Planning Board

Town of Washington

September 17, 2009

Working Session

Attending: Planning Board - Jack Sheehy, Tom Marshall, Lynn Cook, Nan Schwartz, Ken Eastman, Jim Crandall, Bill Cole

Selectmen - Ken Eastman, Rich Cook

Meeting House Committee - Ron Jager, Caroline Russell, Jim Russell

Space Task Force - Tom Taylor, Steve Hanssen, Jim Russell

Sheehy opened the meeting at 11AM. Sheehy said that the meeting was scheduled to have the Planning Board meet with the Future of the Town Hall Committee. Sheehy informed everyone in attendance that Jager would like to inform the Board of the information he gathered at the recent LCHIP seminar.

Jager thanked the Board for coming together today. Jager provided everyone with several handouts in reference to planning and construction grants that he had researched for the Town. Jager stated that the Town could apply for planning grant monies from LCHIP and that the application deadline was October 16, 2009. Cook asked Jager if an application could be completed and submitted by the October deadline. Jager answered yes. Jager reviewed the construction grants that could be available to the Town but advised that these would be for phase three.

Schwartz asked if an application was submitted to LCHIP when would the Town know if it had been approved. Jager said that the Town would know by January. Cook asked about the previous plans and if the Town was locked into the layout/design. Russell said that she felt that there was a lot of confusion regarding the previously proposed plans. Russell confirmed that these were just proposals and that in the second phase (planning/drawing phase) the Town would be looking to identify needs and come up with a set of drawings for the Town Hall.  There was much discussion on the differences between the planning phase and the construction phase. Russell said that the second phase (planning/drawings) would get the Town all the information it needs to be prepared for construction bids and at that point the Town can then make the next decision to either construct in phases or delay the construction but that we would be prepared to move forward. 

Jager then requested that the Planning Board vote at their October meeting to support the next phase of the Meetinghouse project and to support the Selectmen and the Meetinghouse Committee to secure a planning grant of $25,000 from LCHIP for the next phase.

Marshall suggested that the Board hold a few more working sessions before the mention October Planning Board Meeting. The Board members agreed and two working sessions were scheduled.

Respectfully submitted,

Michelle Dagesse