Jackson Planning Board
MINUTES – June 11, 2015 – REGULAR MEETING - UNOFFICIAL UNTIL APPROVED
Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 7:05 pm by Dick Bennett, Chair. Attending were: Members Dick Bennett, Daren Levitt, Sarah Kimball, John Allen, and Betsey Harding, and Alternate Bea Davis. Larry Siebert and Kathleen Dougherty had indicated they would be unable to attend. In the audience was videographer Hank Benesh, who was filming the proceedings. Dick announced that all present would vote on any issues.
Minutes of May 14: John moved, and Dick seconded, acceptance of the minutes, and all approved.
Public comment: None.
Addition to Agenda: Dick has recently received information about water quality and water rights issues, and suggested that the Board find a way to add such concerns into the next version of the Master Plan.
Old Business: Dick read into the minutes a letter about septic systems from Burr Phillips, as follows:
The state reviews the design for compliance with state septic and subdivision regulations. They also inspect the installed system prior to it being backfilled. The town [Burr Phillips, on behalf of it] does a couple of things:
- Review the design for compliance with the town’s zoning ordinance. A few topics include: verifying that the lot is large enough to support the proposed # of bedrooms (or commercial flow) per the town’s lot-sizing standards which are different from the state’s; verifying that the house/ building layout is not within the building setbacks; verifying that the leach bed is far enough from perennial streams since the town’s standards are more restrictive than the state’s.
- Make a site visit to verify that the plans actually match the existing conditions and that the layout markers are set. Some examples of things that I have found that were not shown on the design plan include: An intermittent stream and wetlands flagging at the proposed leach beds site; Wetlands within 10 ft of a test pit where the test pit indicated “no groundwater within 10 ft of the surface”; a well on the abutting property but immediately next to the proposed leach bed location; etc. Note that the state does not review the site prior to construction so this is the only check of the plan’s accuracy with respect to the existing conditions.
To summarize: The state reviews for compliance with the state regs plus inspects the installed system; I check the accuracy of topographic mapping and I review for compliance with the town’s regulations.
Burr’s letter provides answers to some questions that have been raised over the past five or more months.
Shippee Property Concept Review (R-9, Lot 28): Timothy and Robin Shippee own 40 acres in the area where Charlie Russo started a 4-lot development. A subdivision of the lots received Conditional Approval in 1989, but it never received Final Approval, and the road was never approved; if there ever was a septic system and leach field, it likely would no longer be functioning. Consequently, to subdivide the land at this time, a new survey would be required.
Discussion of Draft PDI Report: Scott Badger had obtained copies of a report commissioned by the Regional Collaborative Committee for a study by PDI of Valley towns’ zoning ordinances as those regulations affect economic and housing issues. Board members looked over the section of the draft report concerning Jackson; however, since Scott is a member of the RCC, we decided to continue the review at the July meeting when he can provide additional information.
Continued work on the Master Plan: Most members have completed their Master Plan work and forwarded their drafts to Sarah; Betsey’s work to update the housing and economic sections is still in progress, and she needs to get an update on the Library. Bea agreed to take over the update of the Social Services section. Dick and Sarah commented that Current Use and easements will affect the Build-Out Analysis; no count can be completely accurate without a lot-by-lot examination.
Continued work on Subdivision Regulations: We discussed changes proposed at earlier meetings, seeking a way to revise and update existing regulations, and taking into account comments made by Jay Henry. Prior to that meeting, Betsey will email the newly-revised Subdivision Regulations; we reviewed the Gorham Checklist, for comparisons, and determined that the wording is more succinct; the checklist Jackson uses could be similarly revised, once the Subdivision Regulations are satisfactory.
There being no further business, John moved to adjourn the meeting; all approved; we adjourned at 8:55 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Betsey Harding
(Note: an audio-visual record of the meeting may be found on Jacksonflicks.com)
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