TOWN OF WESTFORD

TOWN OF HINESBURG

PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES

December 3, 2003

Approved January 7, 2004

Commission Members Present: Jean Isham (Chair), Joe Iadanza, John Buckingham, Carrie Fenn, Deb Howard, Fred Haulenbeek, John Mace, Nancy Norris (left at 8:30pm).

Commission Members Absent: George Bedard.

Also Present: Alex Weinhagen (Town Planner), George & Karla Munson.

The meeting began at approximately 7:35pm.

Minutes of the November 19, 2003 Meetings:

Deb MOVED to approve the November 19, 2003 meeting minutes, as amended. Nancy SECONDED the motion. The motion PASSED 8-0.

Announcements and Citizens to be Heard:

Alex said that he is behind on finalizing the newly revised Zoning and Subdivision Regulations. He will distribute the new documents soon.

John Mace asked what version of the regulations apply to applicants who received sketch or preliminary subdivision approvals under the old regulations, and are now applying for preliminary or final approval. Alex said that neither the state statutes nor our local regulations speak directly to this question, and that it’s really a question for the courts to decide. Alex didn’t think there was much existing case law on this question, but said there is an Environmental Court appeal of a subdivision in Westford that may help clarify this. Alex said he felt that sketch plan application and approval doesn’t constitute a complete application, so he thinks applicants should be required to adhere to new regulations for preliminary or final applications. Alex said each step in the subdivision review process involves a separate application and approval. David felt this interpretation would not hold up in court. John and Fred agreed with David, and said to be fair to the applicant, the regulations at the time of the first application should hold through the entire review process.

Deb suggested adding the following topics to the Commission’s Town Plan discussion schedule: ridgelines, viewsheds, noise, light, towers. Carrie suggested adding culture to this list. Carrie volunteered to draft some language on culture. Deb volunteered to draft some recommendations on noise and light.

Town Plan Revision – Recreation – Draft 1 Recommendations:

Nancy reviewed the current Plan’s recommendations on recreation as well as changes she and Beth Sengle (Recreation Coordinator) had discussed. Jean said that land trust lands should be removed from recommendation 5.7.5b of the current Plan, since the Town does not own and maintain these lands. With that said, Jean also felt that we should consider possible recreation uses (trails, access, etc.) on land trust areas in coordination with the landowners. Nancy, Joe, and John Mace said that recommendation 5.7.5d of the current Plan (regarding trails and greenways) should be reflected in the transportation section of the new Plan. John Mace also recommended adding information (e.g., maps, tables) on the number, acres, and locations of the Town’s playing fields. Fred said tracking recreation field information is a good idea so we know what is or isn’t needed in the future. Deb wondered how many recreation fields a Town of our size actually needs.

John Mace recommended retaining the second sentence of 5.7.5a from the current Plan, relating to lake and stream access opportunities. Deb and Joe said that providing access to recreational uses and areas is important. Carrie said stream/river access may also be important for school educational opportunities.

Jean said that 5.7.5c needs to be reworked since we don’t have an official map or an official capital budget/program. John Mace recommended clarifying the wording of 5.7.5d so that it clearly emphasizes recreational opportunities for all ages.

Town Plan Revision – Schools – Draft 1 Recommendations:

David said that enrollment at the elementary school has been declining sharply for the last 3-4 years, while enrollment at CVU has been increasing. David and John Mace said that the high enrollment at CVU is partially driven by Williston’s explosive growth, but may also represent the high enrollment “bubble” that passed through the elementary school 5+ years ago. David said the current enrollment at the elementary school is 516, which is well below the school’s maximum capacity of 634. David said he spoke with Donna Hale (elementary school principal), and currently her biggest problem is the declining enrollment. This results in less money from the State, and the need to trim programs and reduce staffing. David reviewed excerpts from a report he prepared for the Town in 2001, entitled, “Housing Policy Recommendations Related to School Facility Needs – Town of Hinesburg.”

The Commission discussed the old development phasing policy, and the fact that the policy was eliminated when school enrollment began dropping. John Mace suggested re-establishing a phasing policy that is only triggered when school enrollment approaches capacity (e.g., 90%).

Deb said the information tracking concept from David’s report should be seriously considered. John Mace and Deb discussed the possible benefits of such a system, including better enrollment projections, sensitivity analysis to test the impact of development on these projections, etc. Jean said the model might have other applications as well. Fred questioned the utility of the proposed information gathering and model. Joe said the most compelling reason to get this information is to help inform the Commission’s decisions on Zoning regulation changes, especially regarding higher density zoning revisions. David will include something on this in the school section of the new Plan.

Town Plan Revision – Historic Resources – Draft 1 Recommendations:

David said there wasn’t much on this section in the current Plan, and he doesn’t have a lot to add for the new Plan. The Commission discussed including information on cemetery locations, perhaps as a map. Alex said that he and Peter Erb have been discussing subdivision options with respect to cemeteries, and that without a variance; subdivisions for cemeteries still need to meet the minimum zoning requirements (lot size, frontage, etc.). Jean said the Commission should consider including special language in the next revision of the regulations to make subdivisions of smaller, historic cemeteries easier.

Town Plan Revision – Energy – Draft 1 Recommendations:

Carrie discussed her recommendations for the energy section of the Plan (see attached). Fred said there should be special allowances for wind generation towers. The Commission discussed the pros and cons of individual wind generation units/towers. Deb, Carrie, and Fred all expressed strong support for this type of wind generation technology. The Commission discussed refining any future tower regulations to address this issue.

John Mace recommended that the Plan address the lack of 3-phase power in certain parts of Town (e.g., Industrial 1 Zoning District in South Hinesburg). The Commission agreed this should be included as a recommendation, but was not clear on where it should be placed in the new Plan.

Town Plan Revision – Scheduling and Next Steps:

The Commission discussed what Town Plan topics still need to be discussed:

David said he was hoping to get section drafts from everyone by the end of December, so that he could rough out a preliminary draft for further discussion in January. Deb felt we shouldn’t hurry the process along, if the Commission needs more time to discuss various issue areas. Everyone agreed that all section recommendation outlines should be completed and forwarded to Alex by January 14. Alex will get these to David, and they will work together to get a preliminary draft of the plan back to the Commission by the end of February. There will be considerable discussion and work left to do at that point, and at this point, the goal is to have a working draft of the Plan sometime in March. Our municipal planning grant deadline for completing the project (i.e., completion of a final draft, warning of a public hearing, all grant expenditures) is May 14, 2004. The Commission will use the December 17 and January 7 meetings to wrap up work on sections of the Plan that need further discussion.

Other Business:

West Side Road Development Plan – Fred updated the Commission on the November 24, 2003 West Side Road subcommittee meeting (see attached minutes). Fred said that David Lyman and Wayne Bissonette plan to develop this land, and that this is the Planning Commission’s opportunity to help shape the future of this area for the benefit of the community. The Commission discussed strategies for the West Side Road development plan. Alex suggested that the sewer service area should not include the West Side Road area until the proper zoning is in place to ensure it can be developed at the higher densities and with the mixed uses that both the Commission and the landowners envision. Alex said that including this area in the sewer service area now, would create the potential for scattered low-density or small-scale clustered (i.e., PRD) residential development under the existing zoning. He said that once an area is in the sewer service area, a developer could pay to extend the sewer line into it, even if the Town wasn’t ready to make that expenditure. Fred and Jean agreed that the zoning revisions, to open this area up to mixed, high-density uses, should happen before opening up this area to municipal sewer service.

The meeting adjourned at approximately 10:20pm.

Respectfully Submitted,

______________________________ ___________

Alex Weinhagen, Town Planner Date