HINESBURG DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD

MINUTES OF JANUARY 6, 2004

Approved 1/20/04

Members Present: Tom McGlenn, Howdy Russell, Clint Emmons, Robert Gauthier, Ted Bloomhardt, Greg Waples, and George Munson (recently appointed to replace Wayne Burgess.)

Members of the Audience: Wendy Sorrel, Jeff Tobrocke, Sandy Lathem, Larry Caputo, Russ Aceto, and David and John Lyman.

1. MINUTES Howdy Russell made the motion to approve the minutes of December 16, 2003. This motion was seconded by Tom McGlenn and passed.

2. EVANSON Sam Evanson was first on the agenda to request rewording of condition #8 of the Goodrich subdivision final plat. As he explained in his letter to the Board, this condition required that both the Lavigne and Buck Hill Road be improved prior to his selling a lot. Sam would like the flexibility to sell a lot prior to completing the road improvements. He would like the road improvements to be tied to building permits rather than transfer of the lots. In the discussion that followed, the Board members did not have a problem with separating the improvements of these two roads. However, it was felt that all the lots should not be sold prior to the roads being improved.

Ted Bloomhardt made the motion to approve the following changes suggested by staff: Upper Buck Hill Road improvements shall be approved by the Select Board, completed, and inspected by the Select Board or their representative, prior to issuing the first building permit for lots 3-8. Lavigne Hill Road improvements shall be approved by the Select Board, completed, and inspected by the Select Board or their representative, prior to issuing the first building permit for lots 1 or 2. This approval is granted with the caveat that in no case shall more than one lot be sold before the road on which it is located has been improved as per the approved engineering plans. This motion was seconded by Howdy Russell and passed with Greg Waples voting against it.

3. CVU HIGH SCHOOL – SITE PLAN & CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT Tom Barden, Ken Worden, and Bob Mason were next on the agenda to answer questions and present more information on the changes to the CVU High School facility. The Board had received a letter from Andrea Morgante noting the visibility of the building and surrounding land and the necessity to review this project from good design standards. The following issues were then discussed:

a) A new landscaping plan for the front large parking lot had been submitted which includes the retention area at the front entrance and indicates trees on landscaping islands in that lot. These include 5 islands for a total of 13 trees.

b) At this time they are not addressing the spotlights on the bus maintenance building or the one on the pole in that area. The Board members felt that these should be included as part of this approval. The other lights in the parking lot and on the building will be replaced with downcast lighting that meet Hinesburg’s requirements for exterior lighting.

c) There will be signage in this front parking lot to indicate where traffic should go and the bus drivers will be instructed to not block intersections.

d) They are amicable to setting aside $5,000 – 7,000 for possible additional landscaping.

e) The crosswalk from the former CSSD building to the main building should be painted and crosshatched to be more visible.

f) There will not be a port-a-let at the upper practice fields and in the future there may be bathroom facilities at the equipment storage building.

g) It was felt that the two chimneys should not be of Korten steel but painted.

h) At this time there are not plans for a bike path beside the upper fields on the Pond Road as in one location there is not room for a 10’ path. There was discussion of having one in the future to the west of these fields north to Place Road East.

Ted Bloomhardt made the motion to close the public hearing for the conditional use permit review for CVU High School. This motion was seconded by Howdy Russell and passed. Tom McGlenn then made the motion that the Board take up this matter in deliberative session in order to render a decision. This motion was seconded by Robert Gauthier and passed unanimously.

4. GRABOWSKI/LYMAN – PRELIMINARY PLAT Brett Grabowski was next on the agenda to explain his most recent preliminary plat for his subdivision on the Lyman property to the north of the cheese factory. He explained the changes to the previously presented plan:

a) The lots and buildings have been moved 50 feet to the north.

b) There will be a common lot #33 in the middle of the lots 5 – 18 and the common area on the north, lot #30, will be smaller in size. These areas will be accessed by strips of land and it was felt this area should be clearly defined with either a fence or landscaping.

c) Lot #23 has been removed creating more space for the lots and therefore only lot #17 will now have a one-car garage.

d) There will now be 6 condo’s as duplexes on the west side of the main road and the project will now have 38 units. This density is allowable as they are moving the Village District line 50 feet as allowed under Section 1.3 of the Zoning Regulations.

e) The revised plan indicated a paved path out to Route 116 north of the John and Amy Lyman residence. There could be low lighting on the path or at least on the western portion behind the Giroux properties. Brett would construct a concrete sidewalk on the west side of Route 116 to the bridge at the Mechanicsville intersection. The Board was very pleased with the location of this path and thanked John Lyman for his cooperation.

f) There is some parking on the east side of the development road for overflow parking.

g) There was then a discussion of lot #31 which the landowners are proposing to dedicate to the Town. Brett explained that even if the Select Board does not accept this offer, this area would still be leveled and seeded for passive recreation.

h) There were concerns that the proposed streetlights would not be shielded and thus quite visible off the property. Brett was willing to look into this issue and perhaps change the type of lights.

i) The developers are also donating lot #1 to the Town, which is behind the current police and fire stations. Alex felt that Board should consider what uses they would like to see on this space in the future.

The Board members stated they were pleased with these changes and how this project has evolved. Brett explained that the Act 250 review would address the conversion of prime ag soils. He would only raise the portion of the project in the flood hazard area about 2 feet. It was suggested there could perhaps be more landscaping closer to the condo’s by the cheese factory and also between the western condo units and lot #31. Brett then submitted draft condo language prepared by his lawyer.

Ted Bloomhardt made the motion to continual the preliminary plat review of the Grabowski subdivision and the Board directs staff to draft conditions of approval. This motion was seconded by George Munson and passed.

5. ZONTANOS – SITE PLAN Rob Bast presented for site plan review a plan for a 4-plex apartment building on property owned by Nick and Voula Zontanos in back of Papa Nick’s restaurant. The following issues were then explained and discussed:

a) The project involves three current lots own by the Zontanos and these will be combined legally into one lot. Once this project is completed this property will consist of the restaurant, two buildings with two 2-bedroom apartments, and the new 4-unit apartment building with also will be 2-bedrooms units.

b) They are working with the State highway department to allow for sidewalks in front of this property within the State right-of-way.

c) It is the plan to have the residents of this new building access their units directly off Route 116 and not use the upper access cut onto Lyman Meadow Road. The storage garage has been moved to the west of the small parking area for these tenants and provides somewhat of a barrier to the west access point.

d) It was felt that having parking in front of the creamy stand still creates a dangerous situation and Rob felt those could be removed.

e) Larry Caputo, a Lyman Meadow condo owner, explained that the exit from the restaurant to the Lyman Meadow Road (which is a private road) creates a backup of cars and makes it difficult to enter this road from Route 116. Alex suggested having cars enter from the west in front of the restaurant and exit by the eastern main access point. This may also stop customers from parking along the Lyman Road when there is not room in the front lot.

f) There was also a complaint on the part of the condo owners that Nick does not share in the cost of the maintenance and snowplowing of the Lyman Meadow Road. He is not required to do so in the deed, which granted the restaurant an easement to use this road. Peter explained that the two lots to the east of the restaurant lot do not have an easement to use this road. The applicants have not received approval from the condo owners to plant the cedar hedge within this road right-of-way.

g) The cedar hedge between the large parking lot and this new building has been moved to the east, which should allow for piling snow there. This runoff will then go to the north toward the ditch on the condo property. Larry explained that they are paying to do extensive storm water repairs to their property and he feels that increasing the amount of runoff in this ditch could exacerbate their problems. The Board members agreed this is an issue that needs to be addressed.

h) Caputo would also like to see more screening between this new apartment building and their property.

i) An agreement has not yet be broached or made with the condo homeowners association to allow for this building to connect to Town water through their property.

j) It was suggested that parking spaces be added near spaces 28 - 30 which would narrow the drive at that point to help control traffic.

k) A cut-sheet for the exterior lights had not been submitted although their locations were indicated on the plan. The existing lighting was also not addressed at this time.

Tom McGlenn made the motion to continue this site plan review for Nick and Voula Zontanos’s apartment project to February 3, 2004. This motion was seconded by Howdy Russell and passed unanimously.

6. ACTION ITEMS Tom McGlenn made the motion that the Board go into deliberative session and this motion was seconded by Robert Gauthier and passed. The following items were then acted on:

a) Greg Waples made the motion to approve the denial of the request by David and Lisa Evarts to revise the Boutin Estate Subdivision plat. This motion was seconded by Howdy Russell and passed unanimously.

b) Ted Bloomhardt made the motion to grant site plan approval and a conditional use permit to CSSD for C.V.U. High School with conditions. This motion was seconded by Greg Waples and passed unanimously.

The meeting was adjourned at 11:55 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Holly Russell

Recording Secretary