Lawsuits against the Littleton Planning Board have gone to the first of at least two hearings on the meritsv

Nearly a year after being filed, the lawsuits against the Littleton Planning Board and Littleton Zoning Board of Adjustment that contest the approvals of a gravel pit have gone to the first of at least two hearings on the merits. In May 2023, the planning board granted an excavation permit for Chris Crowe to operate the pit at 173 Alder Brook Road, near the Bethlehem town line. In June, the ZBA granted a special exception. Filing appeals at Grafton Superior Court were the closest abutters, John and Mary Polaski, of Bethlehem. The boards’ decisions, they allege, did not include findings of fact, and the boards did not perform due diligence when considering noise and other impacts on abutters. On Monday, the cases went to a hearing at Hillsborough North Superior Court, the state’s land use cases venue. A second hearing is scheduled for March 28.