Lyme Planning Board Minutes
July 13, 2006
Board Members & Staff: Present: Jack Elliott, Vice-Chair; Dick Jones, Selectboard Representative, John Billings, Member, Dan Brand, Interim Member; Don Dwight, Alternate; Stephanie Clark, Alternate; and Victoria Davis, Planning & Zoning Administrator
Absent: Freda Swan, Chair and Ben Kilham, Alternate
Public: Bill Weeks and Amy Wallace; Doug Holler, Dartmouth Skiway; Mike Rich, Rich & Dow, Inc.; Lindy & Dave Mather
Jack Elliott opened the public meeting at 7:30 pm in the Lyme Town Offices. He appointed Stephanie Clark to sit for Freda Swan.
Item 1: Approval of Minutes: John Billings made a motion to approve the minutes of June 22, 2006. Dan Brand seconded the motion, and unanimous agreement followed.
Item 2: Excavation Regulations Amendment Hearing: Jack Elliott opened the public hearing at 7:30 pm. There were no attending public. Dick Jones made a motion to close the public hearing, seconded by John Billings, and passed unanimously. Dick Jones made a motion to approve the proposed Excavation Regulations as amended at a previous meeting. Dan Brand seconded the motion, and unanimous agreement followed.
Item 3: Informal Discussion with Bill Weeks and Amy Wallace, 8 East Thetford Road rental property, Tax Map 201, Lot 66: Bill Weeks and Amy Wallace came to inquire about the possibility of renting out their rental house as an office with no residential. The Board referred them to sections 4.1 and 4.46 of the zoning ordinance which allows the conversion of a residence to an office in the Lyme Common District with certain requirements. Section 4.46 requires that at least 40% of the building floor area be reserved for residential use. Amy Wallace asked if the garage could be considered residential use, and the Board indicated it could not. Dick Jones pointed out that parking would be an issue for them to address in any application for site plan review.
Item 4: Dartmouth Skiway Parking Lot Lighting Site Plan Review Hearing, Tax Map 414, Lot 58: Doug Holler had provided an application to install four light poles in the Skiway parking lot. He stated there is adequate lighting everywhere else at the Skiway. He stated the lights will only be on during an event or in the early evening in the winter. The lights are full cut, dark sky, and are not motion sensor lights. The wiring will all be underground. Dick Jones made a motion to approve the application. Stephanie Clark seconded the motion, and unanimous agreement followed.
Dick Jones made a motion that there should not be a fee for these minor site plan amendments for the Dartmouth Skiway except to cover mailing costs. Stephanie Clark seconded the motion, and unanimous agreement followed. Dick Jones inquired about the erosion control efforts for the parking areas and logging. Doug Holler responded they are trying to keep it under control with stone dams and weirs. They are investigating the use of a compost/mulch mix in “nylon socks.” He stated he will be coming back in the future to request a new pump house in the snowmaking pond to access the deep water.
Item 5: Informal Meeting with Mike Rich, Rich & Dow, Inc. and Dave & Lindy Mather, Tuckaway Timber property at 7 Britton Lane; Tax Map 201, Lot 81: Mike Rich explained his business is interesting in purchasing or leasing the Mather property. The business includes lawn and property maintenance, landscaping and stonework, and chimney and masonry work. The do not do a lot of retail, but would require office space and a garage to store and maintain their equipment. In the future, they might need a pole barn and possibly a greenhouse in addition to the existing building. The property is located in the Rural and Lyme Common Districts. The building is in the Lyme Common District and the parking is in the Rural District. The Mathers received ZBA approval for this
project prior to Site Plan Review Regulation adoption. Dick Jones pointed out that the Lyme Common District could possibly be expanded which might affect this property in the future. Lindy Mather presented a map of the existing site. Mike Rich stated there would be no residential use and that most customer meetings occur at the customer’s home. Dick Jones suggested there would be fewer customer visits with this proposal, but there would be more employees and more traffic with trucks going in and out of the site. Mike Rich agreed. He added he would probably have a 500 gallon above ground gas tank to service their vehicles. Dave Mather pointed out that he has a 1,000 gallon propane tank which is screened by the building. Jack Elliott suggested the proposed use is a “service use” according to the zoning ordinance. Although it is not a perfect fit using this definition, it appears to be the most appropriate.
Lindy Mather had completed a site plan review application and since she will be out of town next week, submitted it to Victoria Davis at the end of the meeting.
Item 6: Other Business: A Master Plan Public Meeting will be held at the Fire Station on July 27th. The Board discussed its goals in a public meeting to discuss the revision of the 1985 Master Plan. It was determined that developing an outline of Master Plan chapters and maps should be the main goal of this initial meeting. The public would be invited to participate in the meeting, and various groups or individuals might be invited to draft portions of the plan. The various Town departments and committees will be invited to attend the meeting, and the invitation will reference the Master Plan which is to be on the Town website. It will also reference a NH Office of Energy and Planning technical bulletin on Master Planning. The usual legal public
notice will be made as well as a notice on the Lyme ListServ.
Victoria Davis reported that there is currently a 50% return of the community attitude surveys. She added that Simon Carr has been working on a database for entry of the results. The Board determined they would like to send out a second survey request to those who did not respond. Dan Brand stated a survey expert friend had suggested that the second request not have a deadline for return. The Board agreed that they would accept surveys as long as they are doing data entry. Another banner on the green will be put up.
The State Geological Survey of the Department of Environmental Services sent a proposal to perform an aquifer study for the Town. The total cost to the Town is proposed at $14,000 subject to State and Federal matching funds. It will not be known if the grant funds are available to the Town until March 2007. The Town has currently budgeted $10,000 for this project in calendar year 2006. Dick Jones made a motion to approve the State’s proposal and let them know that the Town has $10,000 and will have to go to Town Meeting to obtain the remaining $4,000. John Billings seconded the motion, and unanimous agreement followed.
The Conservation Commission has hired Watershed to Wetlands to perform a Natural Resources Inventory (NRI). There will be a public meeting on Wednesday, August 16th to discuss the project and obtain public input. Preliminary maps will be available at the meeting. Dick Jones stated a private donor has offered to provide a wetland study of the Clay Brook/Post Pond area. This will be incorporated into the NRI.
The meeting adjourned at 9:10 pm.
Submitted by,
Victoria Davis
Planning & Zoning Administrator
Tentative Meeting Agenda for July 27th at the Lyme Fire Department:
Public Meeting to Discuss the Master Plan Update
Tentative Meeting Agenda for August 10th at the Lyme Town Offices:
7:30 Meet with Frank Bowles to discuss ZBA Alternate position
7:40 Public Hearing for Mudge Minor Subdivision
Conservation Commission Public Meeting August 16th at Lyme Center Academy Building:
7:00 Presentation by Watershed to Wetlands, Inc. on natural resources inventory study
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