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Planning Board Minutes 6/16/2016
ANTRIM PLANNING BOARD
MEETING MINUTES
June 16, 2016
Joint Meeting


Members & Staff Present:                
Planning Board: Jeanne Cahoon (Vice-Chair) Chris Condon (Chair) Michael Frosch (Member)
 Bob Holmes   (Member) Janet McEwen (Member) Elsa Voelcker (Alternate) John Robertson (Ex-officio)  
Zoning Board of Adjustment John Giffin (Chair) Ron Haggett (Vice-Chair) Frank Scales
(Member) Ray Ledgerwood (Member) Shelley Nelkens (Member)
Colleen Giffin (Land Use Board Assistant)   Carol Ogilvie (Consultant Planner)   
        
Members Absent: Steve MacDonald (Member)
 Public Attendees:  Lynne Rosansky , Diane Chauncey, Ben Pratt, Wes Enman

7:00 PM Business Meeting:
Chair Condon opened the meeting at 7:00. Chair Condon asked Ms. Voelcker to sit for the absent Mr. MacDonald.

Approve June 2  Meeting Minutes
Correction Mr. Robertson was added and Mr. Frosch was removed.
Mr. Robertson moved to approve the meeting minutes as amended of June 2. Vice-Chair Cahoon seconded.
Vote:  By a voice vote, all agreed.

Morrison Lot Merger
Chair Condon explained that it was a simple lot merger and it was in the Boards packets as an FYI only.



7:05 PM Joint Meeting
Chair Condon had the members of both the Planning Board and the Zoning Board of Adjustments introduce themselves.
Chair Condon explained the purpose of the joint meeting was to share and discuss any issues concerning the Zoning Ordinances and
to exchange information learned at the June 4th Office of Energy and Planning Conference.

Chair Condon opened the joint meeting by congratulating the Boards on having the largest number of Board members attend the OEP conference.
He pointed out this showed how dedicated they were to their boards and to the town. Chair Condon asked ZBA Chair Giffin if he had anything to add.
Chair Giffin reiterated the same sentiments adding that this year’s conference had been a decent learning experience.

Chair Condon then opened the floor for discussion topics, questions, and comments inviting the ZBA to start with anything they might have.

ZBA Co-Chair Haggett expressed his gratitude in the zoning ordinance changes to Article
XIV-B, Personal Wireless Service Facility that now grants the Planning Board the authority to
issue conditional use permits taking the responsibility and the pressure off of the ZBA.

Chair Condon brought an example of an Alternative Energy Ordinances from Dublin NH that was presented at the OEP conference about Alternative Energy.
He described it as simple and elegantly written as it encompasses nearly every alternative renewable energy resource that can be used in all zoning districts.
Chair Condon suggested that perhaps the Boards should look into having a similar ordinance written up for Antrim. See Attached.
Chair Giffin agreed pointing out that at this time the town only has small wind energy ordinance. All other alternative energy ordinances the town follow are from the state.
 He also asked what the zoning area would be. Would it be only residential or town wide?
Chair Condon answered it would town wide. Co-Chair Haggett pointed out it could be as broad as the governing body wanted to make it, but the notion is that it is a
conditional use ordinance and the most important information would be in the site review. The language in the site review cover all the bases in the ordinance as to
types of energy and to where the town would allow it and the rest would be left up to the Planning Board.
Ms. Nelkens had concerns about the wording in the Dublin ordinance that did not allow for “the generation of power for the sale for other users”.
She questioned why whole neighborhoods couldn’t share energy being produced by a single alternative energy source.
Several of the Board members explained that the Dublin ordinance was only being looked at as an example and if Antrim decided to write one similar the Boards
would look at many different choices that they could use in such an ordinance.
Discussion ensued.

Accessory Dwelling Unit
The State of NH will have a change in the law about Accessory Dwelling Units that will come in to effect starting June of 2017.
Ms. Ogilvie has amended the Accessory Dwelling Units Ordinances that will eventually be voted on in town elections in March 2017.
Ms. Ogilvie went over the changes in the law and what the Planning Board has suggested for the town’s zoning ordinances for the benefit of the ZBA members.
The Boards had questions for Ms. Ogilvie about the state law as well as the changes.

Home Based Businesses and Home Occupation
Chair Condon explained that the Planning Board is working on these specific sections of the zoning ordinances an attempt to simplify and clarify.
Ms.  Ogilvie combined the Home Occupation Article XIII Special Exceptions and the Home based Business Article XIV-A.
She has combined these ordinances into these stages:
  • Home Occupation-has no impact on the properties.
  • Professional Services- off site employees and some customer traffic.
  • Home Industry- light manufacturing with a few non-resident employees and some large “take home” equipment. Such as tractors, skidders, tow trucks, etc.
Ms. Ogilvie has done several re-writes with Planning Board input over the last several meetings. Members of both Boards questioned Ms. Ogilvie about the ordinance.
Discussion ensued.
Chair Condon recognized Wes Enman.
 Mr. Enman asked if a doing a service from your home that is making money, but you have no sign in front of your house,
it does have several of the criteria for Home based business/ Occupation, but the owner has not made the town nor the
state aware of the fact that they are performing this service from their home does it still qualify as a Home based business/occupation?
Who would you go to in to if you wanted to know of complain about something like this?   The Code Enforcement Agent or Building Inspector.

Chair Condon asked if there might be certain criteria that could be put into the ordinance that could be more specific about.
This brought about a flurry of ideas from both Boards on what could be added to the zoning ordinances or even to put before the Selectmen as amended Town
Ordinances criteria that would make it a Home Based Business vs. Home Occupation.
Chair Condon asked this matter be laid on the table until the Ms. Ogilvie did a re-write using this evenings suggestions.

Antrim Wind Project
Mr. Enman an Antrim resident in support of The Antrim Wind Project came before the Boards to request that each of the Boards write a letter of support of the project.
The SEC will be holding public hearings in September to determine whether the Antrim Wind Project will go through or not. If the SEC turns down the Antrim Wind Project permit the project will be terminated.
The Planning Board and Zoning Board of Adjustment takes no position on the Antrim Wind Project.
Town of Antrim Solar Project
Department of Environment Services has determined that a wetland permit is required for the site of the New Hampshire Solar Garden.
The town held an informational meeting explaining everything including the possibility of needing a wetlands permit.

Chair Condon asked for a motion to be made for the Planning Board to have another informational meeting on the Town of Antrim’s Solar Project.


Motion:  Ms. Cahoon made a motion for the Planning Board to have another informational meeting on the Town of Antrim’s Solar Project. Mr. Frosch seconded the motion.
Discussion
Mr. Holmes asked to move the question.
Roll Call Vote:  Cahoon yes, Condon yes,  Frosch yes,   Holmes no,  McEwen  no, Voelcker Abstained,  Robertson  yes

Motion: Mr. Frosch made a motion to adjourn. Mr. Holmes seconded the motion.
Vote:  By a voice vote, all agreed.


Meeting adjourned 8:40 pm


Respectfully Submitted By,
Colleen Giffin
Land Use Board Assistant











 

























Draft for Review_June 16, 2016 1
ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS

(Adopted March 9, 2004; Amended March 13, 2007; March ___, 2017)

[Options for regulating: (1) as a matter of right; (2) by conditional use permit; or (3) by Special Exception.)

NOTE: Except for a little bit of wordsmithing, the changes made are only to be consistent with the new state law.
  • Purpose & Intent: In order to provide for non-rental housing alternatives for immediate family members or family caregivers, a single family home may contain not more than one (1) accessory living unit.
To provide for housing alternatives for immediate family members or family caregivers; to increase the supply of affordable housing without building more infrastructure or developing more land; and to respond to a growing need for more diverse housing opportunities.


2. Definition: Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) means a residential living unit that is within or attached to a single–family dwelling, and that provides independent living facilities for one or more persons, including provisions for sleeping, eating, cooking, and sanitation on the same parcel of land as the principal dwelling unit it accompanies.
3. Criteria:
  •  A single family home may contain not more than one (1) ADU.
  • The ADU shall be within or attached to the primary dwelling unit. A detached ADU is allowed when located on a lot that has twice the minimum required lot size. Do you want to develop specific criteria for these circumstances?
  • The ADU shall be occupied by no more than two (2) persons not related by blood or marriage.
  • The ADU must have a minimum of 400 not exceed (750) square feet of livable floor area. The percentage idea as we discussed (e.g. 25%) will not work unless a house is 3,000 square feet or larger. Any smaller house would result in an ADU being less than 750 square feet. However, bear in mind that the homeowner can choose to have an ADU of less than 750 square feet – it is only the Town that cannot mandate a smaller unit.
  • The ADU shall have a separate entrance and shall have adequate egress in the case of fire or other hazard. The additional entrance(s) shall be located to the side or the rear of the building. Draft for Review_June 16, 2016 2
  • Any changes to the structure shall be in keeping with the existing architectural style of the building.
  • The applicant for an ADU will demonstrate that the existing or modified sewage disposal system is adequate for the additional use, per NH DES Subsurface Systems Bureau.
  •  For ADU’s that are within or attached to the primary dwelling unit, at least one (1) common interior access between the principal dwelling unit and the ADU will be provided.
  • Separate utility service connections and/or meters for the primary dwelling unit and the ADU are not permitted.
  • Off-street parking for an ADU shall be provided in accordance with Article XV.
  • The driveway shall be designed so as to appear as a driveway of a singlefamily residence and no new curb cut from the street shall be constructed.
  •  The house number for the ADU shall be determined at the time of the building permit application.
  •  Either the primary or the accessory dwelling unit must be occupied by the owner of the property. There shall be no occupancy of an ADU until the Building Inspector has issued a certificate of occupancy to the owner of the property, who must demonstrate that he or she will occupy one of the units.
 If a property containing an ADU is conveyed and the new owner wishes to maintain the unit, the new owner shall apply for a certificate of occupancy for the ADU to ensure that one of the two dwellings is owner-occupied.