86.5 acre development on Betty Welch Road

  • 1-Lumberjack_Using_a_Chainsaw_to_Cut_a_Log_clipart_imageFrom the Portsmouth Herald and Deborah Mcdermott

Kittery subdivision proposed on 86.5 acres KITTERY — A York-based developer filed initial paperwork with the Kittery Planning Board to build a 24-lot subdivision on 86.5 acres on Betty Welch Road. By Deborah McDermott
KITTERY — A York-based developer filed initial paperwork with the Kittery Planning Board to build a 24-lot subdivision on 86.5 acres on Betty Welch Road.

Jeff Clifford of Attar Engineering appeared before the board recently to present the concept for the cluster subdivision. The land is about a quarter mile from the York town line and is composed of two parcels — one 61.6 acres and the second 25-plus acres. The location of record is 40 Betty Welch Road.

According to the application, the property is owned by Landmark Properties of York. The principals of the company, according to assessing records, are Frederick and Linda Hart. Chinburg Builders, the developer, has built several residential developments in Kittery including the Lewis Farm conservation subdivision, Shepard’s Cove senior living community and Devon Woods.

“The project has been designed to fit harmoniously into the landscape and maintain the rural and woodland character of the surrounding area using … conservation subdivision design,” according to a project report.

Clifford told the Planning Board recently that the 10,000-square-foot lots will be clustered on one part of the property, with the remaining 86 percent designated as open space. The developer proposes to place the houses about midway on the property. Wetlands are found on much of the land and the housing was sited to avoid that.

A Kittery Water District main runs through the property, and Clifford said director Mike Rogers indicated the property owners could hook into town water there.

As proposed, each house would have a septic tank where effluent would be treated and then pumped to a leach field on another part of the property.

“There are any number of systems out there now, with some great technology that is the perfect use of the site,” he said.

The developers will introduce a sketch plan for board review, pending completion of a soils survey. Planning Board members said little during the brief presentation at the Aug. 28 meeting. The public is invited to a site walk that is scheduled for 5 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 24.