Washington Planning Board

Public Hearing  – June 7, 2011

0.0 Assembly at 6PM:

0.1 Members Present:

Cook, Crandall, Marshall, Schwartz, Chute

0.2 Alternates Present: Dagesse, Terani

0.3 Members and Alternates Absent:

0.4 Visitors: Jean Kluk, Sandy and George Eccard and Peter Mellen

Cook called the hearing to order at 6:05PM.

1.0 Eccardt Farm, Inc, Lot line Adjustment/Annexation, TM 13-025 and 13-026. The Board reviewed the application for completeness. Requested a waiver scale 150 feet per inch instead of 100 feet per inch. The Board agreed to approve the waiver. Peter Mellen reviewed the application with the Board. After the annexation the new measurements will be TM#13-025 114 acres and TM#13-026 will be 50.0 acres. He requested the perimeter survey be waived of TM#13-025 because there is an existing survey of TM#13-026 but no survey of TM#13-025. Cook asked how the measurement of 114 acres was calculated? Mellen said that the size was taken from the Town tax maps. Cook said it is a mechanical survey? Mellen said yes. Mellen said that basically the land we are dividing, so to speak, has been surveyed but the lot we are adding the land to has not been surveyed. The Board agreed to approve the waiver.  Chute said that this is not setting a precedent accepting a mechanical survey? Cook said no this is an accepted practice and explained the process. Mellen will correct the inset map for TM#13-026 to read 50.0 +/- acres to match the larger map. Mellen requested a waiver for the annexation deed in reference to II.B. because the proposal is to adjust the boundary line between properties that are currently owned by the same persons so there is no reason for a new deed. Mellen explained the difference between annexation and merger to Chute. Schwartz motioned to accept the application as complete. Crandall seconded the motion. All voted in favor.

Cook asked for any questions from the public. There were none. Crandall motioned to approve the annexation. Chute seconded the motion. All voted in favor. Cook motioned to adjourn at 6:23PM. Schwartz seconded the motion. All voted in favor.

Marshall motioned to open the second public hearing and Crandall seconded the motion. All voted favor at 6:24PM

2.0 Hearing on possible change to the Site Plan Review Regulations and the Exemption of Site Plan Review Application – change Section 3.d of Site Plan Review Regulations and Exemption Application to allow cottage industries to have a sign on premises. Chute said that the way the cottage industry reads now that it will not increase traffic or have customers. Chute said that he feels that this is counterintuitive to the original intent of cottage industry of the Land Use Ordinance. Chute said that he is okay with this but we need to look at the larger picture. Marshall said that a cottage industry should in all intents and purposes should only list the name of the business and the phone number but the business owner would have to adhere to the policies of the cottage industry and the Board would not encourage anything more than a phone number. Terani said with respect to a comment regarding no visitors, sales or cars allowed that the wording in our documentation is that "the business is not routinely having customers on site." Marshall said that sign permits are individual and we can take them on a case-by-case business. Schwartz said that if the Board reviews their business application and realizes that the business owner would have more customers on a daily basis they are going to be moved to a different category. Jean Kluk asked about illegal signs that are displayed in Town. Marshall said this is why we need to get our ducks in a row. Schwartz asked if Thayer could remove the sign pollution.

Chute motioned to approve the changes. Crandall seconded the motion. All voted in favor.  

Motion by Schwartz, seconded by Crandall to adjourn the hearing. All voted in favor. Adjournment, 6:37PM