FARMINGTON – Members of the Planning Board voted Monday night to approve a site application for a part of a subdivision on Osborne Road. They also accepted plans to eventually relocate the Farmington Ford dealership.

This was the third time that applicant Scott Dillon, who wants to subdivide the land on top of Osborne Road, has come before board members. Scott and his brother Thomas have proposed two large subdivisions, East Grand View Estates and West Grand View Estates, off of Osborne Road. The proposal is the largest subdivision proposal that has come before the town in several decades.

Instead of focusing on the project as a whole, Dillon chose to present his plans for the western portion of the estates. The subdivision would include 10 proposed lots ranging from two to 16 acres.

Board members found few new problem areas, but still managed to stick to their original debate over the loss of prime farmland. With several new covenants added to the subdivision application, a new concern for the board was that the intended lots would be for specific clientele, not necessarily accommodating future farmers.

Also plaguing the board was the question of sufficient water flow for the intended lots.

After discussion over the reasonable evidence that there is enough water, and the expressed concern that new subdivisions would clash with the agricultural needs of the town, members approved the application. They plan to review the eastern estate application at a later date.

With the approval of the project, Dillon also plans on covering at least one-third the cost of improvements to the intersection on Bailey Hill and Osborne Road, with his contribution not to exceed $30,000.

Also on the agenda was the proposal by Farmington Ford to relocate the dealership to a piece of land on Route 2. Since the last meeting, few changes were made to the plans, but Darryl Brown, a representative for the dealership pointed out that the entrance will be widened from 12 to 18 feet to accommodate excessive traffic flow in the area.

Also the intended retention pond will be moved to a more suitable area, while efforts are also in place for the beautification of the land at the new location.

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