NOTTINGHAM PLANNING BOARD MINUTES
APRIL 5, 2006
PUBLIC SESSION
APPROVED BY THE BOARD MAY 3, 2006
PRESENT: ABSENT:
Mr. David Smith
Mr. Peter Gylfphe
Ms. Mary Bonser, Selectmen's Representative
Ms. Gail Mills
Mr. Skip Seaverns
Ms. Sandra Jones
Mr. Mark Harding
Mr. Smith called the meeting to order at 7:40pm.
ELECTIONS:
Ms. Bonser nominated David Smith for the position of Chair. Ms. Jones seconded the motion. The Board voted unanimously in favor of the motion. The motion passed 7-0.
Ms. Mills nominated Skip Seaverns for the position of Vice-Chair. Ms. Bonser seconded the motion. The Board voted unanimously in favor of the motion. The motion passed 7-0.
Mr. Gylfphe nominated Gail Mills for the position of Secretary. Ms. Bonser seconded the motion. The Board voted unanimously in favor of the motion. The motion passed 7-0.
CISTERN DISCUSSION:
ALSO PRESENT: Ms. Heidi Carlson, Nottingham Deputy Fire Chief
Ms. Carlson said that she had talked with the Fire Chief about the change to the cistern ordinance that the Planning Board had proposed. She said that they did not have any issues with the proposal. She said that they had laid out the fire ponds and cisterns in town on a map. She said that her only question would be how the Planning Board would deal with people asking for waivers from the ordinance. Mr. Smith noted that every new subdivision plan went to the Fire Department for review. Ms. Carlson said that the Fire Department was happy to do those reviews. She said that when they evaluated those plans the Fire Department looked at whether the area had a long term water supply with year round access to water. She said that cisterns would require maintenance in 5, 10, or 15 years and she wondered if
the town had considered setting up trust funds for the maintenance of cisterns. Mr. Smith said that the town got the deeds to the cisterns after they were created. Ms. Bonser asked how they could get cisterns throughout the community. She wondered where the Fire Department would like to have cisterns. Ms. Carlson said that the Fire Department had a basis map. She asked if the taxpayers would be responsible for funding those cisterns. Ms. Bonser said that she did not see an equitable way around the cistern problem. She said that currently some people need to pay to put in cisterns that are then able to be used by houses that have been there for years. She said that if it was funded by taxpayers than at least people who had been there for years would share the costs and not just the benefits. Mr. Gylfphe asked if the Fire Department had an opinion on houses with sprinklers. Ms. Carlson said that the Fire Department loved
houses with sprinklers. Mr. Gylfphe asked if the Fire Department had an opinion on fire resistant paint. Ms. Carlson said that she did not really know a lot about fire resistant paint but she said that if it was really fire resistant than they loved it but she said that neither sprinklers nor fire resistant paint would replace having a large available water source. Ms. Bonser said that the state might mandate that houses have sprinklers. Ms. Carlson said that sprinklers and cisterns were 2 different things. She said that sprinklers were an immediate tool. She said that she would not want to burden taxpayers with the cost of building cisterns. Mr. Gylfphe asked if the Fire Department had more forest fire fighting equipment. Ms. Carlson said that forest fires were seasonal. She said that the Department had gotten more equipment little by little over the past few years. She said that they had gotten a gator and a mule.
Mr. Seaverns asked if the Fire Department was going to require that sprinklers be added to homes. Ms. Carlson said no. She noted that a sprinkler system added $5,000 to the cost of a new house. Mr. Seaverns noted that having a sprinkler system would lower the insurance rates for the homeowner. He said that the town did not have a real plan for how this should work. Ms. Bonser said that the Planning Board should have a process. She said that they should not send a plan to the Fire Department until it was accepted by the Planning Board and she said that the Planning Board should have their part time planner get in touch with the Fire Department. Mr. Gylfphe said that he would like to see a copy of the map Ms. Carlson had mentioned with the cisterns and fire ponds on it. Ms. Carlson said that she needed to add some of the current cisterns to the map. Mr. Seaverns said that the proposed cisterns should be included as well. Mr. Smith said that a radius would be a good idea as
well. He said that there was also one easement in town for a cistern where a cistern had never been installed.
Mr. Gylfphe made a motion that the Planning Board accept the proposed change to the fire protection ordinance and set a public hearing on it. Ms. Jones seconded the motion.
Mr. Smith set the public hearing date for Wednesday May 3, 2006 at 7:15pm.
The Board voted unanimously in favor of the motion. The motion passed 7-0.
DISCUSSION WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR:
The Board began a discussion with the Economic Development Director at 8:15pm.
Mr. Wright introduced himself as the Economic Development Director and he explained his background. He said that he did market analysis and problem analysis. He said that it was his job to look for logical places for things. He said that he looked at what properties were available and he looked at what people were interested and what they wanted to use the properties for. He said that he was looking at the land on Route 4. He said that he was starting with properties that were on the market. He said that he also looked at who was inquiring after those properties. He said that he had some general issues with the regulations in town. He said that he also had some concerns about the downtown and land on Route 4. He said that one of his biggest concerns was setbacks. He said that
downtowns work well if people live above businesses and they are able to walk where they need to go. He said that added charm and a human scale to a downtown. Mr. Smith asked what was typical in other towns. Mr. Wright said that typical setback for a business was between 35 and 50 feet. He said that he thought the Planning Board should shrink the setbacks. He said that the current setback requirements wasted land. He said that instead of the setback requirements the Planning Board could get the desired result if they added a 200 foot buffer requirement. He said that they needed to create disincentive for residential development on Route 4 and they needed more open space. Mr. Seaverns asked if Mr. Wright had reviewed the Master Plan. Ms. Bonser said that the Master Plan was a living document. Mr. Wright said that he had received many comments from people saying that it was a good thing to see a town looking forward and
preparing for the future. Mr. Seaverns talked about multiple businesses with a common access point. Mr. Wright said that the Planning Board should allow for right of way and they should do a connectedness provision. He said that he also had a problem with the home occupation ordinance. He said that it included information directed at blood relatives. He said that it should not say that because it discriminated against non relatives who lived in the same household. He said that the ordinance also allowed for one outside employee in a minor business but it did not state how many family members could work at the business. He said that this issue would get to be more and more important in town. Mr. Seaverns noted that the ordinance was vague because the Planning Board and the people in town did not like permits. Mr. Wright said that the more simple the ordinance was the more likely it was that people would follow it. Mr.
Seaverns said that there were many things in Nottingham that permits should probably be required for but they chose not to require them. Ms. Bonser suggested that the Planning Board send existing home businesses a letter stating that when their business got to be a certain size the Planning Board would like for them to come in front of a meeting for a discussion and then when businesses outgrew the home they would offer to help the business owner find a new place for their business so that they could stay in town. Mr. Seaverns said that the buffers people were putting up were not the buffers the Planning Board had expected when they had created the requirement. He asked what Mr. Wright thought of the buffer question. He said that he thought a buffer should be good sized trees. He said that buffers would need to be further defined by the Planning Board. Ms. Bonser said that every situation should be looked at separately. She said that she
was worried about species getting lost. Mr. Wright said that there was a program called a charette, another word for a drawing which basically consisted of architects doing community service. He suggested that Nottingham ask these architects to look at their downtown. He asked whether they Board was interested in having a theme for the Nottingham downtown area. Ms. Powell asked about the Grange. She said that she would like to see some of the old buildings in town used.
OTHER:
Mr. Smith said that in the subdivision regulations the state of New Hampshire Division of Water Supply and Pollution Control should be changed to the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services. He pointed out the page numbers where that change needed to be made.
At 9:30pm the Board reviewed their mail. Mr. Smith read a letter to the Planning Board from the Conservation Commission thanking them for their role in getting the Mulligan Forest warrant article passed. Ms. Bonser read a letter asking about large Nottingham users of the Watershed. Mr. Smith said that the largest water users in town were the Fernald lumber company, Camelot Court, USA Springs and the Nottingham School. The Board decided to forward the watershed question to the Strafford Regional Planning Commission and the Board of Selectmen.
Mr. Gylfphe made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 9:40pm. Ms. Bonser seconded the motion. The Board voted unanimously in favor of the motion. The motion passed 7-0.
Respectfully submitted,
Kelly Tivnan
Planning Board Secretary
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