Town of Lenox
Planning Board Minutes
Land Use Meeting Room
January 26, 2016
Present: Kameron Spaulding (KS); Mark Smith (MS); Tom Delasco (TD); Kate McNulty Vaughan (KMV)
Also present: Ken Fowler (KF)-Liaison from the Board of Selectmen and John Tansey, resident interested in open position on PB
Staff present: Town Planner Gwen Miller (GM); Peggy Ammendola, Land Use Clerk, (PA)
Approval of Minutes-January 12, 2016-MS made a motion to approve the minutes as written and TD seconded the motion. The Board voted to approve 4-0.
Zoning Bylaw Modification Discussion
A subcommittee made up of the following: KS, GM, Town Manager Chris Ketchen, Zoning Board of Appeals Chair Ethan Berg, and Building Commissioner Don Fitzgerald have been meeting over a period of time with Judi Barrett of RKG Associates to discuss issues with the zoning bylaw. (MS has attended a couple of the sessions.) Presented to the Board tonight were the following three documents:
- Table 3.1-Use Regulations Table 3.1-Use Regulations
- Potential Changes to the Lenox Zoning Bylaw
- Proposed Outline for All Boards’ Meeting
KS reviewed the documents and the Board discussed the suggested changes that were structural and organizational. A final draft of the changes is expected to be ready on Friday, January 29th and will be presented at the All Boards’ meeting on February 9th so that everyone can participate in the discussion. It is anticipated that the Planning Board will come to an agreement on the final wording and be prepared to present to the voters at the Annual Town Meeting in May.
A second part of the bylaw modification involves policy changes. Ms. Barret has already identified issues that warrant future discussion. This will be a project for the future which would also require approval at another town meeting, however, if at the All Board’s meeting it is decided that a policy change could be made at the next Annual Town Meeting, it could be incorporated. KS asked the members to review the changes and encouraged them to send to GM any comments so that she could incorporate in the final draft. KMV asked if it were possible to include the entire Board in future discussions so that all members can be very familiar with the changes and be able to answer questions from the public. KS stated that for the early on discussions, it was best to work with a smaller group, but
certainly this could be done. GM pointed out that before commencing the work with Ms. Barrett, she had requested that people review the bylaw and mark it up to address their concerns so that Ms. Barrett could have at least 10 marked up versions but this fell short. GM also mentioned that “purpose statements” for districts would be a recommended part of the revised bylaw.
The Board discussed the lack of public participation in spite of holding open houses, posted public notices, newspaper reports, etc. KS suggested that perhaps the Board should go into the community to engage the public.
GM requested that the Board review the outline for the All Board’s meeting and give their opinion as to if it was complete or if it was too lengthy. There was discussion on how the meeting should be conducted so as to hold the interest of those present. For the structural changes they may provide a pamphlet.
GM said that at the All Boards’ meeting the participants will be informed that this process to change the bylaw began with a smaller group of people who maintain and enforce the zoning bylaw, decide special permits or implement site plan reviews. The group has analyzed the existing bylaw and suggested changes. RKG Associates, planning professionals who concentrate primarily on evaluating overall land use patterns, was hired to assist and now the purpose is to have the other board members and public officials to comment. A large part is getting guidance and
input from others regarding the policy changes. KMV believed that there should be a second All Boards’ meeting due to the amount and complexity of the material.
Livability Initiatives-KMV, Patti Spector, GM and Ruth Wheeler are preparing a brochure that will list outdoor activities in Lenox. It will be geared to residents and visitors. GM suggested the Board look into STRAVA, a GPS~Cycling and Running~App. TD suggested having a PDF file provided on the town’s website. GM said that she is looking into how to host a Google Map on the website.
A letter has been received a letter from BRPC asking if the town would like assistance in writing a Complete Streets policy. Complete Streets provide safety, comfort, mobility, and accessibility for all users of the street network, including pedestrians, cyclists, other non-motorists, transit riders, school bus riders, motorists, commercial vehicles, and emergency vehicles, and are for people of all ages and abilities.
Planner’s Update-GM said that going forward she would give an update on what is going on in town or with boards that fall under the Land Use Department. For this update she reminded the Board that we have openings for a member on the HDC and the PB. The Land Management meeting is on January 29th. GM will be reviewing the town properties, looking into policies and the types of activities that could take place on the property. The Building Department is fully functional with the shared services with the Town of Lee. The CPC will meet on February 8th. Tim Lee, Superintendent of Schools, has approached GM about an AP Environmental class at LMMHS who will be working on a “sustainable neighborhood” and GM will be exploring ways of engaging the students in
planning.
Correspondence-Correspondence from other communities was read.
TD made a motion to adjourn and MS seconded the motion. The Board voted to adjourn at 7:47 PM by a vote of 4-0.
Respectfully submitted,
Peggy Ammendola
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