West Newbury Planning Board Approves Three-Home Middle Street Special Permit Unanimously

WEST NEWBURY -- August 19, 2025, West Newbury Planning Board approves three-home special permit for Middle Street parcel in unanimous vote. The board voted 4-0 Tuesday to grant two reduced-frontage lot special permits, a common driveway special permit, and a scenic road permit for a parcel at Zero Middle Street owned by Ellen Thurlow, with conditions requiring all three homes be single-family residences and restricting a rear lot to open space use before any approval-not-required plan can be endorsed. Chair Ann Bardeen noted the alternative, a by-right subdivision, could yield up to eight residential units if duplexes were built. "In order for me to vote no on this, I have to have a solid reason why I don't think the applicant has fulfilled the bylaw," said member Ray Cook. In a separate 5-0 vote the board approved a site plan review for a Community Preservation Act-funded pickleball court at 381 Main Street, with revised signage and a relocated stone-dust path. The board also voted unanimously to forward the names of Timothy Cronin and Steven Swallow to the Select Board as candidates for the Planning Board's vacant associate member position, with incoming Town Planner Christopher Riley set to begin work August 25.