Planning Board
Preliminary Meeting Minutes –
Recorded by Sharon Rossi
October 27, 2014
Members present: RMarshall, JFletcher, PRenaud, KO’Connell, SFox, and SChicoine
7:01 p.m. Minutes:
PRenaud began reading the October 6, 2014 minutes. Several spelling, punctuation and replacement of words were done. No substantive changes were made. JFletcher motioned to accept the minutes as amended. KO’Connell seconded. Vote unanimous in favor.
7:25 p.m. Lisa Murphy – Master Plan - Economic Development Chapter
RMarshall thanked LMurphy for her preliminary edits on the Community Facility draft. LMurphy handed a draft of the Economic Development chapter.
PRenaud asked LMurphy about the co-efficient ratio from the American Community Service (ACS) report. LMurphy responded that it is a guide, and with the last census there is a lot of error in the information received. LMurphy said the graphs and data will all have the source listed. LMuphy said that the ACS is the only data available. The important thing is to make sure the source is underneath every table and graph, so everyone knows where the data comes from. Also the information from the community survey that was done should be noted as well.
LMurphy asked that everyone take a look at this data, and as it is a new chapter, we can do anything you want in this chapter. She urged members to e-mail her with ideas/comments for this chapter. Henry Underwood started putting some of the data in graphs in this report.
RMarshall said in looking at the population growth chart, I have no problem with it. The school enrollment graph is OK.
The civilian population chart is OK. The 25 largest employers chart needs some correction. Brantwood Camp does have the number of employees, but their economic contribution is seasonal and very small to town economic activity. Barbara C Harris Camp is similar. RMarshall questions the value of that chart. LMurphy will check with Henry Underwood to see if there is another way to show business’s economic contribution to town. She’ll also see if there is another way to portray the value and number of employees. PRenaud asked that she remove the Fire Dept. from largest employers chart and find a way to document fire department and volunteers elsewhere. He suggested we create a seasonal column as well.
8:01 p.m. Allrose Farm continuation. JReimers, attorney representing Allrose Farm, agreed to waive the 65 day time limitation required by the Site Plan Review regulation. RMarshall announced that we are scheduling Allrose Farm’s deliberation to continue on November 10 at 8:30 p.m. This application will continue on the Planning Board’s agenda until such time as a decision is made, as noticed. JGryval asked if the Planning Board members had any questions about the decision the Board of Adjustment made. None did.
8:03 p.m. LMurphy’s presentation continued. It was agreed to remove the businesses with 1-4 employees from the Twenty Five Largest Employers by Size Chart. The next graph, Greenfield Employment, chart is OK. KO’Connell asked if there is some way we can show the growth of the home based businesses in town. How would you find out about how many home based occupations are in town? LMurphy asked if there is any kind of registry for home based businesses. There is none.
PRenaud said about 15% of residents are telecommuting from home. Some of those people are paying extremely high rates for better connectivity
Graph 4 (Weekly wages) is OK.
Table 5 (Median Household Income) shows a median income in Greenfield, but most of the workers don’t actually work in Greenfield.
Graph 7 (Highest Level of Educational Attainment)
PRenaud suggested we put the actual amount in the colored box or do this as a point graph. RMarshall said instead of Southwest Region being used for a comparison, I would rather see a local town like Francestown in that slot.
Graph 8, (Median Earnings by highest level of education attainment) is OK. LMurphy said in your whole Master Plan, you may not use this information, but someone else, such as a welfare office or school board might.
PRenaud said after he has compiled all the information from the broadband survey, the EDAC and others will need to strategize what we want to do and how to fulfill the plan. PRenaud will be attending various meetings with broadband contractors to see what is realistically possible for the town. He suggested a meeting be held with EDAC and the Planning Board to consult on the broadband research and to get a goal set for this town. He also said he would like to have a general statement about broadband in the Economic Development chapter of the Master Plan.
Graph 9 (Average Annual Unemployment) and 10 (Greenfield Local Property Tax Rate) are OK. Graph 11 (Places of Work for Greenfield Residents) and Table 9 (Regional Commuter Activity to Primary Jobs), though not complete to date, are OK. There will information forth coming for Table 8 (Tax Rate Comparison), LMurphy said she likes to find ways to create redundancy with other documents to show connections.
RMarshall said he will do a written paragraph on the brief history of business in Greenfield. LMurphy said she will make a start of business profiles, then will return with that information
Community Facilities
RMarshall handed out copies of the Community Facility. LMurphy said she has made some changes to our draft for community facilities.
Commentary:
· Introduction and Section are OK,
· Change Town Hall to Town Government
· Remove the Chief’s name from the paragraph
Change Section III Emergency Services to a new format:
A. Police
B. Fire and Rescue Services
Strike 3rd paragraph and rewrite the 2nd paragraph to read: “With the completion of the
interview room….”
Eliminate Emergency management and Hazard Mitigation Plan from Section III
EMS to be spelled out Emergency Medical Services and then continue to use EMS in
further paragraphs. LMurphy will reformat
· Page 3 Department of Public Works
Add the 2009 Cat 40 backhoe to inventory list
Add: “DPW may need to consider expansion of building/ facility in the foreseeable future.
· Delete the road suggestion.
Page 4 Library: changes made are OK.
Page 4 Recreation OK.
Add: “many resources” to first sentence
Page 5 Recreation OK Emma Gibson Forest correct the number of acres to 12.5 acres,
Page 6 Recreational Opportunities in Greenfield-Table 1
· Emma Gibson Forest add Society of NH Forest: add hiking, cross country skiing, horseback riding, hunting, public access
· variety of school related activities” to be listed under the Greenfield School, Add Conval School District under ownership
· Change Town Hall to Town Office with a note: gymnasium not used
· Hogback Pond adds hiking and fishing. Under the ownership add: State of NH
· Crotched Mountain Education and Rehabilitation Center owns handicapped accessible trails, add natural areas and recreational facilities.
· Oak Park public and private use. Under activities, include track, ball field, soccer/football field, tennis courts, playground, pavilion.
· Greenfield State Park:: add boat launch
· Barbara C Harris Center: privately owned, boating, swimming, tennis courts
· Zephyr Lake: add fishing, ice fishing, boating
· Sunset Lake: add boating, fishing
· Brantwood Camp: private owned, traditional camp activities
· Wapack Trail: wildlife sanctuary, public access
Page 7 Education OK as edited.
Page 8 Meeting House change 1775 to 1795. Check with Aaron about the refurbished boiler in the meetinghouse
Page 9 no changes
Page 10 as edited. Under expenditures add: “greatest single department expenditure”
Page 11 2014 expenditures to be added using one column only. Show as a pie chart and add the source
Municipal Water (6) and Sewer and Solid Waste (7) sections are missing. LMurphy said she didn’t do any re-numbering and she didn’t receive those sections. RMarshall said he will check to see what he sent to her and will get those chapters to her.
9:39 p.m. Mail Rec’d:
· Letter from Shelley Gerianarneau, Disallow Article from Warrant at Town Meeting for Grant not received.
· Piscataquog Letter dated 10/6/2014, re: Allrose Farm. Hard copy from letter read into the record on 10/6/14
· Planning Board Y-T-D budget expenditures.
· DES brochure Supply Lines with the Source
PRenaud asked to keep EDAC line item in the budget at $2,000.
PRenaud will be sending out the results of the broadband survey to all. It was definitely worth the effort and was very informative. All of evidence shows that people in town are hurting for broadband and feel that there would be a large support to get broadband in town. 17 to 18% of the households responded.
Mapping for trails of town owned land may come from the Trails Association in the future.
RMarshall said that KO’Connell has applied for a Special Variance hearing with the Board of Adjustment on Wednesday and the Planning Board has been asked to make a comment/recommendation. KO’Connell diagrammed on the chalkboard what he is requesting: from the 50’ side setback requirement to put in a garage. He is encroaching 8’ and 18’ inside the 50’ setback . After his presentation, he excused himself from the room.
After a short discussion the Planning Board, JFletcher motioned to recommend approval the variance. PRenaud seconded. Vote unanimous in favor.
Reasons to support the recommendation are:
· The slope of the lot makes other locations on the property difficult and this use would result in minimum impact on the property.
· The proposed use would have minimum impact on the abutting property, with a setback of 32 feet from the property line still being observed.
General Discussion:
The recent charrette recommended a zoning ordinance change/s is/are needed to accommodate in-fill development in the center of town. A lot of research will need to be done to develop appropriate language and discussions should be conducted with townspeople to see how we should proceed. It may be best to conduct those meetings and get that language together for next 2015’s ballot since there is little time left this year and the formal report from Plan NH with specific recommendations has not been received yet. Under the Open space ordinance, we might want to include language that would permit cluster development.
PRenaud said perhaps for this year’s ballot we could get an ordinance on the books about a net metering for solar gardens PRenaud will read and research this and let the Planning Board know if this is achievable in the next 3 meetings.
Potential Goal for 2015: Prepare language for Zoning Ordinance vote in 2016 that includes
· Open space cluster housing
· Zoning change for the village allowing more in-fill
· Clarify the definition of hotel
10: 30 p.m. Adjournment
PRenaud motioned to adjourn. SFox seconded. Vote unanimous in favor.
| 
