HINESBURG DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD

                                                    MINUTES OF MARCH 5, 2002

                                                                Approved 3/19/02

 

 

Present: Tom McGlenn, Ted Bloomhardt, Clint Emmons, Brad Jensen, Wayne Burgess and Greg Waples.

Member Absent: Peter Ross

Members of the Audience: George and Karla Munson, Michael Pelletier, Sam Evanson, Dave   Crook, Brian Fisher, Jeffrey Galper, Kim and Scott Johanson, Patricia Whitney, Sally and Chuck Reiss, Wilma and Norman Smith, Susan Mead, Nancy and Greg LeRoy, John Roos, Eileen Carpenter, and Carl Bohlen.

 

 

1.  MINUTES   Tom McGlenn made the motion to accept the minutes of February 19, 2002 as corrected.  This motion was seconded by Ted Bloomhardt and passed.

 

 

2.  STREETER - CONDITIONAL USE   The first item on the agenda was an appeal by Spring Streeter for a conditional use permit to operate a day care in the Village Center on the Mechanicsville Road.  This commercial building is owned by George Wachob.  The applicant did not appear during the meeting.  Greg Waples made the motion to deny, without prejudice, the appeal by Spring Streeter for a conditional use permit.  This motion was seconded by Wayne Burgess and passed unanimously.

 

 

3.  MINDELL - DEVELOPMENT ON A PRIVATE RIGHT-OF-WAY   Richard and Leslie Mindell had applied for approval for development on a private right-of-way for a lot owned by Joan Vastola on Sunset Lane East.  Prior to the meeting, the Mindells notified the Zoning Office that they were withdrawing their appeal.

 

 

4.  EVANSON/GOODRICH - SKETCH PLAN   Sam Evanson then presented a plan for sketch plan review for an 8-lot subdivision located on the corner of the Lavigne Hill and Buck Hill Roads.  This 32 acre lot is currently owned by Ralph and Robert Goodrich.  Sam explained the following points of the proposal:

 

– These lots will all have in-ground septic systems and individual wells.

– Lot #2 will be accessed off the Lavigne Hill Road and the remaining 7 lots off Buck Hill Road West with one road cut.  There will be 2 cul-de-sacs for these lots.

– At the request of the Town, the applicants will take out the curve on the lower section of the Buck Hill Road West.  They will also divert drainage water off this road onto the house lots.  He further explained that run-off will be addressed in the Act 250 process.

– The property gradually slopes east up from the Lavigne Hill Road at about a 3% grade.

 

Hinesburg Development Review Board               Minutes of 3/5/02                       Page 2 of 3

 

 

– In answer to a letter from the neighbors, Sam explained that this is not a high density use and that the lot size requirement in this district is 3 acres.

– Sam noted that they will be improving the traffic situation on this section of the Buck Hill Road by removing this culvert and widening the roadway.  He also suggested that it would help to have a stop sign at this intersection.

 

Members of the Review Board then had questions on the following issues:

– The number of families now living on this hill, and George Munson said there are about 20, and in checking the tax maps there seems to currently be about 28.

– Why lot #1 could not be accessed through a cul-de-sac on the eastern portion of the property?  Sam explained that there is ledge on that area and also it would be a long driveway across the meadow.  This road-cut on Lavigne Hill will past the Smiths’ house and therefore have good visability.

– There will be some clearing limits around the houses to keep the area wooded.  There also will be a buffer along the Buck Hill Road and evergreens planted there.  There may also be more hedgerow planted across from the Smiths.  However, they would like the sites to be open enough to use solar energy and also not make the houses too dark. There is a seasonal brook that crosses the eastern portion and the houses will meet the 75' setback requirement.

– There will be ditching to divert water onto the sandy soil on lot #3 or into the brook.

– Sam explained that even if there are less houses they will be required to fix the upper portion of the Buck Hill Road.  Also less houses may not be economically feasible.

 

Tom McGlenn then opened the floor for questions from the audience and the following concerns and issues were brought up: [The Board had received prior to the meeting, a letter from the Munson families and also one from about 35 neighbors expressing concerns with this project].

– Run-off onto neighboring properties from this ditching.

– The lots in this area are larger than 3 acres and it was felt this proposal does not meet the pattern of development as addressed in Section 6.1.5 of the Subdivision Regulations.  It was noted that these planning standards will be addressed by the DRB in their review.

– The lower portion on the Buck Hill Road East is at this time quite dangerous and more traffic will increase this situation.  There also is a concern about drainage and the lack of ditching on this lower section.

– There was a question whether there will be covenants to protect from clear cutting and Sam answered that there will be and Ted Bloomhardt explained that this could be part of the conditions of approval if granted.

– There is quite a lot of foot traffic in this area and during bad weather the school buses do not go up the hill.

– There have been problems with the lack of water in drilled wells in the area.

– The eastern side of the property has been used by neighbors and other townspeople for hiking trails to the cliffs to the north.  The Johansons also ride their horses on this property as part of their riding business.  Sam is willing to discuss this issue with the neighbors.  The neighbors

 

HINESBURG DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD        Minutes of 3/5/02        Page 3 of 3

 

 

suggested they may contact the Land Trust about this hiking area and this could maybe address the liability issue.

– Widening the Buck Hill Road would destroy the canopy of trees.  This area is also home to a lot of wildlife.

 

Tom McGlenn made the motion to continue this review of a sketch plan proposal by Evanson/Goodrich to April 2, 2002 with a site visit to be conducted on March 23rd at 9:00 a.m.  This motion was seconded by Brad Jensen and passed unanimously.  It was suggested that Public Works Director, Rocky Martin come to this April 2nd meeting to discuss the Town roads affected by the subdivision.

 

 

4.  There was then a discussion of the procedure to follow at site visits and that they should be publicly noticed.  Clint Emmons had some questions on PRD’s and PUD’s which the Board will be addressing with several applications.

 

 

 

 

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Holly Russell

Recording Secretary