Minutes of the Chilmark Planning Board, 10 May 2010
Present: Mitch Posin, Billy Meegan, Rusty Walton, John Flender, Rich Osnoss, & Janet Weidner
Also Present: Thomas Bena,~ MV Film Festival, and Mathea Morais, Summer Program Coordinator for the Community Center; and Callie Silva
The meeting was opened at 4:35 PM, by vice-chair Meegan, after some~~~~~~~~~~~~~ difficulties with setting the recorder.
Thomas Bena and Mathea Morais came to the Planning Board with two alternatives for a more permanent sign for the Community Center, to replace the sawhorse-&-plywood signs that have been out on the patch of grass between the parking lot and South Road. There was some discussion of the sign bylaw and the idea of separate signs for multiple uses, as at the Chilmark Tavern/Law offices/Bank/Real Estate.~
The design preferred and approved by the Planning Board has a single post with an arm which support two “signs”, one of which is a chalkboard for daily activities of the Community Center, size 2 feet by 18 inches (3 sf). The second hanging sign, advertising for the Film Festival “Circus and Movies”, is narrower, at 2 feet by 6 inches (1 sf). The street number will be on the arm itself.
This design was Moved , Seconded, and unanimously Approved.
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Janet Weidner took over the meeting ~at this point , and turned the discussion to the Graves covenant ~rescission/subdivision request.~ The oral report from Ron Rappaport is essentially that the road has never been formally approved.~ Thus denial of a Form A is reasonable as the driveway may have been present for many years, but is not approved as to grades, material, etc. A discussion followed of whether the covenant can be simply rescinded by the two owners, or whether the covenant does “run with the land”. Rusty Walton pointed out that the covenant was not required as a condition formally. When the Graves prior Form A application was presented in 1999 the Board expressed serious concerns about potential density.~ The Graves family returned a week or two later with the non-subdivision covenant as a voluntary
act.
It was Moved, Seconded and Voted unanimously to grant an extension to May 26th, 2010.~ This is the Wednesday after our next meeting.
~John Flender commented that “economic hardship” could be used improperly, to influence the Boards (not necessarily in this case).
Concerning the Energy Committee, Mr. Meegan reported that he had been seeking information on the Internet concerning Stretch Code. He did not have a concerted report from the Energy Committee on WECS. He considers that we need to discuss energy use as well as generation.~ He provided a brief handout on a couple of ways of limiting houses – or at least limiting their impacts. One method is to limit the energy “footprint” by specifying that new houses and enlargements must conform to a “footprint” suitable for a 3500 (or 4000 sqft) sq. ft. house. Such an energy budget requirement would push people toward efficiency, conservation, and use of renewable (onsite) alternative sources. An alternative for a house over 4000 sf might be a large fee to the Town for renewable alternative energy projects
elsewhere in Town.
Review of larger houses has been done elsewhere (Aspen – to be checked). Ron Rappaport seems to think that such an audit/conservation/renewable energy method of limitation may be do-able.
[Mitch Posin had to leave the meeting early, around 5:20 pm, for reasons of health.]
The discussion returned to wind turbines and the WECS Committee: Billy thinks we are getting close, but he asked for advice on the selection of WECS committee members.
In addition to himself and maybe Janet(?), he would like to have:
Tyler Studds, who has done mapping which should show us the optimum areas. Wendy Weldon,~ ZBA member
Kent Healy, engineer
and maybe Andy Goldman – who was a supporter of the moratorium.
Rich Osnoss commented that the last bylaw draft withdrawn from Town Meeting was too cumbersome of an application process: conditions and requirements need to be specified, and objective.
The ZBA is using the current Windmill Bylaw 4.2A4d, which requires them to determine”…that the proposed height and location of the windmill does not interfere with the rights of abutters to enjoy their property…” to deny new windmills.
The “flicker effect” was mentioned. It was suggested that the effect should be recorded, so that the actual effect can be determined. It may be that a system can be shut down for a specified period during the day or week or …
The response from Ron Rappaport on the Helen Parker/Marin Street access covenant question is that this is a private matter between neighbors. The Board does not need to intervene.
~Ron’s response on the Wendy Weldon request for a waiver of the Stange subdivision covenants is that the covenant could be revised by agreement of all the other owners in the subdivision. As this was an MVC case, any change should also be confirmed by the MVC.
Weldon (cont.)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ p.3
R. Walton pointed out that the covenant was submitted to the Planning Board as a part of the Subdivision application, approved by the Town and MVC Boards, and noted on the linen.
The Road suitability question for two proposed divisions: DeGunsberg (Leonard Nelson), Prospect Hill Road and Ghee , Gosnold Way was dropped for this meeting due to Mitch Posin’s illnesss.
The extension of the road completion deadline for Kauff, in the Weisner subdivision, to July 24, 2010, was approved unanimously.
There was a very brief discussion of the North Tabor Farm committee, chiefly who is the current equivalent of the “Duke’s County Agricultural Agent”? Two leases, drafts by Miller & Dix and by Clark, were passed out for homework.
It was agreed to allow the minutes of March 22 & April 15 to be postponed to May 24, 2010.
The Meeting adjourned at 6:30 PM.
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