By Tom Standard,Special to the Sun Journal

CANTON – The Jewett Hill Subdivision won approval from the Planning Board after a public hearing in the Town Hall on Thursday night.

There were no objections from the public or the board. However, at the board meeting after the hearing, there was heated discussion over whether the board had properly followed its rules.

James Peterson proposes to sell three house lots out of his 77 acre, making it a four-lot subdivision. The house lots will range from 1.6 to 3 acres. The subdivision is on Jewett Road near the Canton transfer station.

Board member Richard McCollister questioned whether the board had acted properly at its previous meeting when it waived the waiting periods specified in the subdivision ordinance. He proposed tabling the final approval of the subdivision until the board receives a legal opinion on its right to waive the waiting periods.

“A mistake was made, but the applicant should not be the one to suffer for it,” said Chairman Kathleen Hutchins. She pointed out that this was the first subdivision application that any of the present board members had studied, and they were not as familiar with the subdivision ordinance as they should be. There were no objections to the subdivision from abutters or the public, so they should just learn from their mistake, she said. The board voted to approve the subdivision with three votes for and three abstentions.

In other action, the board elected Hutchins as chairman, McCollister as vice chairman and Sue DeGroot as secretary for the coming year.