PLANNING BOARD MINUTES
September 16, 2015
Call to Order: 6:30 p.m.
ROLL CALL: Tim Moore, Chair
Charlie Lanza, Vice Chair
Genifer Silva
Shem Kellogg, Excused
Steve Ranlett, Selectman Ex-Officio
Geoffrey Adams, Alternate
Laurie Milette, Alternate
Also present were: Greg Jones, Town Planner, Mark Fougere, Interim Planning Consultant and P. Michael Dorman, Chief Building Official
T. Moore introduced and welcomed new Town Planner, Greg Jones.
Agenda Item 2: Minutes of September 02, 2015 Meeting
S. Ranlett moved, second by C. Lanza to approve the minutes of the September 02, 2015 meeting. There was no discussion on the motion. The vote was 3-0-1 (Silva abstaining).
Agenda Item 3: CIP (Capital Improvement Plan) Update and Review
T. Moore noted that there was a copy of the updated CIP in each member’s folder. He added that the projects had been updated and renumbered, with the changes highlighted.
G. Adams was appointed as a voting member for S. Kellogg.
T. Moore explained that the suggestion at the last meeting to collapse the list of items was incorporated and cross-referenced to the text document for explanation.
T. Moore asked if there were any question from the Board. There were none.
S. Ranlett moved, second by G. Adams to approve the updated CIP. There was no discussion on the motion. The vote was 5-0-0 U/A.
Agenda Item 4: Transportation Chapter Draft – Master Plan
M. Fougere explained that the draft was now 95% complete, still needed a comb-through for typographical errors. He noted that following:
- Commuting patterns haven’t been finalized
- Paper responses to the Master Plan Survey have not been input
- The responsibility of tasks will be assigned in each chapter rather than called out in an Implementation Chapter
- If at some point in time the Board decided they wanted an Implementation Chapter it would be easy to create because of the word document format
The Board started to review the Recommendations chapter, making suggestions on task assignments for each of the fifteen (15) item.
There was discussion on a couple of the recommendations that the Board did discuss:
4.3 Ensure that any new development occurs only where existing transportation facilities are adequate or when necessary improvements will be made as part of the development.
The word “facilities” was changed to “infrastructure” and the phrase “off-site improvement” is to be included.
4.4 Require new development to incorporate the Design Principles, Traffic Calming Measures, and Best Transportation Practices into construction standards.
C. Lanza asked if there would be anything done with the barrels on the corner of Main and Elm Streets (blocking the former slip lane from Main to Elm Street).
T. Moore explained the progress that was being made, noting that Hoyle and Tanner were working on a design to be ready to start construction next summer, when school is not in session.
After four (4) items it was decided that T. Moore and G. Jones would work through the rest of the list and make the updates.
S. Ranlett noted that additional funding had been received for the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) project. It was added that improvements would be made from the Plaistow Public Library to the railroad tracks. S. Ranlett noted that he would like to see a restriction on truck “jake” brakes, particularly in the Village District.
There was additional discussion on how to get a restriction on jake brakes on State-owned roads. T. Moore and G. Jones will look into what is needed.
T. Moore and G. Jones will work in task responsibility assignments for the remaining items in the recommendations section of the Transportation Chapter.
M. Fougere noted that next time the Board saw the chapter it should be ready for adoption. At that time the Survey results will have been assimilated and the maps inserted.
M. Fougere offered that the next chapter that will be reviewed will be the Population and Housing Chapter. Work Force housing calculations will be reviewed and verified as part of that process.
Agenda Item 5: Update from Tim Moore on RPC and MPO events
T. Moore noted that RPC will hold its Legislative Forum at Unitil in Hampton on November 11, 2015. He added the topic would be coastal issues in infrastructure changes from storm surge.
T. Moore noted that the next MPO meeting will be a Public Hearing on the State’s ten-year plan. The location will be in Kingston, but the date has yet to be set.
Agenda Item. 6: Other Business
Skip’s Garage – 157 Plaistow Rd
M. Dorman explained that Skip’s Garage was now under new ownership and they have been cleaning up the site, making cosmetic changes. Their intentions are to bring an updated plan to the Board in November. The new owners have added an automotive detail shop in the smaller freestanding garage and would like to pave an area in front of the shop. This will be added to the amended plan, but the owners would like to pave sooner than they will be able to bring the plan forward to the Board. M. Dorman noted that the area is small and makes sense to pave as it is where the cleaned cars would be parked.
M. Fougere added that he had met with the new owners who were very excited about the improvements they would like to make. He noted that SEC and Associates are working on updating the site plan.
The consensus of the Board was that it would be okay for Skip’s Garage to pave the small area noted by M. Dorman before bringing the amended site plan in for review.
Solar Energy – Renewable Energy Committee
T. Moore suggested a topic for the October workshop might be solar energy and what role the Planning Board may play in the technology. It was noted that there are currently no restrictions for solar installations.
It was noted that a Renewable Energy Committee was currently being formed and all interested are welcome. The Committee will be looking into whether or not the Town can or should offer tax benefits to those who install solar panels.
C. Lanza offered that any energy incentives shouldn’t just be limited to solar.
It was suggested that other green technologies such as pellet/wood stove and wind should be considered.
M. Fougere added that there are big changes on the State level regarding solar technology. He added there is some debate as to whether or not it would be considered a business when they captured energy is then sold. There are also questions regarding how it changes the aesthetics and character of certain neighborhoods and historic districts. He added that it would be good for the Board to be proactive.
Project Status Report
C. Lanza recalled that the Board used to receive a list of the status/progress of ongoing projects. He asked if that could be brought back.
The Board discussed a number of stale projects that were approved but not implemented. There was discussion as to whether or not those plans should be revoked. Two (2) specific plans noted where at 23 Atkinson Depot Road (Pappalardo) and 19 Danville Rd (Ward). It was noted that the plans are only protected from Zoning changes for five (5) years from approval. It was also noted that what is considered “vested” by the Planning Board needs to be clearly defined in the Notice of Decision in order to be enforceable.
T. Moore suggested that legal counsel be consulting to determine whether or not a stale plan should be revoked, even when there are no underlying changes in the applicable zoning ordinances.
It was noted that the amount of time a plan is protected from zoning changes was increased from four (4) to five (5) years during the recession period.
There was additional discussion about whether or not a stale plan needed/should be revoked. It was suggested that each case needed to be considered on a case-by-case basis, weighing the legal perspectives and advantages/disadvantages for each situation. It was also suggested that NHMA attorneys be consulted.
G. Adams suggested that the Planning Board should be reaching out to developers who hold stale plans and see if any assistance can be offered to move a project forward.
There were no additional matters before the Board and the meeting was adjourned at 7:14 PM.
Respectfully Submitted as recorded by Dee Voss.
Approved by the Planning Board on _________________________
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Timothy E. Moore, Chair
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