Town of Lenox
Planning Board
June 26, 2012
Land Use Meeting Room
Members present: Acting Chair Steve Sample, SS Kate McNulty-Vaughan, KMV; Mark S. Smith, MS; Kimberly Reopell Flynn, KRF
Staff present: Peggy Ammendola, Land Use Clerk, PA; Mary Albertson, Town Planner, MA
Approval Not Required Plans There were none.
Reorganization and Election of Officers-In the absence of GS the consensus was to wait to reorganize until the next meeting when all Board members are present.
Discuss Open Space Plan: MA advised the Board that as of July 1, 2012, the Board will have access to CPA funds of $20,000.00 for the Open Space Plan and she gave an overview of the process of moving from this point to having the final Plan approved. She suggested that the Board organize a short term committee to make proposals of what would be in the best interest of Lenox and that a Request for Proposal (RFP) is put together as soon as possible. She said that the consultant who would be creating the Open Space Plan has an advantage as Lenox already has a previous Open Space Plan, Master Plan and Community Development Plan.
The Board determined that the committee should be made up of a representative of the following boards and committees: Planning, Conservation, Community Preservation, Community Center, Kennedy Park, Land Trust, Selectboard, Historical Commission and an “at large” person.
MA said that the Town has a year, with the possibility of an extension of one year, but would hope to have Open Space Plan complete within six months to a year with the goal of having it complete by this time next year.
MA will work with Mary Ellen Deming on the RFP.
Sign Bylaw Draft: Written comments were submitted today by GS and KMV, but there wasn’t a final consensus by the Board on how the draft should be rewritten before submitting to the HDC, therefore it was agreed to submit the draft as it is to the HDC and SS will ask the HDC to review and make their comments. It was also agreed to discuss the definition section of the bylaw at the next meeting.
Discuss recent Massachusetts Historical Commission seminar regarding the development of a Demolition Delay Bylaw: MS and KMV attended and told the Board that Chris Skelly of the state Historical Commission spoke of the provisions of both an Affirmative Maintenance Bylaw and a Demolition Delay Bylaw. Members of the Lenox Historical Commission who attended were Olga Weiss, Al Harper and Lucy Kennedy. The Commission asked MA to ask the Lenox Historical Commission what their status was following the seminar and to extend an invitation to them to attend a Board meeting to discuss what plans they have, if any, to proceed.
Planning Board Recommendations to Town Boards and Commissions: No recommendations were requested.
Review Correspondence: Decisions and notices of public hearings and notices from abutting communities were reviewed.
Other Business: Next week MS and MA will attend a BRPC follow up meeting on the Route 7 & 20 overlay.
Approve Minutes: KMV made a motion to accept the minutes of June 12, 2012. MS seconded the motion and the Board voted to approve 3-0-1. KRF abstained as she was not a member at that time.
Respectfully submitted,
Peggy Ammendola
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