Washington Planning Board

Meeting Minutes - Draft

January 2, 2018

0.0       Assembly:  6:00PM, Camp Morgan Lodge

0.1       Members present: Crandall, Hatch, Dulac, Schwartz and Williams

            0.2       Alternates present: Kluk

            0.3       Members and Alternates Absent: Terani and Russell

0.4       Visitors: Pete Martin

Crandall called the Public Hearing to order at 6:00 PM.

1.0       Public Hearing on proposed changes to the LUO –

            Schwartz passed out a copy of a document with the proposed changes. Crandall opened the hearing and asked if the public had any questions on the changes. Martin asked about the definitions being added and whether wastewater pump out receipts were a state mandate. He said an RV by definition doesn’t have to have a wastewater system. Hatch said that the state defines RV’s and septic needs and we used that. Martin asked if a mobile home is and RV and if they are addressed by this. Hatch answered that they are considered a home and are not addressed by this. Martin asked about the building permit section and about converting a space to a bedroom or adding a bedroom. Hatch answered that the number of bedrooms in a house are subject to your septic design and whether the system can handle more bedrooms. Crandall said that this section was written to clarify the language and reordered. Schwartz said that the questions would be on a special ballot at Town Meeting. Hatch said that the hearing is to hear concerns from the public. Crandall asked if we could come up with a one-page handout for Town Meeting to help the public understand the changes. Hatch suggested we ask the moderator if we can speak before the ballot is open for voting. Williams agreed that it is up to the moderator, he thinks there is a problem with electioneering in the voting place but Barbara is the decision maker and she can clarify. Crandall asked for other comments and there being none he closed the hearing at 6:15pm.

Crandall opened the regular meeting at 6:16 PM.

2.0       Minutes:

December 5^th meeting – Hatch made a motion to approve as written, Crandall seconded the motion and all voted in favor.

December 21^st joint meeting with BoS – Williams commented that he said that there are issues with the LUO concerning small lots that we should focus on, he didn’t mean the comment about doing things for businesses, he is not against businesses. Schwartz said she would remove the comment. Crandall motioned to approve with the change, Hatch seconded the motion and all voted in favor.

3.0       New Business:

3.1 Athanasios Papastavros, TM 20-79, Balsam Circle, wants to subdivide a 5.3-acre lot. Schwartz said that she had a call from Papastavros who has a lot on Balsam Circle and his deed gives him the right to subdivide it once. His lot is part of a 27-lot subdivision done in 1972. He had issue with the fact that the LUO had changed since he bought the property in 2006 and new lots now need to be 4-acres. Crandall said that he called NHMA about the issue and they said the LUO overrides any deed covenant. Williams said he didn’t act before the LUO change and now he is out of luck. Hatch said we are on firm footing to say no. Crandall said he would contact Papastavros and explain the situation to him.

4.0 Old Business:

4.1 Robert and Marian Blackwell – Business Permit application, Site Plan Review and Sign Permit applications for a retail antique doll and dollhouse business at 34 South Main Street. Schwartz said that the Blackwell’s provided us with all the applications required for their business permit. We went through the Site Plan Review application and checked off the provided items. Martin asked about parking for the business and Hatch said that the parking has been moved to the field below the house with an existing walkway to the carriage house. Martin asked about business setbacks in the LUO. Kluk said that home and home-based businesses have a smaller setback than larger businesses. Kluk said we need the Blackwell’s to indicate the location of the well and septic on their map. Schwartz will ask them to add this to the map. Kluk said that we need 2 other abutters for the notification list; Schwartz will check the abutters and correct the list. Crandall asked Schwartz to set the Public Hearing for February 6^th at 6:30 PM; she will notice the hearing and the abutters.

4.2       Craig Gebo, Fields property – Kluk updated us on this issue and said that the property has been purchased by a different buyer who has no intention at this time to develop the property. This is a closed issue.

4.3 Town Center Future Vision – Crandall said that the minutes of the meeting with the BoS didn’t reflect the tone of the meeting. Marshall took the idea as an insult to the BoS and they will not put a warrant article in asking for money for this effort. He said we were shot down and there will be no money at this point but we can still move forward. Schwartz said there are certainly things we can do without money. Dulac said we need to know who is in favor or not. Hatch said that he exception by Marshall was about zoning and he doesn’t think people want zoning (which isn’t supported by the Master Plan survey), so there is an impasse but we can move ahead. Dulac asked if within the Town do we have the authority to set this in motion, should we have a conversation about process and gauge support for it? Kluk said her take away was - forget the money, but she thought Williams was supportive of the idea. Williams said he is supportive but no money right now. Williams thinks it is clear that we have authority to make a committee and do it, he thinks asking for money is premature over the next year we should do some work but not spend money. If we need money later we can talk about it. He said this will be a tough year for money, the bond came on and things are going up not down; the BoS are looking for needs not wants. Crandall said that we wouldn’t necessarily do a warrant article next year either. Williams said we should hold public meetings. Kluk asked about the PB budget for 2018 and Schwartz said we held it to the same amount as last year. Williams said small money could be found if needed. Crandall said we should still move ahead. Kluk said the next step is to create a subcommittee and announce it at Town Meeting. Williams asked if it is in the annual PB report and suggested we could announce it at Town Meeting, we should ask Barbara. Schwartz said it is in the report but we could edit the report and give it more specifics.

Crandall asked if we want to start talking about non-conforming lots? He would like to know how many cases there are and what has come before the ZBA; what are the numbers of houses, decks and what setbacks were granted. Crandall wants to know where the cases are occurring in town. Schwartz said it should be in the ZBA minutes. Williams said the BoS minutes would also say when they sent someone to the ZBA for a variance. Williams said that Deb will be too busy in the next month or two to pull things together for us. Hatch said he has some files and will speak to the ZBA board when they meet in January. He feels this hasn’t been addressed properly and is glad for the feedback from PB. Kluk said we can shoot for April to look at this.

4.4       Municipal Buildings project update:

            Crandall commented that the doors aren’t on the Safety Building. Williams said the doors are coming from Canada and maybe here this month. He said he was not around last week so he doesn’t know of any issues. He said the projects are moving forward. On the Meetinghouse the annex is framed and they are working in the basement during the cold weather. He said the BoS are holding talks with Dave Drasba about lighting and LED conversion kits for the existing florescent lights and costs. Hatch said the ballasts in the florescent fixtures are the inefficient parts and should be replaced. Schwartz said the fixtures in the main room should be preserved and LED bulbs can easily be installed in them. Crandall asked if the steel beam installation is next to be done. Williams said they are doing some sill work. He said things are on schedule and might be done by April 1^st. Dulac said on the Safety building the door size is huge, he thinks the connector is iffy but overall the building looks good.

4.5       LUO Changes to RV section and Building Permit Issue –Martin asked about loading and parking at the Washington General Store and whether it would be effected by the parking section. Schwartz said the store is grandfathered because it has existed for so long but they have tried to bring it up to standards. Dulac asked why we are changing the LUO, will this make it so there are RV’s everywhere, unchecked in perpetuity, with RV’s staying on lots. Schwartz said that the RV could stay (occupied) for the length of time the building permit is in force (a maximum of 2 years). Hatch asked what was confusing him, it came up and we agreed about whether people could keep an RV on their lot without removing it. Dulac said he is comfortable with that but are we overlooking something in the future that could cause problems; are we doing the right thing. Kluk said it used to be stricter, with a longer period that people could park, this is a compromise and one we are comfortable with, she doesn’t want to change the way it looks now. Hatch said this is enforceable and wastewater pump out receipts are required. He thinks the wording is crystal clear and more easily enforceable, we are not encouraging temporary housing, this should be a positive change. Kluk said that right now the RV permit application is not on the website, it should be added, and asked Williams how to get it on there. Williams is not sure there is an application but he will talk to Deb about it. Kluk offered our help to come up with an application, if needed. Williams said he would handle it.

Crandall asked for a vote to take the proposed LUO changes to Town Meeting, and it was suggested we vote on the sections individually. 1. RV section – Hatch made a motion to put this on the ballot at Town Meeting, Crandall seconded and four voted yes with Williams voting no. Motion passes. 2. Building Permit section – Crandall made a motion to put this on the ballot at Town Meeting, Schwartz seconded the motion and all voted in favor. 3. Parking – consolidation of the parking regulations and exception for non-conforming lots, Dulac made a motion to put this on the ballot at Town Meeting, Hatch seconded the motion and four voted yes with Williams voting no. Motion passes.

4.7       Master Plan – this is a placeholder.

5.0 Driveway Permits: None

6.0 Mergers:

6.1       Christopher Mohr, 418 Coolidge Drive, TM 14-356 and 14-359, Schwartz said the paperwork and the deeds are in order. Hatch asked if there is ever an occasion where we don’t approve a merger. Schwartz said sometimes we can’t approve a merger if there is a problem with the deeds or the properties aren’t abutting. Hatch made a motion to approve the merger, Crandall seconded the motion and all voted in favor. Crandall signed the merger document and the new lot will be TM 14-359, Schwartz will sent to the Registry of Deeds.

7.0 Communications: None

8.0 Meeting date for next Planning Board meeting, February 6, 2018, at 6:30 PM at Camp Morgan Lodge (CML). Public hearing will be scheduled for 6:30 PM

9.0 Adjournment:                       Time: 7:25PM

            Motioned by Hatch, seconded by Dulac, all voted in favor.

Respectfully Submitted,

Nan Schwartz