Town of Lenox
Planning Board
September 23, 2008
Land Use Meeting Room
Members present: Chair Joe Kellogg, JK; Ken Fowler, KF; Kate McNulty-Vaughn, KM-V; Steve Sample, SS; Gary Schiff, GS
Staff present: Mary Albertson, Town Planner, MA; Peggy Ammendola, Land Use Clerk, PA
The meeting was called to order at 6:00 p.m.
Minutes of September 9, 2008: SS made a motion to approve the minutes as edited by JK. KM-V seconded the motion. The Board voted to approve 5-0.
Special Town Meeting: Plans are to have the public hearing for the proposed zoning bylaw amendments in January followed by the Special Town Meeting in February. MA will put together the language in the form of the proposed amendment for the Board to review.
Zoning Bylaw re-codification. Board members discussed Town Counsel Jeremia Pollard’s review of the Attorney General’s comments made when approving the re-codification. The Board agreed to accept the changes suggested by the Attorney General’s office and not ask for reconsideration.
The Attorney General also approved the Vahle property rezoning on Routes 7 & 20, but noted that the zoning map submitted did not reflect the rezoning. This correction will be made at the Special Town Meeting that is planned for February 2009.
Open Space and Recreational Plan update: MA suggested that members of both the Planning Board and Conservation Commission get together to discuss rewriting the Plan. KF agreed to represent the Planning Board. KM-V volunteered to edit the finished document.
Matt Lane, property on Housatonic Street: The Board held a follow up discussion of Mr. Lane’s letter, requesting zoning relief for his property located on Housatonic Street. Mr. Lane’s property is a vacant lot, is zoned R15, and meets the requirements for square footage for two single family dwellings, but the parcel does not have the required frontage. When he purchased the lot, Mr. Lane had the expectation of being able to divide it into two lots; however Section 4, exception 4.8 of the Lenox Zoning Bylaw was eliminated
with the re-codification. MA stated that she had, in a discussion prior to the receipt of the letter, suggested to Mr. Lane that he ask an abutting property owner to consider selling a portion of their property to Mr. Lane that would provide the frontage required for two dwellings. The Board discussed this option as well as other alternatives.
MA will contact Mr. Lane and explain that the Board might entertain a general modification of the Zoning Bylaw with regard to the frontage provision as a means of promoting affordable housing, but for a more immediate result she will suggest to him that he petition the Zoning Board for a variance to allow for a reduction in the frontage requirement.
New Business:
JK said that Joe Strauch of the Conservation Commission had approached him to see if the Planning Board would be interested in working with the Commission in creating a Town of Lenox wetland bylaw, which would be more restrictive than the Wetland Protection Act. Board members discussed and agreed that the Conservation Commission should draft the bylaw, and the Board would assist in reviewing.
The owners of the Lenox Center shopping center are talking about re-developing this property and would like to make an informal presentation of their plans to the Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals and Board of Selectmen. The meeting will take place at the next Planning Board meeting on October 14, 2008.
Great Estates Bylaw: The Board agreed to continue discussions about the Great Estates Bylaw with Ethan Berg and the James Jurney family on October 14.
Public hearing notices and decisions from abutting communities were reviewed.
SS made a motion to adjourn the meeting and KF seconded the motion. The Board voted 5-0 to adjourn at 7:30 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Peggy Ammendola
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