Lenox Planning Board
February 23, 2016
Minutes
Members in Attendance
Tom Delasco (TD), Kate McNulty Vaughan (KMV), Mark Smith (MS), Kameron Spaulding (KS), Chair
Staff in Attendance
Gwen Miller (GM), Town Planner
Others in Attendance
Ken Fowler (KF), BoS liaison; Robert Brown; Jan Chague, Historical Commission; Olga Weiss, Historical Commission
KS called the meeting to order at 6:01 pm.
Minutes
Approval of minutes from the All Boards meeting of February 9, 2016, was tabled to give committee members time to review them. Minutes from the Planning Board’s previous meeting were unavailable.
Debrief of All Boards Meeting
KS said that the All Boards meeting went well. He said getting all the groups together can help improve communication and coordination of efforts.
Recommended Zoning Bylaw Changes
The PB had planned to review draft language from consultant Judi Barrett regarding her recommendations but it was not received prior to the meeting. GM gave a brief summary and provided draft handouts relating to the four articles proposed for zoning bylaw changes. All are awaiting revised language from Ms. Barrett.
- Article 1: Reorganization and cleanup of zoning bylaws
- Article 2: Unique Village Center and Lenox Dale “C” districts, including purpose, location, permitted uses, dimensional requirements, parking, and questions to consider for both the Lenox Dale Village Center (LDC) and Lenox Village Center (LVC).
- Article 3: Revised table of uses, including: residential; institutional, recreational, and educational; places of public assembly; agricultural; office and laboratory; retail business and consumer service; industrial, wholesale, and transportation; accessory uses and general off-street parking; and estate preservation
- Article 4: Revisions to housing policy to be incorporated into the two specific districts (Lenox and Lenox Dale), including accessory dwelling units, multi-family dwellings, and mixed-use development
GM noted that only article 1 is proposed for discussion at the May 2016 Town Meeting. The other three articles are not. She asked that PB members review the handouts provided (Appendix A – table of uses; Lenox Village Center commercial and Lenox Dale commercial zone maps; summary of proposed four articles; minutes from 2/9/16 All Boards meeting) and come to the next meeting with their comments, suggestions, and recommendations. She will also contact Ms. Barrett to get updated documents.
KS suggested another PB meeting to discuss the proposed changes prior to the Town Meeting deadline for materials. The date was set for March 8, 2016, at 6 pm.
KMV noted that these changes also should be brought to the Affordable Housing Committee.
Ongoing Planning Board Vacancy
KS reported that there is one candidate (John Tansey) for the vacancy on the PB. Mr. Tansey is currently a member of the Finance Committee and is aware that he will have to relinquish that position. Mr. Tansey will need to be interviewed by the Board of Selectmen and the PB. KS suggested March 9, 2016, at 6:30 pm, prior to the start of the regularly scheduled BoS meeting.
Ms. Vaughan proposed that the PB have a standard procedure for interviewing candidates when there are vacancies. She also suggested that the town resurrect/revise a “How to Be a Committee Member” booklet used in the past to orient potential candidates for committees.
Historical Commission Bylaw Efforts
Olga Weiss, chair of the Historical Commission, spoke about her concerns regarding the town’s commitment to historic preservation. She wanted to alert the PB that the Historical Commission is planning to propose historic preservation amendments for the Town Meeting warrant. They also may propose an historic preservation bylaw (not finalized yet, however). She is looking for input and support from the PB and the Historic District Commission.
Key points in the discussion included:
- Researching other towns (such as New Bern, NC, but preferably in Massachusetts) that have developed specific and successful historic preservation guidelines
- Perceived conflicts/overlaps among bylaws used to make zoning and Historic District Commission decisions; researching other towns that have successfully resolved conflicts/overlaps among town committees
- Whether preservation language should be included in applications and other forms related to historic buildings in Lenox and in deeds to historic properties
- Whether funds could be made available for outside architectural/historic preservation consultants as needed
KS made a motion to adjourn. Ms. Vaughan seconded. By unanimous vote, the meeting was adjourned at 7:20 pm.
Prior to adjourning, the members identified agenda items for the March 8 meeting:
BRPC Update
Correspondence
By Law Changes
HDC Update, CPC Update
Accessory Dwelling Units language for Bylaw
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