Washington Planning Board
Washington Planning Board
Meeting Minutes - Draft
November 7, 2017
0.0 Assembly: 6:30PM, Camp Morgan Lodge
0.1 Members present: Crandall, Hatch, Dulac, Schwartz and Williams
0.2 Alternates present: Kluk
0.3 Members and Alternates Absent: Terani and Russell
0.4 Visitors: Dave Barkie
Crandall called the Meeting to order at 6:30 PM.
1.0 Minutes:
October 3, 2017 – Dulac had some questions and suggested one correction; Williams had one correction and commented that he is frequently misquoted in the minutes. Schwartz will make the corrections. Crandall motioned to approve the minutes with corrections, Dulac seconded the motion and all voted in favor.
2.0 New Business:
2.1 Robert and Marian Blackwell – Business Permit application for a retail antique doll and dollhouse business at 34 South Main Street. We looked at the application and decided we need the dimensions of the carriage house (retail space) in order to determine how many parking spaces are needed. Williams asked if it is a home-based business. We decided it doesn’t meet the criteria for a minor Home Occupation (Cottage Industry) business. We will need the dimensions of the space and will have them look at the site plan review application. Kluk said we should look at our BP application and add a question about dimensions (square footage) on the application. We discussed having a separate district for the downtown area with different setbacks to apply. Dulac thinks the LUO is intrusive. Williams thinks there is a mechanism to do this and the ZBA is there for appeals. Schwartz will ask the Blackwell’s for the dimensions of the proposed retail space.
2.2 David Barkie –David Barkie passed out a sketch map of an annexation/lot line adjustment project on Valley Road that he is working on. He owns lots 1681 Valley Road (TM 25-117) and 1669 Valley Road (TM 25-116) and his house is on 1681 with 1.5 acres. He said his lot was 4 lots originally but were previously merged. He said he bought 1669 Valley Road, which was 2 lots previously and were merged in 2013 (.49 acres total). He said that the seller claimed at the time that it was still 2 lots but he found out since that they were legally merged. The lot had a camp on it, which he recently removed. He has a 2-bedroom septic system design for the lot that has been run by DES by his septic designer and they indicated to him that they would approve it. An abutting neighbor (TM 24-66) has asked him for some land in order to build a garage and he would like to sell them a little under 1/8th of an acre. They abut TM 25-117 and the land would be annexed from this lot. In order to keep the lot the same size he is proposing to annex the same amount of land from his other abutting lot TM 25-116. Kluk said that the problem is that these are non-conforming lots and one lot would be made less conforming. Schwartz asked Hatch if this is something that the ZBA would deal with, he wasn’t sure. Barkie said that the grandfathered location of the removed camp would now meet the setbacks without a variance. Schwartz asked him if the location was documented on his survey plan. Barkie said that one corner still exists on site and the location is on the plan. Hatch asked if the neighbors want to move forward quickly and Barkie stated not until next year. Hatch said the lots are non-conforming and the problem is that one lot is being made less conforming. Williams asked if it was an LUO question or a lot line adjustment issue. Kluk said if the lots weren’t merged maybe something could have been done. Barkie said that his engineer said that 2 parties (abutters) could have an agreement if there is question about where the lot line is. Crandall said we will have to do some research. Williams said he talked to former PB chair Sheehy who said a lot cannot be made less conforming (as per the LUO). Barkie asked if we could make an exception. Crandall said we can’t, but maybe the ZBA could deal with it. Williams suggested that we speak with NHMA and get some answers before we speak with the town attorney. Barkie asked if an abutter agreement would work. The board members were not familiar with that mechanism and didn’t think it could be used in this situation, he is moving lot lines. Williams said it is important to be accurate with information; the lot (TM-25-117) was merged in the deed for the property. Crandall said we would get back to him in a few days. Dulac asked if he has 200’ of frontage on the road, Barkie said he has 100’ of frontage. It was decided that Schwartz would contact NHMA. Hatch commented that it would be a lot easier if lot TM 24-66 just asked for a variance for the garage they want to build.
2.3 PB Budget for 2018 – Hatch asked if the budget for 2018 should be the same as for last year. Crandall thinks we should increase the budget. Kluk thinks that if we are serious about doing something in the Town Center we should ask for some money to help with planning, she thinks $2K would be plenty. Williams thinks we should make it a separate warrant article for an initiative that would be a one-time request for a special project. If we request it the BoS will write the article. Schwartz said we haven’t heard from UVLSRPC about the amount for 2018 dues yet but it shouldn’t go up a lot. Hatch made a motion to stick with the numbers from last year for the 2018 budget, Crandall seconded the motion and all voted in favor. Schwartz will let DeFosse know the budget numbers.
2.4 Charlie Fields’ property issues – Schwartz said that Craig Gebo had contacted us about the property because he is considering buying the lots. He wanted to know what the issues were with the sand pit area and any restoration that might be required. There are 5 small (.93 acre) lots and the larger pit area that is 15.4 acres. The land was bought in 1972 as a larger parcel from the Washington Development Corporation with rights for the one lot to use the beach area and moor one boat. The parcel was subdivided by Fields in 1973 into one large 53.8-acre back lot, the 15.4-acre pit lot (which has a 40’ right-of-way to East Washington Road) and the 5 small .93-acre back lots along the right-of-way. Kluk said she and her husband looked at the issues involved with the lot because of the deeded one right to use the WLA common areas (beach and mooring). Schwartz said she looked into the sand pit and the town tax card considers it abandoned and naturally reclaimed, so a buyer would not need to restore the area. The buyer has some ideas about making some of the small lots larger by merging or adjusting lot lines. Hatch asked if Gebo came in to talk with the BoS. Williams said yes, about this and also another lot. Hatch felt that the board should not give advice or guidance on this without a plan in front of us, all agreed.
3.0 Old Business:
3.1 CIP – Schwartz passed out copies of the draft CIP and said that she made the changes we discussed last month. We went through the document line by line and updated a few lines. Kluk said that if we receive the LCHIP grant we will need $76K to match for the windows and door restoration. We added this to the document. Hatch asked about the amount we asked for Town Buildings Maintenance fund last year. Williams said that it was $15K but the amount was raised to $65K (with $50K to be used on the Old Schoolhouse) at Town Meeting. Hatch thinks that $50K should be repeated for the Schoolhouse if it is the will of the people. Williams felt we should establish a new fund for the Schoolhouse at $50K. Hatch thinks we should establish a fund and move $50K from the other fund into the new fund (this would take 2 warrant articles). Williams asked if we are going to talk to the department heads about their requests. Schwartz said that we have in the past but for the last few years we have just passed along the requests and let the BoS speak with them if needed. Williams feels we need a plan from departments that are requesting funds that accumulate for equipment or vehicles. Hatch suggested that we start on the CIP process after Town Meeting in 2018 and get specific with departments. Williams suggested putting the $25K back into the Rescue Squad equipment fund so that we don’t fall behind and have to make up the amount later. Williams said that the vehicle exhaust system for the Town Garage is a lease so we can remove the line from the CIP. Schwartz will update the document.
3.2 Town Center Future Vision – Hatch asked about Crandall’s discussion with the Historical Society last month. Crandall said he attended but he didn’t talk about it as he had planned to. It did come up as a topic among other topics discussed. Williams said that the chair brought the BoS a letter stating that they want to be involved with any planning for the OSH and town grounds. Williams doesn’t think that Ad Hoc committees work for planning. Schwartz said that we should make it a Planning Board issue but Ad Hoc committees have worked very well in the past to move planning issues forward. Hatch said that we are looking for a “visioning” group, not a building committee. Crandall said that Kluk wrote an excellent overview of a town center vision statement that we all read over. Hatch asked what the next step was, Planning Board running workshops? Crandall said that he thinks the Planning Board can take it on and we may not need a subcommittee. Williams thinks a subcommittee, like the Master Plan subcommittee would work well, all agreed. Hatch asked if we should adopt the document as is. We decided that we are supportive and need to figure out timing. Kluk says she sees this with a 5-year project initiative that we should introduce at Town Meeting to begin in 2018. Hatch said he wishes that Town Meeting could be a venue to introduce ideas and have discussions. Williams suggested we create a warrant article for $2 or 3K for planning (add this to the CIP) that will also open the topic for discussion at Town Meeting. We all agreed.
3.3 Municipal Buildings project update:
Williams said that the Meeting House foundation was poured and they will set it down on the 14th or 15th. On the F/R building, Morton will start construction in the next few days; the cistern is in and will be filled soon. Things are moving along nicely. Kluk asked about the connector on the F/R building. Williams said they figured out how to do the roofline by cantilevering to keep the weight off the other roofs. The engineer figured it out and Morton is building it for $6K. On the OSH, there has been no energy spent on this, they have the report from the engineer and architect but nothing will be done until after the MH is done (in May). Crandall asked if they had cost estimates from Milestone and Williams answered no not yet.
3.4 LUO Changes to RV section – Hatch said he was not prepared to discuss this tonight. Kluk said we did a lot of work to bring the two sections into alignment. Hatch said the intent is not to make it more restrictive but to make it enforceable. He said problems were occurring and there was a lack of enforcement and he thinks we misunderstood the BoS’s need. Williams said we aren’t back at square one, he thinks the conversation went well. Hatch wonders what we are trying to do, he thinks pump out issues are important and aren’t checked up on and the waste is a health issue. He thinks that a road-worthy RV could be parked on a lot but we need to discuss this. Williams said that the lake associations have ordinances that restrict RV parking. He asked if we need to work through this now. Schwartz said that if we are going to Town Meeting with it we do. Hatch asked if we should hold a working meeting on this and take it to Town Meeting or table it. Williams suggested we have a working meeting and get it done. We scheduled a working meeting for Tuesday, November 14th at 6 PM at the Town Hall trailer for this and any other issues that come up. Schwartz will notice and send out documents to members prior to the meeting.
3.5 Building Permit Issue – We will address this issue at the working meeting if we have time.
3.6 Master Plan – this is a placeholder.
4.0 Driveway Permits:
4.1 Shane Branch, East Washington Road, TM 16-99 – Schwartz and Crandall sent a letter but there has been no action to finish the driveway to date. Schwartz asked if she should send a registered letter to insure that the letter was delivered, there has been no response or action by the property owner. Williams said that the Town attorney says that if it was sent and was not returned you can assume it was delivered. He asked that we forward the letter to the BoS for action.
5.0 Mergers: None
6.0 Communications:
6.1 Letter from UNH, re. FEMA Risk map program, report here: https://www.nh.gov/osi/planning/programs/fmp/current-map-projects.htm
6.2 Letter from Tara Bamford, re: planning consultant
7.0 Meeting date for next Planning Board meeting, December 5, 2017, at 6:30PM at Camp Morgan Lodge (CML).
8.0 Adjournment: Time: 9:05PM
Motioned by Crandall, seconded by Hatch, all voted in favor.
Respectfully Submitted,
Nan Schwartz