Planning Board Meeting

DURHAM PLANNING BOARD

Wednesday, August 13, 2025

Town Council Chambers, Durham Town Hall

7:00 p.m.

AGENDA

I.         Call to Order

II.        Roll Call and Seating of Alternates

III.       Approval of Agenda

IV.       Town Planner’s Report

V.        Reports from Board Members who serve on Other Committees

VI.       Public Comments

VII.      Review of Minutes (old):

VIII.    Mill Plaza – Modification to approved façade design.  5 Mill Road.  Modification to the approved façade design for the rear building.  Torrington Properties, c/o Pete Doucet and Matt Morgan, property owner.  Jeff Gannon c/o PCA, Inc., architect.  Gregg Mikolaites, agent.  Central Business District.  Map 109, Lot 3.  Recommended action:  Final action.

IX.       Public Hearing - 35 Madbury Road – Drive Reconfiguration.  Site Plan Application to extend driveway behind building, install a new curb cut, convert driveway to one-way pattern, install parking spaces, and make other site changes.  Conditional use application to convert an existing room to a bedroom to accommodate one more resident.  Scott Drapeau, c/o DWS 35 LLC, property owner.  Paige Libbey, Jones & Beach, engineer.  Professional Office Zone.  Map 106, Lot 19.  Recommended action:  Final action

X.        Riverwoods – Phase II.  Stone Quarry Drive.  Site plan application for development on the northerly side of Stone Quarry Drive including two senior housing buildings with a total of 55 units, a club house, a maintenance building and associated parking areas, utilities, and other site improvements.  Riverwoods Durham, c/o Natalie Belanger, property owner.  Erik Saari, Altus Engineering, Engineer.  Chris Boldt, DTC Lawyers, Attorney.  Office Research District.  Map 209, Lot 33.   Recommended action:   Accept as complete and set hearing for August 27.

XI.       New State Laws.  Overview of recently adopted state laws affecting land use and required changes to the zoning ordinance.  Recommended action:   Staff will prepare draft amendments for September 10.

XII.      Other Business

• Discussion about 2026 Planning Board budget

XIII.    Review of Minutes:  July 9, 2025;  July 23, 2025; and July 30, 2025

XIV.    Adjournment                                                                                                         

*ZOOM ACCESS

The Town of Durham offers access to meetings with Zoom and Durham Cable Access Television (DCAT) as a convenience to the public. Zoom is generally reliable for watching meetings and offering comments when allowed.  However, due to factors outside our control, occasionally access on Zoom does not work well.  We cannot guarantee that Zoom will always be available seamlessly and suggest that people who want to ensure being able to watch and participate attend the meeting in person.

To access any LIVE Zoom Public Meeting, you must be Registered.  This link will take you to the registration page: https://www.ci.durham.nh.us/boc_dcatgovernance/zoom-video-meeting-schedule.   If you have difficulty logging in, contact DCAT: 603-590-1383.

*OTHER INFORMATION

1)      Public hearings and public comments.  The public is welcome to speak at all public hearings and during the Public Comments time.  Comments on all matters, except those for which a public hearing is on the agenda, should be made during the Public Comments time (including comments on agenda items this evening).  The public may speak and submit written/email comments on any germane subject except active matters where the public hearing has been closed.   When a public hearing will be held soon for a specific item board may require that comments be made at the hearing.

2)      Submission of comments in writing.  Send emails and letters to Michael Behrendt, Town Planner, at mbehrendt@ci.durham.nh.us or at the address above. Substantive comments about current board matters, except where the public hearing is closed, will be a) emailed to the board;  b) mailed to the board if received by the Thursday before the meeting or given to members at the meeting if received later; and c) posted on the Town’s website.

Any email, letter, or document that is pertinent to a decision which the Planning Board is expected to make at the upcoming Wednesday meeting, must be received in the Planning Office by the prior Monday at 5:00 p.m. or the board will consider the material only at its discretion (This limitation does not apply to comments made at the public hearing).

3)      Other information.  Files on the agenda items above are available for review on the Town website https://www.ci.durham.nh.us/.  Agendas marked as “Preliminary Agenda,” are subject to change.  The final agenda will be posted on the Town’s website on the Friday prior to the meeting. To see background documents related to specific agenda items, see the agenda on the website and click on any green highlighted items.

4)      Contacting us.   Call (603) 868-8064 or email Michael Behrendt, above, or Tracey Cutler, Administrative Assistant, at tcutler@ci.durham.nh.us.

5)      Recommended actions.   Actions recommended by the Town Planner are shown above.  The board may or may not take these actions and may take other actions not stated.

6)      10:00 pm.  The board will take up a new item of business after 10:00 pm at its discretion.

7)      Communication aids.  Please provide the Town with 48-hours’ notice if any aids are needed.

8)      Next meeting.  The next regular board meeting will be on August 27, 2025.