Frequently Asked Questions

The Planning Board meets 2 times per month, usually on the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month in the Littlefield Meeting Room located in Town Hall. Meetings typically begin at 7 p.m. All meetings are open to the public, however, not all meetings include public hearings.

If you wish to attend a meeting and / or speak at a meeting it is recommended you call the Planning Office to confirm meeting dates and times and to confirm that the project you wish to speak about is scheduled for a public hearing. Meetings are typically televised on the town public access channel. Review our meeting calendar for additional details.

When the Planning Board receives an application, they must consider scheduling a site walk of the property. The Planning Board typically schedules site walks for Saturday mornings, but it is always recommended that interested parties contact the Planning Office to confirm a date and time for a project of interest.

Site walks are open to the public and are held with a few Planning Board members, the applicant, the applicant's engineers, and concerned abutters in attendance. This is an opportunity for all attendants to better grasp the proposal, determine areas of concern or needed attention, and ask some general questions about the proposal. The results of the site walk will be formally reported at the next available Planning Board meeting.

Attendees of all site walks participate at their own risk and should keep in mind weather conditions, terrain, and be properly dressed and equipped. 

To be considered for a position on the Planning Board one must be a year-round resident of the Town of Wells. All members and alternate members are volunteers who are able to devote 2 Monday evenings per month and an occasional Saturday morning for Planning Board meetings and scheduled site walks.

If you are interested in volunteering for a position on the Planning Board please contact the Volunteer Coordinator to fill out an application. As positions on the Planning Board become available, volunteer applications will be presented to the Board of Selectmen and a volunteer will be selected and appointed.

The Planning Board does not schedule Subdivision site walks during the months of January, February and March. Site walks for site plans may be held during the winter months if the weather and ground conditions permit.  If the ground is covered with snow or there is inclement weather the Planning Board may decide to postpone a scheduled site walk.  The town meeting calendar will note if a scheduled site walk has been postponed.  When possible, the Planning Board will reschedule a site walk that was cancelled at the next available Planning Board meeting; or will have to wait until April to hold a site walk. If there is a concern about weather, it is recommended attendants call the Planning Office to confirm if a site walk will be held or not.

The Staff Review Committee typically meets on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month. Meetings typically begin at 9 a.m. and are held in the Town Hall Littlefield Meeting Room. To review meeting dates see our Meeting Calendar and Deadlines page.

Please contact the Office of Planning & Development with some suggested dates and time of day for your pre-construction meeting. We will co-ordinate with the appropriate Town Departments, town third party inspectors and other utility companies that have interest in the development. Once a date and time is set we will contact you so that you can co-ordinate with your contractors and subcontractors. Pre-Construction meetings are held at Town Hall.

The initial submission of a site or subdivision application is strictly required to be provided to the Planning Office no later than 4 PM on the dates specified within the submission deadline calendar provided on this website here and posted in Town Hall. A good rule of thumb is no later than 4 PM, 10 business days before a desired scheduled meeting.

The Office of Planning & Development is happy to mail notices to abutters on your behalf as this can provide some savings in postage costs for the applicant and ensures that the most up to date mailing addresses and all applicable abutters are notified of your proposed development. If you wish to prepare your own notices, we recommend you contact the Planning Office so we can assist you in preparing an accurate abutter mailing list. 

• Copies of the site plan or subdivision plan for Planning Board applications to be provided in 1 of the following ways:

 3 plans measuring 24" by 36 inches plus 9 plans measuring 11" by 17 inches; or

 12 plans measuring 24" by 36 inches.  Please have plans pre-folded.

• Copies of the site plan for Staff Review Committee applications in 1 of the following ways:

 3 plans measuring 24" by 26 inches plus 5 plans measuring 11" by 17 inches; or

 8 plans measuring 24" by 36 inches. Please have plans pre-folded. 

For applications seeking approval to operate a business the Town requires the business obtain site plan approval. The site plan is reviewed by the proper Reviewing Authority.  The Reviewing Authority for site plan approvals could be (1) the Code Enforcement Officer and Town Planner, the (2) Staff Review Committee, or the (3) Planning Board.  The Reviewing Authority Chart  defines which applications go before which Reviewing Authority.

For applications seeking subdivision approval for dwelling units and lots, the Town requires the subdivision obtain subdivision approval by the Planning Board.