Washington Planning Board
Washington Planning Board
Meeting Minutes - DRAFT
October 7, 2014
0.0 Assembly: 6:30PM
0.1 Members present: Crandall, Schwartz and Marshall
0.2 Alternates present: None
0.3 Members and Alternates Absent: Cook, Dagesse, Kluk and Terani
0.4 Visitors: Phil Barker, Jed Schwartz, Peter Mellen
1.0 Minutes: Minutes from September 2, 2014, no changes were requested, Marshall motioned to approve, Crandall seconded and all voted in favor.
Crandall asked if any of our visitors had business before the board.
Peter Mellen said he was here with a hypothetical question for the board. He described an existing non-conforming lot with a building on it that spans over the lot line onto the abutting lot. He is speaking with the abutter about acquiring more land to remedy the situation. The abutter has offered an amount of land that doesn’t meet the building setbacks of the LUO. Mellen wanted to know if it would need to go before the ZBA for a variance or if it satisfied us by making the lot more conforming. We all thought it would need to go before the ZBA. Mellen said he would discuss it with the abutter.
2.0 Old Business:
2.1 Culvert and easement issue: Jim Crandall, Ed Thayer, Tom Marshall met with John LaFleur, Patricia Bartevian and Everett Conner earlier in the day to discuss what DPW was willing to do with the culvert. Crandall thinks we are now most of the way to an agreement, but Marshall is not sure. Thayer is drafting an easement that covers the three water cuts into the fields above the driveway and the settling pond out of the culvert. We will wait and see what they decide.
2.2 Warrant article #29 – Crandall stated that Lempster had been added it to the sheet that compiles the surveys that were returned (Jackson, Bridgewater, Springfield, Sandwich and Washington). There is a town newsletter going out soon and a public meeting on October 25th. Marshall suggested if the Planning Board wants to make a statement for the newsletter they could do so, WESAC and SMAC are both sending statements for inclusion in it. He said that the Selectmen are introducing something to both groups prior to the meeting about budget and working together. They had one meeting with both groups recently and things weren’t decided at that point. Marshall said that Milestone will be here next week to do the work on the west side of the Town Hall and they will be talking to them about what can be done for $1.5 million. Crandall asked that Marshall include him in those discussions. Schwartz asked if we want to make a statement at the meeting or just have our spreadsheet available. We need big participation for the public meeting. Crandall asked what is need from us and Marshall said a supportive statement would be good from the PB. He said the Master Plan survey and workshop show that these are important projects for the town. Crandall will draft something up.
2.3 Master Plan Update Committee – Schwartz said that the report from the Community Forum is in. We gave the Selectmen copies and have some available at the Town Hall and the Library for the public. Crandall said that the MPUC had sent us a request for input on the Land Use and Zoning chapter. Marshall thought it was a very bad idea to be asking town employees for their opinions on things. Schwartz explained that the committee is asking committees, boards and commissions for input on chapters that are relevant to the work they do. They have asked ZBA and PB for input on the Land Use and Zoning chapter, the Conservation Commission has been asked for input on the Natural Resources chapter. Marshall thinks that the MPUC has enough input and should not ask for more. He can’t imagine what value there would be in asking them for their opinion, he thinks it is redundant and unnecessary. Barker thinks people are complaining because of being asked for an opinion too many times. We decided to hold off on giving any input for now from the PB.
Jed Schwartz said that he was at the meeting with a request from the Conservation Commission to have the PB budget some money for updating the Natural Resource Inventory (NRI) maps. The Conservation Commission is working on updating the NRI chapters and there is new data available for updating the maps. He said the maps are tools used by the CC and the PB to help make decisions. He said that the Planning Board paid for the NRI and maps the first time around. Schwartz is talking to Chris Kane who did the maps originally and will get a price from him to do the updating. Crandall asked him to let the board know a price by next month in time for our 2015 budgeting.
Crandall commented that he is not sure the town wants zoning. Marshall said that we already have zoning. Schwartz said that the town has one zone with 4 acres required for a lot, the zoning we are talking about is for different size lots in different parts of town. Barker thinks that rural character is the main issue and 4-acre lots do nothing for rural character. Schwartz said that different lot size zoning would make for more rural development patterns, she mentioned cluster development that we already have in the LUO. Marshall commented that Ashuelot Estates is the largest cul-de-sac in the state. He thinks we would have to really sell the idea to the town or they won’t go for it. Crandall wondered if we should budget some money for a consultant to look at the issue. Schwartz said it isn’t necessary, it is all about education and getting the town to understand the concept.
2.4 Island renaming issue - Frank and Susan Oelslager are requesting authorization to change the name of their island. The Selectmen referred the issue to us to deal with it. Marshall stated that the Selectmen decided it isn’t a PB issue it should have gone to the Assessors. Schwartz made a motion to send the issue on to the Board of Assessors, Marshall seconded and all voted in favor
2.5 CIP - Schwartz put all the requests we received to date into the CIP spreadsheet, we received requests from Fire, Rescue, Parks and Rec, Conservation Commission, PWD/Transfer Station and Welfare (some didn’t request funds). She put in the usual amount for the Assessors because we didn’t get a request back from them. Marshall spoke about the idea to dissolve the elected Board of Assessors and hire out the work. He said both Cook and France are ready to retire and it is difficult to find people qualified to do the job. They have hired someone to do data input and hope to switch to a hired assessor. They have an estimate from someone they have worked with recently. We will keep the amount in for the Assessors because it is needed for the Revaluation Fund. Schwartz asked Marshall to have the Selectmen write up their requests for next year so she can include them. He said they will this week.
2.5 Washington Event Sign - Crandall said that Jean Kluk came up with the idea for a sign to be installed along Rt. 31 at the transfer station that will have an area for announcing town events (it would have changeable letters). Everyone thinks it would be a good idea. Crandall will ask Kluk to come up with a sketch and cost estimate for this so it can be budgeted for. Marshall said that if the sign is installed at the transfer Station we should not expect the DPW to be responsible for changing out the letters. Everyone agreed.
3.0 New Business:
3.1 Conservation Commission request for funds to update NRI maps – We discussed this under 2.3.
3.2 NH Land Use and Planning Books – We received a notice that it is time to order our books for 2015. Schwartz will order 7 books for members and alternates.
4.0 Driveway permits: None
5.0 Mergers: None
6.0 Communications:
6.1 Reminder from UVLSRPC, time to order books
6.2 Copy of Boundary plat for John MacNeil, TM11-9, Schwartz will pass to the Assessors.
6.3 Memo from CDFA regarding Planning Grants available, due October 31st
7.0 Meeting date for next Planning Board meeting, November 4, 2014, at 6:30PM.
8.0 Adjournment: Time: 7:50 PM
Motioned by Marshall, seconded by Schwartz, all voted in favor.
Respectfully Submitted,
Nan Schwartz