NEW GLOUCESTER – An eight-lot subdivision on the private portion of Ethel Sawyer Road was approved by the Planning Board on Tuesday with eight conditions.

The decision came after a public hearing that drew comments from neighbors.

Dennis Waterman’s proposal to divide 40 acres was made in July 2005.

The conditions that the board set include to:

• record a deed with the Royal River Conservation Trust for land in the riparian zone of the Royal River by Nov. 1;

• provide a visual phasing plan with a letter of credit to the town manager, who is the town’s road commissioner;

• have a letter of credit approved by the town manager as a surety bond for the project;.

• have the home owners agreement and road maintenance agreement recorded at the Registry of Deeds with the approved plan;

• maintain a 25-foot buffer on the property line for two proposed lots;

• construct an underground cistern with a dry hydrant hook-up and show it on the plan;

• note on the plan that the road is private and not built to town road standards; and

• notify abutters within 10 days of installation of the utility line extension.

Neighbors spoke about concerns for increasing traffic and safety. And, the private road maintenance and road owners agreements with lot owners has been problematic with some members failing to pay their share.

The private portion of the road climbs a steep hill that often washes out and carries silt and storm water that could impact the Royal River.

Patrick Keliher of Sawyer Road talked about protecting access to the Royal River for hikers, fishermen along traditional access points. He also spoke in favor of protecting the river from silt runoff through storm water that carries phosphorus into the river.

“Best management practices are not used. The road is not crowned. Sediments in the river are very bad,” he said.

Don Belanger owns abutting property to the subdivision.

He questioned the private road meeting the town’s 10 percent slope requirement, which the board said was an approval in a previous three-lot project by Waterman.

Waterman said, “The hill has been something of a problem. I agreed informally with the road association president that we would upgrade and grade the road and make improvements. We are conscientious to that fact.”

The private road starts at the end of a public road.

A letter from abutter Sebastian Sinclair said the increase of eight lots impacts the area, bringing the number of homes to 24. He said the increase in traffic on a dead-end road worries him without a second egress.

Tom Jannarone, who lives in an abutting subdivision, said, “Private roads rightfully should be a thing of the past.” He said the agreements with road association members can be difficult in many cases.

Underground concrete cisterns will store 30,000 gallons of water for fire suppression.

In other business, the board continued reviews of Village Missions, an eight-lot mobile home park on Bald Hill Road. No action was taken.

The board said a peer review is required to assure that adjacent landowners’ water supplies are not harmed by new wells located for eight dwellings on six acres of land.

The project will serve retired clergy who will rent lots.

Rules for how the mobile home park will be managed were provided to the board for review.

The board grappled with information on the volume of water that will be found on the site for the future homeowners.

The town does not have public water or sewer systems.

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