The Peterborough Planning Board voted unanimously to rescind the original phasing requirements for the Woodman’s Place Condos, a 16-unit development on Concord Street.
The original phasing plan from 2018 required the developer to build and complete the project in four phases, staggering the sales and occupancy of the units.
At a Monday hearing with the Planning Board, Scott Bonenfant of Gateway Homes asked the board to rescind the original phasing requirements on the grounds that the plan is “no longer necessary.”
“Removing the phasing requirement will allow for more efficient marketing and closing of the units, which will benefit the developer, prospective homeowners, and the community in general,” Bonenfant said. “We don’t want to hold buyers back when these units are substantially complete. They are landscaped and ready to go.”
Bonenfant said that due to the added construction of the extensive retaining wall behind the development, units were built in a different order than originally planned, which does not synchronize with the 2018 phasing plan.
“We had to do the utilities all at once. It does not make sense when you’re bringing in water and electricity to not do all of it,” he said. “We have run into some challenges along the way that changed the way we had to get this done, and the original phasing doesn’t make sense. We have actually passed through most of the phasing steps already as we went through the development process.”
Board member Stephanie Hurley, who was on the Planning Board when the Woodman’s Place project was first approved, said the phasing was developed as a way to “ensure the population did not grow at a rate that was too fast for the town.”
“That was back in 2018, so now we’re seven years past that,” Hurley said. “As long as it is comfortable for people to be living in this development while construction is still being completed, I have no problem with it.”
Bonenfant said it is not unusual for residents to move into new construction while other units in the development are still being completed.
The change will enable Gateway Homes to start closing on units with buyers.
Bonenfant clarified that rescinding the phasing will not “change the density, design, or the layout in any way of this development.”
He said Gateway had received permission for all changes from the town as the project progressed.
“Some of the units which are already substantially completed are actually in Phase 4 according to the original plan,” he said.
Bonenfant also said Gateway was not the original developer at the site, and that he “would have done things differently.”
“Logistically, there were just some things we couldn’t do according to the original plan,” he said. “It makes sense to get the units that are substantially completed done and sold.”
Bonenfant said the only outstanding projects with the mostly completed units were some drainage and landscaping.
Planning Board member Gary Gorksi spoke in support of rescinding the phasing.
“I think everyone would like to see this project done. I see no reason why we would not do this,” he said.