Kittery Planning Board Approves Tower Road Plan, Sets Housing Hearing

The Kittery Planning Board approved a major shoreland plan modification at 69 Tower Road on October 8, 2026, allowing a new home to replace a non-conforming dwelling after a wetland was reclassified as isolated freshwater. The board also set a November 12 public hearing on proposed Business Park zoning amendments, though several members said they remain unconvinced the business park is the right location for affordable housing.

Key points

• The board voted unanimously to find complete and approve the major shoreland plan modification at 69 Tower Road, submitted by Ryan McCarthy of Tidewater Engineering on behalf of the Mary E. Quinn Revocable Trust.
• The applicant said the on-site wetland was re-delineated as an isolated freshwater wetland under one acre, shifting the shoreland setback measurement to the Atlantic Ocean and coastal wetland and giving the owner more options for the replacement house.
• The new house would improve the existing front setback non-conformance, stay within the 6 percent building coverage limit at 5 percent, and meet the 35-foot height limit at 33.3 feet.
• The board scheduled a public hearing on the Business Park zoning amendments for November 12 in council chambers, with the option to reschedule if needed.
• Several board members, including Justin and Dutch, said they were not convinced the business park is the right location for affordable housing and questioned whether the amendments would actually produce affordable units.
• Conservation Commission chair Mary Alice Lapointe said CLICK has largely finished negotiating the amendments and that planning staff would combine input from housing, conservation, and CLICK into a single color-coded document.

Next steps

• The Planning Board chair or vice chair was authorized to sign the final plan and finding of fact for 69 Tower Road once required plan changes are confirmed.
• A public hearing on the Business Park zoning amendments is set for November 12 at 6 p.m. in council chambers.
• Planning staff will compile housing, conservation, and CLICK input into a single document highlighting negotiated items and points of disagreement.
• The Climate Action Committee and Housing Committee are tentatively planning a November 4 workshop on the benefits of infill.
• Staff will continue work on a zoning housekeeping list and will seek board and committee input before drafting.

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