In brief: Planning Board issues three decisions

Westminster Estates

The Planning Board wrapped up their year during their meeting on Monday, April 23, by issuing three decisions, including an approval of a plan for 141 houses along Bean Porridge Hill Road.

The board issued the conditional approval of Westminster Estates, a cluster subdivision proposed to run alongside the Woods at Westminster Golf Course. The cluster subdivision will be comprised of five roads within the approximately 304 acres of the existing golf course and the land around it.

According to the decision, some of the holes on the course and the driving range may have to be relocated to preserve open space requirements in the plans.

The board will require the developers, the Barkus family, to get approval on adequate water supplies - for both drinking and fire protection - and waste water disposals plans before the construction of the homes can begin.

The board also listed a number of conditions on the open space including that no trees can be cut for the trails through the woods.

The Barkuses and the Department of Public the decision.

"The changes will help (the currently bad situation)," said Town Planner Alicia Altieri. "Those should be going in as soon as possible."

The board is also requiring Pandiscio to work with the Historical Commission to prepare an archeological survey of the area.

Overlook Estates

The board voted to deny the proposed plan for Overlook Estates, a 38-home cluster development off of Overlook Road.

"They just felt it was creating an unsafe situation on a road with already bad conditions," Altieri said.

The board wrote the conditions on Overlook Road - a mile-long dead-end - already cause a safety concern and the plan adding more homes there would not improve the situation even with mitigation measures. They also said the angle at which the proposed road would intersection with Overlook Road is too dangerous.