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Owner asks town to accept Shakurwa View Heights roads; board says engineer review and town vote required
Summary
A letter from property owner Jonathan Penny requested town acceptance of Majestic View and Burton Circle in Shakurwa View Heights; the planning board said the roads need a town-engineer site assessment and that costs and a warrant-article vote would likely be required before the town accepts the roads.
Chair Sean Wadsworth read a letter from property owner Jonathan Penny asking the town to accept Majestic View and Burton Circle in the Shakurwa View Heights subdivision as public ways. "I own the 10 lot subdivision known as Shakurra View Heights off Draco Road," Wadsworth read from the letter, which also said seven of the 10 lots are sold and one sale is in process.
The letter cited the original developer’s easement language, stating the developer would "use his best effort to have the town of Albany, New Hampshire accept Shakuraw View Heights Road as a public way" and describing options if the town will not accept portions of the road.
Curtis Coleman, speaking as the town’s road agent, described the current condition: the gravel base and an initial base coat of pavement are in place but the top coat and some drainage work remain unfinished. "They've completed 80% of the work on the road," Coleman said, and he recommended the town engineer review the approved plans and perform a site visit to determine what remains to meet town specifications.
Board members agreed the cost of an engineer’s assessment would be the responsibility of the property owner or developer. The board also explained that formal acceptance of a road typically requires that construction meet town specifications and be presented to voters at a town meeting as a warrant article.
Board members noted Burr Phillips was the town engineer at the time of construction and suggested reaching out to him and searching archives or the registry of deeds for the approved plans to speed review.
Practical recording steps were clarified: the chair said the mylar is the signed plan that the registry records; the board requested a photo of the recording receipt for their files once the owner submits the mylar and required fee.
The board did not commit to accepting the roads at the meeting; instead it outlined the review steps and likely need for owner-funded engineering and a town vote.
