Town of New Castle Planning Board 10/20/26

The Town of New Castle Planning Board meeting on October 20, 2026, considered a site-plan proposal by Holmes and Homes LLC to revise an existing building on King Street and add residential units while retaining the ground-floor commercial space. The board discussed access, egress, fire-safety review, parking, and requested updates to the plan tables, including lot area and building height. On motions, the board set a public hearing for November 4 and directed staff to prepare a resolution for that meeting, subject to receipt of revised plans and follow-up on fire-safety comments. No contract awards, purchases, or spending decisions were identified.

The board also reviewed its draft response to a Town Board referral concerning proposed amendments to local solar-facility rules. Discussion covered the proposed 15-foot height limit and how to account for topography, a 500-foot setback and 25-acre minimum lot size, landscaping and glare, noise limits (including support for a 55-decibel standard), and buffer and access-road requirements. The board discussed these provisions but took no vote on the draft response; the referral concerns prospective land-use rules rather than procurement activity.