Planning Board reviews Great Estates Development concept for inn conversion.
Planning Board · Meeting of April 15, 2026
IPSWICH — Planning Board reviews Great Estates Development concept for 55 Waldingfield Road. The joint Planning Board and Great Estates Development Review Committee held a concept-review meeting for owner Stuart Albelson's proposal to convert the previously approved corporate retreat into a private inn with phased expansion, dining, and equestrian facilities. Architect John Harding presented a revised design reducing new construction from 53,000 square feet to 37,000 square feet, with conservation and historic protections preserved.
Board member John Crespi flagged a zoning question: the project's phased guest-room expansion would exceed the fifteen-room inn limit, technically qualifying as a hotel. Planning Director Alan Manoian noted that formal public hearings will follow and the Board will review whether proposed changes remain within the scope of the September 2022 Special Permit and Site Plan Review approvals.
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Source: the Planning Board meeting of April 15, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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