Hinckley Allen attorney John H. Sokul Jr., serving as development counsel for multifamily housing projects across New Hampshire, challenged a proposed growth management ordinance (GMO) in Windham, New Hampshire on behalf of client Arena Development. Sokul’s arguments contributed to the Windham School Board’s vote not to cooperate with the Planning Board on the measure, a move that could effectively undermine the ordinance.
Sokul argued that the citizen petition for the GMO was legally flawed, stating in a letter to town officials, “The entire GMO is predicated on a lack of capacity in the Windham schools. There is no evidence to support this.” He noted that the town’s own master and capital improvement plans contain no findings of a crisis that would justify suppressing growth, making the ordinance legally deficient.