CHILMARK PLANNING BOARD
Meeting Minutes
Monday, March 8, 2010 @ 4:30 PM
Approved
Present: William Meegan, acting chair, Rich Osnoss, John Flender, Russell Walton,
Mitch Posin
Todd Christy, Administrative Assistant
Not Present: Janet Weidner, Tim Lasker
Public: Debra Cedeno, Larry Schubert, Kent Healy, Susan Heilbron, Andy Goldman, Riggs Parker, Granville White, Wendy Weldon, Callie Silva, Chris Murphy, Mark London, Gary Harcourt, Russell Maloney, Kerry Downing, Eric Glascow, Clarissa Allen, Josh Scott, Bill Rossi
Call To Order:
Mr. Meegan, acting Chair, called the meeting to order at 4:30pm
Public Hearing:
>Mr. Meegan read aloud the publicly posted notice and opened the meeting.
>Mr. Meegan read aloud the public petition as it was filed.
>Mr. Meegan read into the minutes two letters. One sent by Bob Green. One sent by Kate Warner.
Mr. Meegan gave a brief description and explained the process of how this public hearing came about and exactly the purpose of this public hearing. A public petition may be presented by any resident with 10 resident signatures to the BOS. That petition, as it proposes amending a bylaw, then must go to the Planning Board for a public hearing and input must be received before the planning board makes a report and recommendations to the town at the Annual Town Meeting. Currently, there is a moratorium covering wind turbines over 150’ that the Martha’s Vineyard Commission has imposed. The recent history of wind mill bylaws in Chilmark and the need for a rewrite was a result of public comment on two turbines that were passed by the ZBA. The ZBA asked the Planning Board to look at the bylaw and create a larger
notification area and take into account the noise and the visual aspect of wind mills (turbines).
There were several questions by the public trying to clarify the process and the purpose of this public hearing. After some discussion clarifying this process, the acting chair opened the floor to public comment.
There were many in attendance that included residents of Chilmark and other island towns. There were comments both in support and against the moratorium. Five residents spoke of the possible detriment of the moratorium; three spoke in favor of moratorium. Several members of other island towns voiced their opinions of the moratorium, all opposed the proposed moratorium. Those in favor spoke of the need for the Town of Chilmark to be covered while the Planning Board drafts new bylaws to address residential scale turbines. Some spoke of the negative visual and noise aspects of turbines in general. Those opposed to the moratorium voiced their approval of the special permit process which is based on the merits of the proposed system and site. Some spoke of their concerns of very prohibitive bylaws and decisions are made with
better bylaws. The author of the petition, Mr. Goldman, spoke briefly about his reason for proposing this moratorium was intended to protect the town during the period that the Planning Board needed to draft a better bylaw, while addressing the very complex nature and fast evolving technology that turbines represent.
Several members of the Planning Board noted that several members of the ZBA recently had suggested they had the language within the current bylaws to govern turbine special permits and now it has become more difficult. Those same members would like to see less subjectiveness in the bylaw and more black and white.
Mr. Meegan discussed with the board the idea of closing the public hearing to oral comment, but to leave it open to written comment for two weeks so that the two members of the Planning Board that were not in attendance could weigh in on the issue. The motion was made to close the public hearing to oral comment, but leave it open to written comment. That motion was seconded and approved by all ayes. The Planning Board will close the Public Hearing to written comment in two weeks and then draft a report and recommendations. 5:42pm
New Business:
Josh Scott was present to informally discuss the possibilities of developing a parcel off of South Road, Map 11, Lot 1. This lot is owned by the Vincent family and has been before the Planning Board before. It will require a relocation of the entrance from South Road to facilitate more traffic.
The Board listened to Mr. Scott’s proposed usage of the property and discussed all the options and what the process might be to develop this lot. Mr. Scott thanked the board for their time and consideration of his project. The board will discuss some of the future planning aspects of the lots behind lot 1.
Minutes:
Minutes from February 8, 2010 were not reviewed.
With no more business to discuss, Mr. Meegan adjourned the meeting at 6:50 pm.
Minutes respectfully submitted by Todd Christy, Administrative Assistant.
| 
