Newry Planning Board tables Loxom of the State application, elects officers

The Newry Planning Board met on October 7, 2026, elected Ted Baker as chair and Heidi Murata as vice chair and secretary, and tabled application 26-292 for the Loxom of the State subdivision after the applicant said more documents were coming. The board also reviewed a draft set of digital submission standards and heard an update on the town's comprehensive plan.

Key points

• The board elected Ted Baker as chairperson and Heidi Murata as vice chair and secretary under newly adopted rules of procedure.
• The board approved the minutes of the September 2 meeting by a 3-0 vote.
• A motion to find application 26-292 complete was withdrawn after Heidi Murata declined to second it, and the application was tabled to the next meeting.
• Applicant representative Jared Crockett argued the 2016 approval controls and that sprinkler systems are safer than cisterns; Chair Ted Baker said the board must apply the ordinance, which lets the developer choose either option.
• The board discussed draft digital submission standards, with members favoring them as guidance rather than a strict completeness requirement.
• Heidi Murata reported on a Comprehensive Planning Committee meeting covering water and natural resources sections.

Next steps

• The applicant has until Sunday to submit additional material for application 26-292.
• The board will take up completeness of application 26-292 again at its next meeting on October 21 and may then schedule a public hearing.
• The board tabled the digital submission standards discussion to a future meeting.
• A shoreline zoning application is expected at the next meeting.

Read the full transcript