did not vote on the larger project itself at this meeting. The board’s next regular meeting is scheduled for Aug. 12, 2024.
