ANDOVER – A representative of the corporation intent on creating a huge subdivision near the famed Appalachian Trail argued with planners Tuesday night over a requirement that a steep logging road meet town standards.
The Planning Board stood its ground on Gardner Brook Road, which traverses three of nine lots proposed on the 5,398-acre parcel in the southwestern area of town.
MaineVest LLC, a corporation registered in Goffstown, N.H., bought the property from International Paper and is proposing to carve out lots ranging from 500 to 855 acres. They are already being listed at prices ranging from several hundred thousand dollars to almost $4 million, according to Northern Acres of New Hampshire, the exclusive marketer. Its Web page suggests the land could be used for private estates, residential developments, country clubs and RV parks.
The property is bounded by Route 5, Lone, Long, Puzzle and Little Puzzle mountains, with Gardner Brook running through it.
Project engineer Tom DuBois of Main-Land Development in Livermore Falls did most of the talking for client MaineVest LLC on Tuesday.
DuBois worked through a list of concerns planners had with the project to learn what they needed to do for planners to find the subdivision application complete.
At one point, when discussion bogged down over road maintenance issues, DuBois said MaineVest was “not doing anything to upgrade” the existing road.
Planners refused to back down, saying the road has serious erosion issues from “totally clogged” culverts, and needed to be addressed by MaineVest.
“In my opinion, I don’t see why we should back off from having the project meet Andover’s road standards ordinance,” board Chairman Leon Akers said.
“Down the road, if we don’t do this up front, the Town of Andover will be stuck with major problems,” he added.
DuBois countered, saying, “It doesn’t make sense to do a nine-lot subdivision and meet the road ordinance. We would just withdraw this application and come back with something bigger.”
Jim Powers of MaineVest and Northern Acres said they intend to restrict further subdivision unless or until those buying the lots go before the Planning Board with a plan to meet Andover’s road standard ordinance.
“I know the future holds something else, but we’re not the future. We’re today,” Powers said.
“We want to work with Andover, and protect fishing, hunting and camping there – the whole nine yards. But, if we go into a bigger subdivision or sell the whole piece, we can’t do that,” he added.
Akers refused to budge.
“It would be very difficult to build a road into there to meet our standards,” he said.
When Akers explained that Maine law allows lots to be subdivided after five years, Powers said MaineVest would restrict further subdivision in the deed, until the road was brought to standard.
That was when Fergus Lea of Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments stepped in. Akers said that prior to the meeting, the board asked Lea to be present, and they looked to him for advice when matters got touchy.
“Saying there can be no further subdivision, doesn’t mean there will be no further developer,” Lea said.
“You have made some promises, but it doesn’t appear to have substance. It doesn’t provide anything on development. Someone could build an oil refinery or nuclear power plant in there,” he added.
“That deed power trumps every five-year split,” Powers countered.
He then said that because MaineVest owns the property, it can control public access rights like hunting, fishing and camping.
“If someone buys some or the whole lot, the deal’s off. We’re trying to work in concert with the town,” Powers added.
He later clarified it, saying that only Andover residents would have access to the land, not the general public.
“It’s our intent to have the town of Andover enjoy that property like it always has,” Powers said.
Later, Powers apologized for Northern Acres’ premature marketing of the nine-lot subdivision on its Web site even though planners had yet to approve it.
“We were under the impression that we could just plan and submit it, and that would be that,” Powers said.
The company Web site now mentions that the project is subject to town approval.
The Planning Board meeting was moved from the town office to the town hall when 15 people showed up.
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