Kensington zoning board continues hearing on three-home proposal to Sept. 1

The Kensington Zoning Board voted to continue its public hearing on a development application for a parcel on North Haven Road until Sept. 1 to allow legal counsel and other town reviewers more time to clarify whether the proposal requires subdivision approval or a variance.

Chair (speaker 2) opened the deliberation by asking, “Is there any motion to continue this hearing until September?” and later moved the continuance. The motion was seconded and the board agreed to continue the matter; the transcript records an “Aye” on the motion but does not include a full roll-call tally. The chair told residents their written concerns would be carried forward and the matter would return to the board after counsel review and any necessary renotification.

The board said it wants legal guidance because the application was filed as a request for a special exemption for cluster development but several commenters and members said the proposal appears to resemble a subdivision requiring different procedures. The board noted the application did not include a variance request; members said adding a variance later would materially change the application and would likely require re-notification of neighbors.

Next steps the board described include soliciting advice from town counsel, asking the planning/building staff and conservation reviewers to examine access and wetlands questions, and formally renotifying neighbors if the applicant amends the filing to seek a variance or a subdivision path. The hearing record indicates the board will resume the matter at its September meeting.