Meeting Minutes - PC
Town of Leicester Planning Commission Meeting Tuesday, October 8, 2013*Unapproved* ** See subsequent minutes for any changes Members Present: Donna Swinington, Chair, William Shouldice, Sue Stroud-Speyers, Lynn Bisbee, Peter Fjeld Members Absent: Jeff McDonough Others Present: Kate Briggs, ZA, Sandra Trombley, Secretary Meeting called to order at 6:07 p.m. with roll call. Motion by Sue and second by Lynn to approve minutes of September 24, 2013 as written. All in favor. So approved. Kate Briggs talked about the application of the Municipal Planning Grant for $8,000. Diane and Kate completed the application. They came up with three public meetings around shoreland protection, storm water control, steep slopes, and redefinitions of commercial development. The fourth public meeting would be with contractors to deal with shoreline development and performance standards and educate them and bring them into the process. Get their input. We need printed copies of the Town Plan; which is built into the grant. Kate is working with Otter Valley to try to get a young intern to look into files to research and help. Kate asked about the gas line and if the PC agreed on anything for the Town Plan. The board stated that there was only conversation and no decisions. Any changes need to be made fairly quickly. Kate asked if this conversation made us aware of what needs to be in the Town Plan for protection. Language that makes sense for everything, not just a pipeline, but any utility. Bill asked if most towns are going to address utilities or pipelines. Rather than regulating everyone, why not call it utilities and then include pipelines. Lynn will email information to everyone after she attends the Regional Planning Meeting tomorrow night. Kate went to the Town Fair in Killington and attended a meeting for zoning administrators around shoreland regulations. Kate’s sense is that something is definitely going to be adopted. We do not have the resources for enforcement, but neither do we want to leave it totally up to the state entirely. There needs to be a balance. It’s really all about vegetation and development. Kate suggests that we have to look at the permit application we’ve had and anticipate what we will be getting next year. We should adopt things that make sense to us and be consistent. Bill commented that if we don’t mirror what the state does, they won’t approve it. We need to take as much of the buzz words and distances as possible in order to get our regulations approved. The next ZBA meeting is a test case. Kate thinks we need to look forward and stop the damage. Kate talked about the three things in Section 330 Special Administrative Review by Zoning Administrator. The first is the boundary line adjustment. The town attorney told Kate they can’t do this because it is not allowed in the regulations. The second one is the single-lot subdivision. The third thing is alterations/additions nonconforming structures. The Selectboard is going to warn it to adopt it with the PC’s blessing. There was further discussion about the language. Public Comment: None Adjournment: Motion by Bill second by Sue to adjourn at 7:33 p.m. All in favor. So approved. Respectfully submitted, Sandra L. TrombleyPC Secretary