Ayer Planning Board Executes $308,000 Lincoln Hills Bond, Continues Two Site Plan Hearings

AYER — April 14, 2026 — Ayer Planning Board unanimously executes a $308,045 security agreement for the Lincoln Hills housing development and advances two site plan hearings to April 28. At the April 14 meeting, the board endorsed two Approval Not Required plans — one for Worthendale Realty Corp. creating non-building parcels behind 30-38 Main Street and one dividing 64 Littleton Road into three building lots for LR Properties, LLC — before formalizing the tri-partite agreement among Lincoln Hills Development, Lowell bank, and the Town of Ayer, which locks in funds to stabilize the site should the project fail. Developer Janet Field told the board the agreement was her own proposal, noting "if Michael and I died in a fiery plane crash tomorrow, there would be money set aside" to restore the site. Abutter Pauline Conley argued the amount was insufficient and urged the board to require as much as $750,000. Vice Chairman Nathan King, citing months of review by Town Counsel, the Town Planner, and DPW Director Dan Van Schalkwyk, said he was "not comfortable second-guessing that process." In a related land-clearing hearing, neighbor Rebecca Jones raised flooding concerns about a stormwater ponding area proposed for 64 Littleton Road that would drain overflow toward her already flood-prone property, prompting the board to schedule an April 23 site visit and seek written input from Town Engineer Matt Hernon before the April 28 continuance.