MINUTES OF PLANNING BOARD PUBLIC HEARING
TEN TAXPAYER PETITION TO AMEND ZONING
SECTION 3.2.F. (LINE 20)
FEBRUARY 28, 2007
PRESENT: Chair Karen Paré, John Baker, Pat Halpin, Vincent Vignaly, and Elise Wellington
ABSENT: None.
OTHERS PRESENT: None.
Ms. Paré opened the hearing at 7:10 p.m. The public hearing notice appeared in the Worcester T & G on January 31 and February 7. Originally scheduled for February 21, the hearing was postponed because of the terrible snowstorm on that date and rescheduled for tonight. Ms. Paré emailed this date change to Ms. Noyes, initiator of the 10-taxpayer petition proposing this zoning change, but none of the petition signatories were present.
The zoning change proposed in this petition would change Section 3.2.F. Line 20 of the zoning. It would require businesses, other than common victualers, operating between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. to get a Special Permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals. Present zoning requires a Special Permit only for businesses operating between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. Common victualers (e.g. restaurants and bars) are proposed to be exempt because they already are required to get a Special Permit from the Board of Selectmen. Mr. Vignaly explained that existing businesses (not lots) would be grandfathered, with the new zoning applying only to new businesses. Special permits are not difficult to obtain, but they would give the town some control over noise and other adverse effects on neighbors that new businesses wanting to stay open
all night might have.
Mr. Vignaly moved to close the hearing at 7:25 p.m. The motion was seconded by Mr. Baker and passed unanimously.
| 
