Developer urges tailored setbacks and screening for 1,400‑acre Tilton project

During the workshop the Presenter said the project footprint and local context require a "custom approach" to setbacks, arguing that a uniform 1,800‑foot buffer would be "overly excessive" and could effectively exclude participating landowners. The presenter repeated that parts of the site border the interstate or have no adjacent homes, while other edges have non‑participating homeowners with vegetation that already screens views.

The Presenter described design choices—shifting panels to maximize setbacks near non‑participating homes, using extra vegetation inside fence lines for pollinator habitat and to screen visibility, and entering setback terms into landowner leases where homeowners participate. Committee members pushed on maintenance responsibilities for wood versus chain‑link fences, wind‑load implications for opaque screens, and who would be responsible for long‑term landscaping upkeep.

"We do intend to design the project with extended setbacks, especially around our non participating homes," the Presenter said, noting examples in which municipal codes used considerably shorter setbacks. The committee requested more precise mapping that shows where large buffers would be necessary and alternatives where local vegetation or landowner agreements could achieve the same protections.