Washington Planning Board

Working Meeting – July 19, 2022

0.0 Assembly: 6:30PM at Town Hall

0.1 Members and Alternates present: Hatch, Crandall, Kluk, Revane, Schwartz and Kapteyn

0.2 Visitors: Fire Chief Shawn Atkins

Hatch opened the working meeting at 6:30pm to work through issues on the Borey cistern requirement issue.

1. Borey subdivision cistern issue – Revane shared a new letter from Joyce Borey requesting that we remove the requirement of a cistern installation from her approved subdivision plan. Hatch noticed that the word “covenant” is still being referenced and that it needs to be changed to “condition of approval”. Kluk made a motion to accept the letter from Borey with the condition that she submit a revised letter removing “covenant” and substituting “condition of approval”. Revane seconded the motion and all voted in favor. The motion passed. We set the date for a Public Hearing on the matter for August 16^th, Tuesday at 6:30PM at Town Hall. Schwartz will notice for the hearing.

FD Chief Atkins was sent the excerpted fire suppression sections of the Subdivision Regulations to review by Schwartz and we asked him to meet with us to discuss his determination that the cistern is no longer needed. He said that 1200 to 1500 feet of hose is carried on the trucks, we now have vehicles that carry 750, 650 and 1000 gallons of water, which is a larger carrying capacity than we had before (almost double what we had when the regulations were written). He said the existing cistern is under 1500’ away from some of the lots and he thinks Freezeland Pond outlet can also be used as another water source for the center lots. Revane asked if the 2000’ radius in the Subdivision Regulations should get larger with the newer equipment? Atkins didn’t feel it should.

Hatch thanked Atkins for coming to discuss the issue and asked him to revise his letter concerning the Borey cistern citing the subdivision regulations, available water sources and equipment. Atkins said that he would.

Kluk asked Atkins if we need to update our current regulations. Atkins didn’t feel we should, recognizing that each situation is unique and may have different needs. He said that cistern placement needs to be evaluated to see if roadside cisterns are adequate or there may be a need for internal subdivision cisterns. He said that cluster developments need more cistern capacity if the houses are closer together. Kluk asked if we should make our baseline requirements vaguer, as some towns around us have done. Atkins said they should not be vague because there are no state or federal requirements for fire suppression so it is up to the towns to set the requirements. Kluk suggested that we add to the subdivision regulations that the ultimate decision on fire suppression needs are based on the recommendation of the Fire Chief.

2. Next meeting – Monthly meeting and Public Hearing on Becker/Shamaly - Lot Line Adjustment and Annexation, Tuesday, August 2^nd, at 6:30pm

3. Adjournment: Time: 7:04 PM

Respectfully Submitted, Nan Schwartz