HINESBURG DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD

MINUTES OF JUNE 15, 2004

Approved 7/06/04

 

 

Present:  Tom McGlenn, George Munson, Greg Waples, Jessica Barber, Carrie Finn, Howdy Russell, and Clint Emmons.  Also Peter Erb, Zoning Administrator.

Members Absent:  Ted Bloomhardt and Robert Gauthier.

Members of the Audience:  Christopher & Tonya Jones, David Lyman, Barbara Forrest, John Lyman, Mark Styduhar, Roger Tremblay, Jean & John Kiedaisch, Elizabeth Ross, Tom Goulette, Lisa Godfrey, Craig Chevrier, Laura Carotenuto, Elise Cleary, Steve & Carol Palmer, Colin & Earla Sue McNaull, Gay Regan, Joe Donegan, Dave Deforge, Raymond Ayer, Bob DiPasquale, and Steve Longshore.

 

 

1.  MINUTES    Howdy Russell made the motion to accept the minutes of June 15, 2004 as corrected.  This motion was seconded by Tom McGlenn and passed.

 

2.       MAYER – CONDITIONAL USE   Tom McGlenn opened the public hearing for Dennis

and Loan Mayer for a conditional use permit to operate a Curves franchise at the Village Center on the Mechanicsville Road.  Dennis explained the following aspects of this business:

a)      This is a national chain and they have owned and sold one and currently own one in Williston.

b)      The hours would be from 6 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday thru Friday and 6:00 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.

c)      They are anticipating about 10 people per hour and will have between 8 and 12 exercise machines.

d)      This building is owned by George Wachob and has adequate parking.  They will be leasing approximately 1150 square feet of the building.

e)      There will be a changing room but no shower facilities.

f)        This type of business will generate very little waste and will not need a dumpster.

g)      At this time, they will have a sign on the cluster sign for the Village Center.

 

Greg Waples made the motion to close the public hearing and this motion was seconded by George Munson and passed.  Tom McGlenn then made the motion to direct the staff to draft conditions of approval for the Mayers for a Curves franchise in the Village Center.  This motion was seconded by George Munson and passed unanimously.

 

 

3.  DELIBERATIVE SESSION   Greg Waples made the motion that the Board go into deliberative session and this motion was seconded by George Munson and passed.  The Board then acted on the following items:

 

4.       GRABOWSKI/LYMAN – FINAL PLAT AND CONDITIONAL USES   This was a continued final plat public hearing and Brett Grabowski addressed issues brought up in a memo from Alex Weinhagen (Town Planner) that could be included in conditions of approval:

a)      He agrees with the suggested fill required for lots 30, 1 and 31, which will be open space.  Also that lots 19-22 and 24-29 would be filled as per any approved plans prior to the issuance of any zoning permits.

b)      Except for a continued western sidewalk connecting the two condo areas, Brett agreed with the other indicated sidewalks and to work with the Town on sidewalks along Route 116.

c)      Several Board members did not agree with Brett’s suggestion that the setback for garages could be from the front porch and not the front face of the house.  Peter suggested that Brett work with Alex to vary the heights of the houses.

d)      Brett also agreed to the landscaping requirements and that only topsoil would be used where street trees will be planted.  This includes $2000 of plantings per lot.

e)      They will submit language for the maintenance of lots 3 and 23.

f)        The requirements for fill on the various lots will be included in their Act 250 application.

g)      Brett will not be able to begin the road and other site improvements prior to getting a performance bond.  He will provide sample bond language for Bud Allen.

h)      Brett would contribute his share of the cost of any traffic light at the intersection with Commerce Street when necessary.

 

Tom McGlenn made the motion to continue the Grabowski/Lyman final plat public hearing to the Board’s July 6, 2004 meeting.  This motion was seconded by Greg Waples and passed.

 

 

5.      IVERSON – FINAL PLAT & TRANSFER OF LAND   Tom McGlenn opened the public

hearing for final plat review of the Ginny Iverson subdivision of her property on the west side of Silver Street.  George Bedard was present with Ginny and explained the following issues associated with this project, addressed in Alex’s staff memo (George passed around a letter at this meeting addressing this memo):

a)      They have a letter from GMP that they are able to accommodate this project.

b)      The applicant is requesting that lot #3 (with the house and barns) not be required to close the existing road-cut onto Silver Street and use the new road-cut and drive to lots 2 & 3.  A portion of this driveway has a 15% grade.  Ginny agreed that for safety’s sake haying and farm vehicles could use this new roadway if lot #3 could keep its existing cut.  Mike Anthony, Road Foreman, had submitted a letter stating that he does not have problems with the existing cut to lot #3.

c)      It was explained that this has been the standard requirement to have Road Associations of subdivisions approved by this board.

d)      They felt it would be difficult to reduce the size of the building envelope on lot #1 although 60% of this envelope is in the open.  Their agreement with the Land Trust stipulates that no buildings will be allowed outside the designated building envelopes.

e)      Deed language with the Holts and Land Trust was also discussed.

f)        The septic designs will be revised to show the revisions to the plat.

g)      The new driveway will be of dark stone/gravel.

h)      Mike will require 20’ culverts and this will be changed on the plan.

i)        The 20’ wide agricultural easement will be in the deeds for lots 2 & 3.

j)        Only about 250 feet of the new driveway drains toward Silver Street and the rest goes toward the pond on lot #3.  Erosion control regulations will be followed in the construction of this new drive.

 

The Board had received a letter from Jane and Clyde Holt, adjacent landowners to whom Ginny will transfer 3.40 acres and Clyde reiterated some of their concerns:  they do not want to see the driveways combined as this will cut across the meadow, they would rather not have the driveway of white stone, and they feel that the building envelope for lot #1 should be back into the woods as this house will be very visible from Silver Street.

 

Tom McGlenn made the motion to continue this warned public hearing for final plat review of the Iverson subdivision to the July 6th meeting of the Board.  This motion was seconded by Howdy Russell and passed.

 

****  Jessica Barber left the meeting at this point and Carrie Finn, the other alternate joined. ***

 

 

6.      BISSONETTE – TRANSFER OF LAND   George Bedard then presented with Wayne

Bissonette a proposal to transfer 107 acres to Terry Wilson and Nancy Anisfield.  This parcel is between the LaPlatte River and other property of Wilson/Anisfield that fronts onto Silver Street.  They had previously purchased 64 acres from the Bissonette’s.  This procedure is governed by Section 2.2 of the Subdivision Regulations and is a one-step process of sketch plan review.

George Bedard explained:

a)      The parcel to be transferred is mostly wooded with a few small open areas.  This property has been logged by Wayne and will continue by the Wilson/Anisfield in the State Land Use Program.

b)      There will be a statement on the plat and in the deed that there can be no further development of this property.

c)      Terry explained that he and Nancy are strong conservationists and members of the Ruffed Grouse Association and they use the property to train bird dogs and hunting.  They use good forestry management practices and cut small portions of the woods to allow it to grow up to brush for this purpose.  Once an area is cut, it will not be cut again for 20 – 30 years.

d)      Goldie’s fern and a green ash swamp are here and when concern was expressed for these natural area, Terry indicated he would consider this.  Interest was also expressed in having this area remain a wildlife corridor in the future.

 

Peter explained that in researching this he has found that the Bissonette land consists of several farms purchased throughout many years and performing this transfer may result in several small lots that are irregular in shape and independent of the remaining land.  George felt that Wayne owns and controls the entire property.  It was agreed that the deeds to this farm need to be studied and further consideration be given to this issue.

 

Tom McGlenn made the motion to continue to the Board’s July 6th meeting the public discussion of the Bissonette transfer of land for the purpose of the applicant to submit additional information and to direct staff to draft conditions of approval.  This motion was seconded by Howdy Russell and passed.

 

 

7.      BISSONETTE – SKETCH PLAN   Wayne Bissonette had submitted a subdivision plan for sketch plan review for 9 lots on his property on the west side of the Gilman Road.  As Wayne’s engineer, Nick Nolan, was not present George Bedard gave an initial overview of this project:

a)      This is being presented as a Planned Residential Development (PRD) with the lots being approximate 1 acre in size with a 5-acre common land.  As described in Section 4.5 of the Zoning Bylaw, a PRD is to allow “for innovative and flexible design and development.”  

b)      The common area has good soils and will contain the septic and replacement area for the nine lots.

c)      There is an area to the west that will need to be surveyed to determine the correct owners.  This area has been shown as owned by the homeowners of the Wade subdivision which is accessed off Silver Street.

d)      Although the plan submitted shows future development on additional portions of the Bissonette property, they have no further plans at this time.  Wayne explained they have discussed this area with the Planning Commission as a master plan.  They are negotiating with the Land Trust on the purchase of development rights.

 

Members of the Audience had questions and concerns about this project:

a)      Whether there is enough open land between these houses and Silver Street properties to have a wildlife corridor and walking path.

b)      The sketch plan did not accurately show the boundary on the west and this must be surveyed and corrected.

c)      These 9 lots and any “future development” would be a lot of residential development in this area of town.  This is now quite rural and this amount of development could create traffic and other problems.

d)      The opinion was also expressed that this wildlife corridor and preservation should not be entirely the responsibility of the Bissonette’s.  The Board agreed they should and will make a site visit to this property.

Tom McGlenn made the motion to continue the public sketch discussion of the Bissonette subdivision to the August 3rd DRB meeting and the Board conduct a site visit to the property at 6:00 p.m. prior to that meeting.  This motion was seconded by Greg Waples and passed.

 

 

8.      CVU  - CHIMNEYS   Tom Barden, representing CVU High School, then presented a request for a change to condition #24 of the master site plan granted to the school.   This conditions of the approval required that the 2 chimneys at the school would have to be painted.  Tom was requesting that these be left Korden, which would not require maintenance and periodical painting.  It was mentioned that Korden would be non-reflective and absorb light.  Greg Waples made the motion to revised condition # 24 of the CVU site plan granted to allow for the chimneys to be Korden.  This motion was seconded by George Munson and passed with Howdy, Greg, George, and Tom voting aye and Clint Emmons voting against.

 

 

The meeting was adjourned at 10:50 p.m.

 

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Holly Russell, Recording Secretary