Welcome to Leicester, VT

July 31, 2007

Zoning Board of Adjustment / Planning Minutes 

In Attendance:  Ron Fiske, Andrew VanBenthuysen, Michele Pfenning-Carter,
Tom Drew, Shelley Glassner, Gerald Flint.

Meeting called to order at 6:00 PM.
New business:  Under the current noise ordinance page 42 of the performance standards, there is zoning violation for “ substantial repeated disturbance to others”  but their is no  concrete definition of substantial.  There is a proposal being put before the select board and the town of Leicester which will be a public hearing.  The factors to be considered will be on who measures the noise and how is it measured and what decimal is considered a “substantial disturbance“?  Is there a Vermont statute that authorizes towns to adopt criminal noise ordinances and how or whom enforces the complaints?  The ZBA is looking to adopt a Performance Standard Ordinance that pertains to noise.  Looking for measurement of performance, noise as is it habitual or a own time deal?  Punitive, not punitive?

Excavation Regulations?  Do these need better wording in the performance standards?   Are there any lines to draw as far a conditional uses, etc.   Currently the definition of landfill, fill and mining are all inconsistent from each other.  The proposed changes would include a complete definition as well as what is considered in constructing, reconstructing, relocating, enlarging or moving earth to and from locations.  The definition “filling of land’,   or movement that changes the contour of the land by an addition, sand ,gravel, or other natural sources. Are the changes substantial made to a property substantial and what will the effects be on the environment?

Check in the State erosion handbook for guidelines on excavation / fill standards.  Are conservation guidelines being followed?

ZBA Adjourned @ 6:40 PM

Leicester Planning Commission called to order @ 6:40 PM.

Same as above in attendance.

The rewrites of the Performance standards was accepted to go to the Selectboard and a public hearing.  The new definitions can be viewed at the Leicester Town Office.  Notification will be sent out as a warning for the public hearing.

Cindy Hill has submitted her resignation as the Town of Leicester Zoning Administrator.  We will miss her.  Cindy has done many wonderful things for Leicester, VT.

Jeff Owen from the Addison County Regional Planning Commission was in attendance with information on how to go ahead with the view shed analysis or not.  Clear cutting under 40 acres what is the impact was discussed along with the  creation of an Architectural Brochure to be a  guide for a continuum of landscape around the lakes.

The board voted and approved the hiring of Katie Raycroft-Mayer to do the design / architectural guidelines for lake shore constructions.

Meeting Adjourned @ 7:45 PM.

Next meeting is on August 21 @ 6:00 PM.

Respectfully Submitted,
Michele Pfenning-Carter