Planning Board continues Deer Hill Road hearing to Aug. 10

Planning Board · Meeting of July 27, 2026

Manchester-by-the-Sea Planning Board continues its first 3A housing hearing to August 10 and opens a demolition-delay debate. Chaired by Sarah Creighton, the board reviewed revised civil, landscape and architectural plans for a four-unit project at 1 Deer Hill Road from applicant Tom Ford's team, with member Gordon Brewster calling the design "well accepted." In a joint session with the Historic District Commission, Barrett Planning Group preservation planner Jennifer Doherty said roughly 160 Massachusetts communities have demolition-delay bylaws, with delays ranging from 30 days to two years; member Sandy Bodmer-Turner said she worries about "the homeowner who owns a house from 1753 and wants to knock it down." The board also reviewed a draft Housing Production Plan, with member Christopher Olney warning that two pending 40B projects, Shingle Hill and Gordon Woods, could add roughly 400 units and crowd out the town's commercial tax base goals. No demolition bylaw vote is expected before spring 2027 town meeting.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 3,068 words

Source: the Planning Board meeting of July 27, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.