Making its way back to the Bethlehem Planning Board, a small eight-lot subdivision near Five Rivers State Preserve has yet to get approval because of concerns about having landlocked property donated to the town.
The Planning Board last heard plans to build mini-development next to a state preservation landmark at its April 15 meeting.
Carol Richards is proposing to divide her property off of Fisher Boulevard into seven lots next to the Five Rivers State Preserve. Developers say they want to keep the lots fairly small, so as to keep the density of homes on the property low.
A portion of the property is to be donated to the Open Space Institute, according to Terresa Bakner, who represented Richards at the meeting.
`It’s taken us a while to get here and there are no subdivisions that we are aware of on the history of this property,` Bakner told the board in April. `The land could have been divided into dozens of lots if they wanted to develop it. While the wetlands on the site are in several locations, it in no way inhibits the development.`
The plans call for transferring 24.63 acres from Richards’ property to the Open Space Institute and eventually to the Delmar Wildlife Conservation, which is owned by the state.
Planning Board Chairman Parker Mathusa said there was some confusion over the donated land and that he was looking for adequate access to the property.
`I, maybe, erroneously believed we had another access because it’s important to get to that park,` Mathusa said, calling the property `landlocked.`
Mathusa asked for a 20-foot easement on both sides of a potential access point near one of the proposed lots.
`I want 20 feet on both sides, that’s 40 feet,` Mathusa told Bakner. `I don’t mean to be heavy on this, but I want to be sure.`
Bakner said it was an `oddly shaped parcel,` and that she was unsure if they could give the full 20-foot easement with the current plans.
`If we gave you 20 feet back to here,` she said pointing at a map during the meeting, `I don’t know what it would give up.`
Bakner reminded the board of what the property would be worth to a developer and on behalf of Richards expressed frustration over the delays in approval.
`She’s quite frustrated with the process here, not with the board, but with the process,` Bakner said. `She’s being given $60,000 for 24 acres and she could turn around tomorrow and get $300,000. At some point, you hit a tipping point.`
Concluding, she said, `I will ask her, that is all I can do.`
All seven lots, she said, would be buildable, with the exception of the third lot, which has an existing home on it, according to the plans. One of the lots will be set back from the others, and may be `more desirable` to a potential buyer.
`We’re not putting in any roadways at all, it will just be driveways and accesses,` said Bakner said in April. `We think it’s a good thing. Typically, a developer comes in and wants to know how many lots they can get out of it.`
Bakner said Richards is only putting eight lots on property that could easily accommodate 30 lots.
Mathusa said of Richards’ plan at a previous Planning Board meeting that `It’s a nice community gesture on her part.`
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