Chichester Planning Board
Minutes of Meeting
Thursday, November 6, 2014
Members Present: Chairman Kevin Mara, Vice Chairman Tom Jameson, Ex-Officio Jeffrey Jordan, Stan Brehm (late arrival), Tom Houle, Allen Mayville, Richard Moore, Alan Williams and Secretary Jamie A Pike.
Others Present: Lucille Noel, Chief Alan Quimby, Deputy Chiefs Matt Cole and Ed Millette, Mike Anderson, Douglas Hall, Michelle Plunkett, Ann Davis.
Chairman Mara called the meeting to order at 6:35pm.
The minutes of October 2, 2014 were reviewed. A motion was made by Mr. Jameson and seconded by Mr. Moore to approve the minutes with minor corrections, noting that there were existing homes on both lots regarding the lot-line adjustment of Weir/Halquist. Motion Passes.
The minutes of October 23, 2014 were reviewed. A motion was made by Mr. Jameson and seconded by Mr. Moore to approve the minutes as written. Motion Passes.
Fire Department Impact Fees – Deputy Chief Millette spoke on behalf of the Department. Mr. Millette is requesting the Fire Department be included in the new fee study. The Fire Department has previously requested an addition to the Fire Station and is currently requesting a new fire station at the north end of town for the year 2024. Deputy Chief Cole spoke about the necessity of the station to support the increasing development in the Pleasant Street area. Mr. Williams spoke about the possibility of staffing the existing Fire Department vs. a new station. Mr. Pike explained that the project submitted is out too far for the collection of such fees as impact fees are required to be returned in 6 years if not used. Regarding the Fire Department addition, the CIP did not recommend the appropriation
therefore would not be included in the Impact Fee Study. The Board of Selectmen has been speaking over the past couple years about not collecting the fees. Mr. Jordan stated that he is not in favor of the fees.
Chief Quimby requested that going forward, all commercial site plans be presented to the Fire Department for review. Mr. Pike will work on writing this procedure into the Site Review regulations, but all will be forwarded in the mean time.
Plan NH – Charrette Follw-up. Ms. Lucille Noel was present to provide a follow-up to the recently completed Charrette. Ms. Noel thanked the two members of the Planning Board, Tom Houle and Stan Brehm whom participated in the event. Ms. Noel presented copies of the preliminary findings of the planning team. This included several conceptual drawings. The team has offered many options for traffic calming, including splitter medians and 4-way stops at the intersections. Other recommendations included adding green space to define the area as a village center. The final report will be available in a few months. Many recommendations are geared around the Town gaining jurisdictional control of Main Street from the State. Mr. Jameson spoke about the prior plans to address the
intersection at Route 28, Depot Street and Main Street. Ms. Noel spoke about improvements to the Library which may be funded by a private bequeath. Some of these improvements will be a direct result of the Charrette to improve parking, access and adding green space at this location. Other concepts presented were the addition of large planter boxes at the intersections or on private property to give the visual impression of a narrower roadway causing a speed reduction. Mr. Jameson asked about potential zoning changes that may come from the Charrette. There were suggestions included regarding setbacks and other items. Mr. Hall spoke about the Team’s reaction to the town’s use of soil based zoning, as it is not widely used throughout the state. Mr. Brehm spoke about making Main Street a separate zoning district. There was discussion about repurposing existing buildings into alternate uses. One major use could be senior housing. Mr. Mayville questioned the cost-benefit of
pursuing the ideas from the Charrette. Increased costs and time to implement future infrastructure may not be offset by these types of developments through taxation. Mr. Jameson hopes to see the report outline both short and long term goals and objectives. Mr. Brehm spoke about the possibility of reaching out to developers who have done similar repurposing in other areas about how to encourage these future changes. Ms. Noel concluded by encouraging the Board to step back and think outside the box.
Conceptual Site Development - Gary Anderson, Map 3 Lot 20, 195 Dover Road
Mr. Anderson was present to speak on the merits of the proposal.
Mr. Anderson is seeking ideas from the Planning Board regarding the potential of the development of the subject lot as an automobile sales lot. Mr. Anderson is primarily before the Board to determine if the display area shall be paved or not; as this can be cost prohibitive to the development. Mr. Anderson distributed an aerial view plan of the property showing an area to the left the existing house that could be used as a display area. Concerns brought forward from the Board included drainage issues of keeping storm water off of route 4 and sufficient parking for employees and customers. Mr. Anderson plans to develop the property as a mixed use property utilizing the existing home as his residence. The office for the car sales would be encompassed within the home. The Board members discussed the use
of the home or the garage as the office space and how to determine the appropriate needed paved parking to accommodate and meet the requirements of zoning and the site review regulations. The Board was generally discouraged about allowing certain temporary reliefs as the business develops. The planning board needs to look at the development and prepare for the future as the business may/will increase beyond the capabilities of any reliefs provided. There are also concerns regarding the grade of the property and the neighboring properties. A role of the Board is to review the potential impacts to the neighboring properties as well as to insure the development does not afford to erosion, dust, and other such nuisances. Dr. Mara and Mr. Brehm encouraged Mr. Anderson to consult with an engineer to determine what site improvements may be required to comply with all the pertinent regulations. Mr. Williams seeks a more concrete answer from the
Board to afford Mr. Anderson the opportunity to move forward. Mr. Pike was directed to reach out to the Conservation Commission for an opinion regarding pavement.
Master Plan – Historical, Cultural & Scenic Resources.
The Board was to bring recommendations for editing, revision and further development before moving forward for public presentation and possible adoption.
Dr. Mara first had concerns with the adoption of a demolition review ordinance. Mary Kate Ryan of the State Division of Historic Resources was present to speak on behalf of the Heritage Commission. Demolition review is to allow the Town a time period to hold public hearings to determine if there are alternatives to the demolition of the building. Such as incorporating it into the plans, possible moving, possibly changing the location of the development to an alternative site. Mr. Moore has reviewed the document and found certain language within the document was stronger than he felt necessary. Also presented was an itemized list of 15 items that Mr. Moore felt needed change or alteration. Mr. Williams felt strongly against the adoption of a demolition review ordinance. Ms. Ryan provided an
overview of how a potential DRO works in other towns, where once a demolition permit is applied for, a committee would review the application and attempt to come to an alternative to its demolition with the developer. Mr. Hall related his own voluntary experience with a similar process. There was a lengthy discussion regarding a demolition review ordinance and its impedance on landowners’ rights. There was also discussion about how the preservation of historic resources and structures adds value and benefits to the community as a whole.
Other Business:
Douglas Hall presented the Board with a chart outlining how he feels that increased commercial development increases tax rates rather than lowering them.
Being no further discussion, a motion was made by Mr. Mayville and seconded by Mr. Jameson to adjourn the meeting at 9:41pm. Motion passes.
Respectively Submitted,
Jamie A Pike
Not approved until signed.
Kevin Mara, DVM
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