NEWTON PLANNING BOARD
MINUTES OF PUBLIC HEARING AND WORK SESSION
MAY 27, 2014
1. Call to Order: Chairman Barbara White called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm. In attendance were: Chairman Barbara White; Vice Chairman Jim Doggett; Planning Board members Roger Hamel and Sandra Estabrook; Alternate Mary Allen; and Circuit Rider Planner Jennifer Rowden. Minutes were transcribed by Administrative Assistant Rick Milner.
White appointed Allen to stand in for Miller.
2. 125 Development NH Corp. in Plaistow, NH – continuation of a public hearing for a site plan review (site plan for Lot 27-4 Phase II construction) at the Southern New Hampshire Industrial Park commercial subdivision located on Puzzle Lane. The property is referenced as Tax Map 14, Block 1, Lot 27-4.
Hamel stepped down from the Board.
Attorney Christos Valhouli and Matt Leidner of Civil Design Group, LLC were present to represent the applicant. Mr. Valhouli addressed the Board. Mr. Valhouli stated that he received communication from the Planning Board that the public hearing would be continued to the next meeting date without discussion of the revised site plan due to the late submission of the revised site plan. Mr. Valhouli stated that the applicant’s representatives did as much as humanly possible to address the changes requested by the Planning Board as late as the Thursday before the meeting. He requested that the review of the site plan move forward this evening.
Doggett stated that the communication from the Planning Board regarding changes to the site plan were at the request of the applicant, not the Planning Board. The applicant’s representatives waited a week to make their request for clarification. This delay created the situation which led to their late submission. Board members had not seen the revised site plans due to their being delivered so late. There are no Circuit Rider or Town Engineer comments due to insufficient time for review.
Milner stated that it is not reasonable to expect the Board members to discuss revised site plans submitted on the day of the meeting without having seen or had adequate time to properly review the revised site plans. The applicant had sufficient time at the last meeting or the following day to request clarification regarding any details on the site plan. If the applicant had made its request earlier, the revised site plan could have been submitted in a timelier manner.
White stated that the process to receive revised site plans in a timely manner prior to the meeting is to allow the Board members, planners, and engineers adequate time to properly review the documents.
Rowden stated that the Planning Board has 65 days from the May 13, 2014 date of jurisdiction acceptance to make a decision regarding the site plan application. She further stated that, after a cursory (not in depth) review of the changes to the site plan, all of the comments from the May 13 meeting have been addressed.
Doggett stated that it would be imprudent for the Board members to discuss the revised site plan changes after seeing the documents for the first time at the meeting.
Mr. Valhouli stated that he understands and respects the Board’s view concerning having adequate time to review the revised site plan.
Allen moved to continue the public hearing to the June 10, 2014 meeting. Second by Doggett. Motion carried unanimously.
3. Other Board business.
a. Sargent Woods expansion project performance guarantee review.
Joshua Manning of Lewis Builders, Inc. addressed the Board. Mr. Manning requested that the Board accept the performance guarantee recommendation prepared by the Town Engineer for Phase 5A road construction of the Sargent Woods expansion project.
Doggett moved that the Planning Board approve the increase to the performance guarantee connected to the Sargent Woods projects in the amount of $31,772.00 for Phase 5A road construction. Second by Allen. Motion carried unanimously.
Manning asked the Board to consider transferring the funds connected to the erosion control performance guarantee for the original Sargent Woods project to the Sargent Woods expansion project to guarantee work to be done in Phases 5B and 6A.
White stated that the request should be made in writing to the Board to be placed on a future agenda to allow adequate time for Board review of the request.
Hamel returned to the Board.
b. Acceptance of minutes.
Doggett moved to accept the minutes of the May 13 meeting. Second by Estabrook. Motion carried unanimously.
c. Manifests.
White presented an operating budget manifest to the Board. The invoice reflected payment of phone bill.
Doggett moved to pay the operating budget manifest in the amount of $56.78. Second by Allen. Motion carried unanimously.
d. Correspondence.
Milner presented correspondence from the RPC regarding the RPC annual meeting to be held on June 11.
Hamel suggested that the Planning Board pay for the mileage expenses incurred by the Town of Newton’s RPC commissioners travelling to RPC meetings and the meal expenses incurred at the annual RPC meeting.
Hamel moved that the Planning Board pay for the mileage expenses incurred by the Town of Newton’s RPC commissioners travelling to RPC meetings and the meal expenses incurred at the annual RPC meeting. Second by Estabrook. The motion carried 3-0-2 with Doggett and Allen abstaining.
Milner reminded the Board that there are two open alternate member positions available on the Planning Board. He requested permission to advertise the open positions.
Doggett moved that the Planning Board create a press release to be placed in the community news section of the Carriage Towne News and on the Town of Newton web/cable outlets advertising the Board’s open alternate member positions. Second by Hamel. Motion carried unanimously.
4. Adjourn: The meeting was adjourned at 7:55 pm.
Respectfully Submitted,
Rick Milner
Administrative Assistant
Newton Planning Board
| 
