Bellingham Planning Board Closes Prospect Hill Hearing, Signals Denial on Townhouse Project

BELLINGHAM — October 9, 2025 — Bellingham Planning Board closes two-year Prospect Hill Village hearing and signals denial. The board voted unanimously at its October 9 meeting to close the public hearing on the Prospect Hill Village townhouse development, then gave Town Planner Rob Lucier direction to draft denial decisions on both the special permit and the development plan approval ahead of an October 31 deadline, with a formal vote set for October 23. Members cited unmet criteria under Zoning Bylaw Section 240-108, including persistent flooding in the project area, traffic safety deficiencies at the Lake Street intersection, and the inability to improve sight distances on private property partially in Franklin. Lucier cautioned that conditions negotiated during the two-year hearing — including a financial contribution toward a sewer pump station — might not survive an appellate decision if the applicant challenges the denial in Land Court. The board also continued Hartford Avenue mixed-use hearings to November 13 after the applicant proposed converting its Hartford Avenue driveway to right-in, right-out and making a short stretch of Cedar Hill Road two-way, a change that still requires Select Board approval.