Ryan McDonald, an outspoken advocate for developer’s rights, has resigned from the Windham Planning Board.

McDonald submitted his resignation letter Monday, citing frustration with the planning process and dynamics with fellow members of the all-volunteer board.

McDonald’s resignation came the same day the planning board approved a long-term quarry proposal on the corner of Nash Road and Route 302. Neighbors, opposed to the quarry proposal, had asked that McDonald recuse himself from the proceedings because of a public statement he made criticizing these neighbors.

Angry letters from the neighbors led to the breaking point of his frustration with the planning process, but not the entire reason for his resignation, McDonald said.

He had become increasingly frustrated with the planning board due to what he perceived to be an unfair approach to the way the board enforces its town ordinances that govern development.

“My impression was that our duty as a board was to help the applicants meet the requirements and meet the ordinances and not to twist the ordinances to prevent them from doing what they want,” McDonald said.

McDonald believes the planning board spends too much time trying to restrict the rights of developers who only want to do with their land what is allowed under the ordinances. The ordinances themselves are also frustrating, he said, because they are outdated.

Fellow board member David Nadeau was shocked to hear the news of McDonald’s resignation and the second loss of a planning board member in such a short period of time. Former Board Chairwoman Kathleen Brown resigned in January after trying to help the board fix its planning process.

Nadeau asserts that the board does approach every project with an objective eye for fairness. McDonald’s viewpoints sometimes clashed with other members, he said, but Nadeau is sad that McDonald’s voice on the board will now be silent.

“People have the right to do what the ordinances allow (for) their property, but the ordinance has to look at the rights and the safety of the town and that’s where heads butt,” Nadeau said.

The job of being a planning board member has become far more time-consuming since former town planner George Dycio resigned in March. With nobody to review development applications for accuracy in Dycio’s absence, that duty is now left to planning board members who must then decide whether to grant approval or not.

McDonald said he joined the board two years ago to “bring some common sense to the table.” Now with the duty of being planning board member behind him, he will now he focus on growing his property management and home inspection company, R.R. McDonald, and will continue to be involved in town politics.

“I’m certainly not done, but I’m not going to take the road that I originally planned,” McDonald said. “It was a great learning experience, even though it didn’t work out.”

Ryan McDonald resigned from the Windham Planning Board on Monday citing frustration with the approval process for the Nash Road quarry.

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