The Brentwood Planning Board voted to release the remaining bond funds for Tanya Lane after its engineering consultant concluded that the bonded items remaining were limited to pavement finish, guardrails and signage and that other previously inspected drainage and infrastructure items had been signed off.

Attorney John Arnold, representing the developer Rob Healy, told the board that individual homeowners had pulled driveway permits and that the town’s statutory scheme (RSA 236:13) places responsibility for driveway culvert maintenance with the property owner; he also noted the town still holds a small bond portion related to pavement finishing and that the developer had requested release of that portion in July 2024 but not yet received a written response from the town.

After discussion the board voted to release the remaining bond funds; one member recorded an abstention. The board then debated language in a draft letter that would accompany a recommendation to the Select Board for road acceptance. Members agreed to remove the second-to-last paragraph (which assigned homeowner responsibility in a way some members found imprecise) and to have the Planning Board send a separate, more specific letter to each Tanya Lane homeowner that would include the TEC inspection report and note the town’s guidance on driveway permit responsibility. The Planning Board approved the recommendation to the Select Board with those edits.

What happens next: Staff (town administrator/planning staff) will prepare the edited letter for the Select Board and a separate mailing to each of the nine Tanya Lane homeowners (board members discussed registered vs. regular mail). Staff also said it will provide a memo and updated escrow accounting to the developer regarding the bond release.