Claremont Planning Board Meeting - October 10, 2025
Claremont Planning Board Meeting - October 10, 2025
The Planning Board of Claremont, New Hampshire, met on October 10, 2025, at 6:32 PM. The meeting covered the approval of previous minutes, a minor subdivision application, a nomination for an EPA grant steering committee, and a discussion of priorities for the Washington Street twin culverts replacement project.
Consent Calendar
- The minutes of the August 25, 2025 meeting were approved by voice vote.
- Application PL 2025-0001 was withdrawn per the applicant's request and will proceed under RSA 674:39 AA; no board action needed.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No members of the public spoke during the designated public hearing period for the minor subdivision application.
Discussion Items
- Minor Subdivision Application PL 2025-00012 (Norm St. Alban, 130 Old Newport Road): The applicant proposed to subdivide a 136-acre lot (Tax Map 123, Lot 8) into four lots. Approximately 60% of the lot lies in the R2 district, with the remainder in the Agricultural Residential district. The property features three cleared areas, a gravel pit, small streams, and a roughly north-south bisecting stream. The applicant's representative, Palak Nabrowski, noted that all three new lots exceed 11 acres and have suitable soils (well-drained) for septic systems, though test pits would still be required at time of construction. The board considered four waiver requests: waiver of the preliminary layout phase (per Section 4.10), waiver of boundary survey for the entire parcel, waiver of utility and drainage plans, and waiver of the sewage disposal design plan. All waivers were granted unanimously. The board then found the application complete and approved it with six conditions, including substantial conformance with submitted plans, receipt of necessary permits, and recording within six months. The vote was unanimous.
- EPA Multi-Purpose Grant Steering Committee Representative: The board discussed the need for a representative to serve on a steering committee meeting monthly on the first Wednesday at 5:30 PM at the visitor center. Michael Sandboy volunteered and was nominated based on his master's degree in environmental science and experience with EPA reports. The nomination was seconded and approved by voice vote.
- Washington Street Twin Culverts Replacement: A letter from Jonathan Nero of Beta Group requested the board's input on mitigation priorities for the replacement project of twin 5-foot diameter culverts carrying Grandy Brook under Washington Street. Staff provided an overhead map and Google Street view. Board members raised concerns about the water supply intake downstream (providing 30% of the city's drinking water), potential pollution from the demolished house, drainage from Walmart parking lot, flood flow capacity, invasive species, and coordination with the water department. The board directed staff to draft a letter incorporating these priorities for review at the next meeting.
Key Outcomes
- Approved: Minutes of August 25, 2025.
- Granted Waivers and Approved Subdivision: Application PL 2025-00012 approved unanimously with conditions.
- Nominated: Michael Sandboy as the planning board representative for the EPA multi-purpose grant steering committee (to be forwarded to city council for final approval).
- Directed Staff: To prepare a letter to Beta Group regarding mitigation priorities for the Washington Street culverts, to be discussed at the next meeting.
- Adjourned: Motion passed to adjourn.
Meeting Transcript
So is that the only thing in that building right now? All right. Yeah, welcome to uh the planning board meeting. Monday, October 13th, 2025. Can I have a rule call, please? Here? Jonathan Nelson? Yeah. G. Michael Sandboy. Here. Richard Rowley. Here. Yeah. Yes, here. All right. And move on to review of the minutes for previous meeting. August 25th, 2025. Do I have uh second? I'll second it. Any discussion? All those in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. And the minutes pass. And on to uh new business and public hearing. Uh PL 2025 000 1. Oh, do we have uh is there that's not so this application will be withdrawn at that request has come in um and it will be going through a process as set forth in RSA 674 39 AA. Um so no action needed by the planning board. All right, and then uh on the second one, is the applicant supposed to be here tonight or believe we have the representative of the hey you doing? Sorry. Almost got away with it. Yep. I just didn't want to start reading it. All right, uh PL 2025 000 12 Norm St. Alban 130 Old Newport Road application for a minor subdivision of a hundred and thirty-six acre lot on old Newport Road into four lots, tax map 123, la zone district R2 and AR. What do you have? Nine this is a one thirty-six acre lot which has a large amount of frontage on both old Newport Road and East Green Mountain Road. Approximately 60% of the lot is in the RR2 district, including all areas with road front. The rest of the lot concentrated in the northern half is in the agricultural residential district. The topography and features of the lot are visible on the maps provided by the applicant. Trees cover a large portion of the lot. There are three major cleared areas in a gravel pit. There are also several small streams on the property, including one that roughly bisects the property running north to south. The applicant is proposing to subdivide this property into four total prop parcels, creating three new lots out of 42.31 total acres in the northern portion. City staff worked with the applicant in the early stages of this project and can have confirmed that each proposed lot conforms with planning and zoning requirements, including those regarding frontage, lot dimensions, buildable area, and environmental concerns. The subdivision conforms to the definition of a minor subdivision, which shall mean the division of land constituting a subdivision into four or fewer lots, sites of other or other division of land, and which shall require no new streets, the construction or extension of municipal utilities or the construction of other municipal improvements, such as sidewalks, storm sewers, curves, and gutters. Pursuant to section 4.10 of the subdivision regulations, the board may waive compliance with the survey and preliminary way layout phases. Submission procedure and documents for minor subdivision shall be as required for any final plat in sections 3.04, 3.05, 3.06, and 4.09 of these regulations. The submitted documents and this public hearing comply with the above requirements.
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