PLANNING BOARD MEETING June 10, 2008 at 7:00pm Town Hall
MINUTES
Presiding: Jeff Miller,
Members Present: Bob Miller, V-Ch., Henry Fletcher, Sheldon Sawyer,
BOS, Ben Daviss,
Jeff White, alt., Donn Lounsbury, alt., Fred Dill, alt.
Members Absent:
E. Merklien, D. DeCoste, S
O’Keefe Recording:
Pamela Aslinger, Sec./alt.
These minutes
are unapproved and will be reviewed at the July 8, 2008 meeting for errors,
omissions and
corrections. There were 20 persons in
attendance.
I. Meeting
opened at 7:00pm
A. Roll Call -
B. Minutes - A motion to
approve the minutes as presented was made and seconded.
Motion carried unanimously.
II. Review
applications submitted: Accept/Reject/Delay before opening Public Hearing
A. Hick’s Machine Inc.
Expedited Site Plan Review located at
III. Closed
meeting/opened Public Hearing. Mr. Hicks was present to answer questions and gave a
brief overview, pointing out where the addition was located and the shed being
removed. The addition will have a
trussed roof and be very similar to existing building. Ch. Miller called for questions or comments,
hearing none from the audience or board,
IV.
7:12pm Closed
the Public Hearing/re-opened the meeting.
Action on application:
Approve/Disapprove/Delay. Ch. Miller called for board action on the
proposal. A motion to approve the application as presented was made and seconded,
vote taken, motion carried unanimously.
The plans were signed and a follow-up letter will be sent.
II. B. Etka Patel/No.
Walpole Realty Trust - Site Plan Review located at
III. Closed
meeting/opened Public Hearing. Attorney Rob Kasper was present representing Mr. Patel
who was in attendance. He described the
action taken by the N. Walpole Zoning Commissioners as granting a change in a
non-conforming use from an industrial warehouse to a retail commercial
convenience store. He introduced Paul
Grazewicz as the engineer available to describe the site layout and how they
addressed the NWZC conditions. One of
the conditions was to obtain a driveway permit from the State regarding the
entrances and an inspection by the fire chief.
The fire chief on Friday completed his inspection. He said they are asking the State to extend
the sidewalk on the northerly side along Rte. 12.
Mr. Grazewicz referred to the
plan noting two changes in response to Josephine Slomba, abutter regarding
lower tree plantings to allow for proper snow removal of her driveway and to
create a 4 ft. gravel access path for her.
There was a proposed curb island at the south entrance; they are
currently revising it to allow for two separate entrances instead of one large
opening servicing her driveway and the store.
Again it allows for snow removal.
They have submitted the plans to DOT on June 5th, DOT had a couple of
comments re: the Hwy. Numbering, and requested that they widen the southern
entrance to 30 feet. He said the existing
footprint stays the same, the parking will be paved, the
existing tree line remains except to
allow for
the dumpster. He said the lighting is existing with two on the building to the north, a proposed surface
mounted light at both entrances. He said
there is an existing pole light, mercury or sodium type and there is an
existing street light near the proposed entrance, he thought it was sufficient. The new sign will be lit according to what is
allowed in the ordinance. There are 27
parking spaces with 8 spaces on each side of the building and they are
installing a sidewalk alongside of the building. The building is hooked to sewer and water and
all the existing drainage will be utilized.
There is a proposed apartment in the back right of the building, 550 sq.
feet used exclusively by the manager of the store, functioning as a security
also. The plans show the hours of
operation being 7am - 10pm, 7 days per week.
Mr. Dill asked if the rest of
the upstairs would be used? Mr. Patel
said it would not be used at all, not even for storage. Mr. Grazewicz thought the project would be a
nice addition to the area from its present condition as an abandoned warehouse
with a rusty loading dock that will be cleaned up and removed. He added that it should be handy to N.
Walpole citizens to shop for general groceries.
Mr. Dill asked if there are
sidewalks from the bridge over? Answer
was yes on the westerly side of Rte. 12 and east side in front of the site. There is a nice grass strip for walking to the
North before it meets up with the sidewalk.
Mr. Grazewicz asked DOT if they would be interested in providing a
sidewalk to the north of the site along the grass strip, they were not willing
to become involved. Mr. Kasper added that discussion at the NWZC public hearing
brought out the type of store they are proposing, it will have a deli, and
grocery items such as bread, eggs and milk rather than typical convenience
store fare such as gas, alcohol and tobacco.
Ch. Miller called for questions,
comments or concerns. Mrs. Cathy Kopij,
abutter is concerned about the lack of sidewalk to the north and proposes a
crosswalk. Mr. Grazewicz, answered the
grass strip is suitable for walking.
There may be times when trains have stopped traffic that it might be
difficult to cross but the posted speed limit is quite slow also - 15mph S and
30mph N. She asked about truck traffic
and off loading, would it conflict with store traffic during business
hours? Mr. Grazewicz pointed to the
loading area and space that is front left of the building where the roll up
door is. He said the frequency of
deliveries would be one to two per day during working hours, not after hours. The trucks will not stop on Rte. 12, and the
site will not accommodate 18 wheelers even though it has happened at other
stores along Rte. 12, there is also a
curb that prevents a truck from trying to park on Rte. 12. Mr. Kasper agreed a painted crosswalk would
be a good idea, to check with DOT, and could additionally help to slow down
traffic. Mr. White questioned the space
allowed for a 53 ft. truck, he drives by the area everyday and has noticed
trucks at the Citgo station/ Jiffy Mart on Rte. 12 and he has seen persons
exceeding the speed limit. He said it is
vital not to block the stores entrance with delivery trucks. Mr. Patel said all deliveries would be made
by smaller 24 ft. “straight” trucks so he does not anticipate any problems with
blocking the entrance. Ch. Miller
called for final comments, hearing none -
IV. Closed
the Public Hearing and re-opened the meeting at 7:30pm. Ch. Miller
called for Board comments. Mr. B. Miller
asked if there were any future plans to sell gasoline, answer was no, there is
not enough space. Ch. Miller suggested
they return to the NWVC or Town about crosswalks and sidewalks. Selectman Sawyer said the Town would be
responsible for putting them in if DOT will not, and mentioned DOT would need
to be contacted first since it is a State road.
He said if there is a crosswalk it must be used exclusively for
crossings. Ch. Miller called for board
action. Mr. Sawyer made a motion to approve the plan as presented and based on
having received permission from the N. Walpole Zoning Board. Mr. Dill seconded. Mr. Dill moved to amend the motion to
include the provision that no further apartments will be allowed without
returning to the planning board for approval, that the proposal is for one
apartment only. Ch. Miller called for a
vote on the amendment - amendment passed unanimously. Ch. Miller called for a vote on the amended
motion - the motion passed unanimously.
The plans were signed and a follow-up letter will be sent.
V.
7:38 pm Close
Meeting/Open Public Hearing/Close Public Hearing/Re-open meeting on draft
amendment to Site Plan Review regulations.
Ch. Miller explained the
purpose of the amendment is to request building design information as part of
Site Plan application materials to aid the board in making an informed
decision. He added that in the past it
was assumed the information was to be included but the regulations did not
actually require it. This amendment if
passed would require the information. He
read the amendment as shown on the agenda.
He called for public comment, questions or discussion. Hearing none he closed the public hearing
7:40pm and called for board action.
Walpole
Planning Board Minutes 6/10/08 page 3
Mr. Ben Daviss made a motion to approve
the amendment as presented, Mr. Bob Miller seconded. Ch. Miller called for a vote, motion carried
unanimously, except for Mr. Sawyer who abstained.
VI. Unfinished
Business: Pending Applications
A. Chamberlain Machine - Revision to
approved plans. Mr. Chris Miller was present with owner Mr.
Scott Boynton and Mr. Peter Wotowiec of Bensonwood Homes. Mr. C. Miller presented the board with three
new sets of plans reducing the building size, parking lot and reduced lighting
with a minor reconfiguration of Huntington Lane to improve a protective buffer. Mr. C. Miller explained the driveway
arrangement was straightened and moved closer to the building and to allow
Bensonwood better access. They have
decreased the parking lot paved area and reduced the footprint of the building. There is less lighting; less landscaping,
curbed islands have been replaced with painted bump outs to allow for
plowing. He said they’ve been
coordinating with Bensonwood on their proposal and turned the explanation over
to Mr. Wotowiec. He said it became clear
if they continued the road straight they would cut into the protective buffer
allowed for the residences. They have
redesigned the road to be slightly angled to accommodate the buffer of large
established evergreens and it will be nearer to the property lines. They have met with SVE, Chamberlain’s engineer
and Jim Terrell, town road agent who has given a verbal approval to the new
configuration. The modification will be
part of Chamberlain’s proposal rather than waiting for Bensonwood’s proposal to
go through the site plan application process thus allowing for Chamberlain to
proceed with their construction sequence.
Mr. Wotoweic said Bensonwood would be submitting their proposal to the
board at the July meeting.
Mr. Dill asked if the entry way
off Rte. 12 was the same? Answer was
yes. Mr. Wotowiec pointed to the maps
and detailed the future use of the road, noting it narrowed to 20 feet along
the back as approved by Mr. Terrell.
Mr. C. Miller described the
parking area and entrance-way changes eliminating 15,000 sq. ft. of pavement
but preserves the functionality for employees and truck traffic. He said the bump outs at the end of the
parking sections are now to be painted instead of curbed to allow for
plowing. They have maintained the
required landscaping ratio and the parking islands planted as required. He said some islands and lighting have been
eliminated by a similar percentage, the type of lighting is the same. They are keeping the storage shed and
existing house. He said because of the
structural engineering for the building and the column locations they reduced
the size of the building and the footprint is slightly changed with a 30 ft.
jog. The functionality remains the same
and the main entrance is more centralized.
The building went from 49K to 47K sq. ft. Ch. Miller called for comments. Mr.
Fred Dill made a motion to approve the amendments to the Site Plan approval as
presented. Mr. Sawyer seconded. Ch. Miller called for discussion, being none
called for the vote, motion carried unanimously. Plans were signed, a follow up letter will be
sent. Mr. Miller said they were working
with Mr. Houghton regarding the water and sewer hook up, there would be some
revisions and they will keep the board informed at a later date. Sec. Aslinger received a letter from the
water commissioner regarding some changes it will be kept on file. They are also working with the Fire Chief.
B. Griswold Place 16 Westminster St. -
Revision to approved plans - Minor
reduction of parking lot size, increased green space with added landscaping,
plus an improvement to “lane”. Sec.
Aslinger presented the board with plans submitted by Mr. Red Smith, Property
manager. Mr. Smith attached a letter
that stated, “We have turned the space 90 degrees and eliminated one space.” (from 5 to 4). “This change will allow us to vastly increase
the green space which will improve the appearance and livability for neighbors
and the tenants. The scope of the work
also includes repaving the existing pavement of the right of way drive.”
Members reviewed the previous plan noting the dumpster
was moved to the east side away from the “Ernst” abutters property line and the
addition of more trees. Ch. Miller
called for comments or concerns, hearing none called for board action. Mr.
Fred Dill made a motion to approve the revisions as presented, seconded by Mr.
Lounsbury. Ch. Miller called for a vote,
motion carried unanimously. The
plans were signed and a follow up letter will be sent.
VIII.
New Business: Preliminary Conceptual Consultations
A. Lawrence Associates - Virginia Foote presented an application for a Lot Line Adjustment
located on Hillcrest Rd. and Parris Lane in North Walpole, Map29 Lots 40 &
41 between Peter and Patricia Wheeler and Ronald Hill. The change results in Lot 40 becoming 1.20
ac. and Lot 41 becoming 3.9 ac. and Wheeler’s driveway will be on their own
lot. Fees and abutter list accompanied
the application. All
Walpole
Planning Board Minutes 6/10/08 page 4
setbacks
and lot sizes are conforming. Mr. Dill made motion to schedule the
application for the July 8, 2008 meeting and schedule the public hearing, it
was seconded, vote taken, motion carried unanimously.
B. Mrs. Shirley Frost
- Mrs. Frost was present with her son and described their desire to locate a
second mobile home on a parcel they own at 84 Valley Rd. She said she had spoken with the BOS who
urged her to appear before the ZBA and PB to go over the possibility. She said her husband’s health is failing and
they are selling their house on Maplewood Avenue and they would like to remain
in Walpole, they’ve lived here for 50 years.
In order to do so they would like to make use of the lot they own by
putting a second mobile home next to her son’s mobile home so they can be
helped along as they age and so they can live in a one level home. She thought a variance might be needed
according to what has been discussed.
She said the existing septic is adequate and could be added to, the
variance would be for the shortage of 45 feet of frontage to create two lots. She said her son would be building a new home
on the site at some point. She said the
BOS agreed with her that the Town needs to make a provision for situations like
hers. Ch. Miller asked if it would be
permanent? Her son said no, only until
either of his parent’s pass on or need to be moved to a nursing home. Mr. Sawyer said the Selectboard were going to
grant a temporary permit to place the second mobile home on the lot with the
condition it be removed when Mr. Frost passes away, however if Mrs. Frost wants
to remain now, that might create a conflict with a temporary status. Mr. Fletcher remembered this type of
accommodation being allowed before. Mr.
Sawyer agreed thinking of two others.
Ch. Miller asked if a slab or permanent foundation was needed and if
there are other structures on the lot.
Her son answered only his mobile home and a garage are on the property,
plus the state requires a slab. Mr.
Sawyer said it does not require a slab because the permanent foundation can be
built in.
Mr. Dill asked for a
clarification, the agenda reads “subdivision” rather than a temporary variance
that is being discussed and about the septic. Mrs. Frost and son prefer the
temporary allowance over a subdivision.
The son said the septic leachfield was done 5 years ago by Johnny
Mathews, there are 4-20 ft. runs, that the area is very sandy and advised him
to dig 2 feet below grade, put in a foot of concrete sand and inch and a half
stone with a 4 inch perforated pipe and cover it with fabric. They have a 1000 tank and would install
another 1000 gallon tank that he could also use in the future when he builds
his house. He would be adding on to the
existing septic rather than putting in a new system for the second mobile home,
but will put in the additional tank.
Sec. Aslinger said she spoke
with Mrs. Frost when she inquired about being placed on the agenda. Sec. Aslinger said she read through the
regulations trying to determine where it was allowed to put two mobile homes on
one lot, but the regulations and ordinances do not specifically make a provision
to allow such a placement on a single lot.
She said that’s why she suggested Mrs. Frost consider a subdivision of
the lot in order to make it a legal situation.
Because the lot does not have adequate frontage for two lots, she
suggested she contact the ZBA to discuss seeking a variance for the 45 feet of
missing frontage. She said that is why
Mrs. Frost was placed on the agenda for subdivision, the ZBA has the authority
to consider variances. If a variance is
obtained then she would return to the Planning Board for a minor 2 lot
subdivision creating a separate lot for each of the mobile homes. Ch. Miller agreed with the
variance/subdivision process so it would be a legal subdivision. Her son asked how it would affect him in the
future if he removed the second mobile home.
Ch. Miller suggested he could own both properties and once the second
mobile home is removed he could apply for a voluntary merger to make it one lot
again. The son asked if he would be
required to have two separate septic systems if it were to be subdivided. Sec. Aslinger said because the lots would be
less than 3 acres, a state subdivision approval would be required meaning perk
tests and septic design, if he wants to use and expand the existing system, she
thought that could be a viable proposal to the State, especially if it were
going to be a temporary situation. Ch.
Miller said he would need a septic plan anyway to add on the 1000 gallon
tank. Sec. Aslinger said the result of
going through the subdivision process would create two legal lots conforming to
the regulations currently in place, it protects the land-owners. Ch. Miller agreed but acknowledged if the BOS
permitted them to put the second mobile home on the lot by issuing a building
permit, then the Planning Board and ZBA would not be involved. Selectman Sawyer said they have told them
they could do it temporarily. Ch. Miller
suggested to the Selectboard that it be clearly spelled out that it is a
temporary situation and time sensitive, to contact Town legal counsel for an
opinion. He said they don’t want to set
a precedent or run into complications by issuing what would be considered a
temporary variance to allow two single family homes
Walpole
Planning Board Minutes 6/10/08 page 5
on
one lot. Mr. Sawyer said he wished the
ordinances allowed for this type of situation, to help out some of the older
citizens by allowing them to live with their family for care. Ch. Miller said it does, by way of variance,
he felt there is a mechanism that does make an allowance but cautioned that the
Selectmen should seek legal opinion before making an allowance for this
situation on their own to avoid future complications. He thought going through the normal variance
procedure would be best and agreed the regulations should address the issue, he
noted one of the reasons they kept the one acre acreage requirement was to
allow farmers to carve off a small lot for family members.
He concluded by saying they have
two options, begin by meeting with the ZBA by contacting Myra Mansouri at the
next meeting on June 18 to begin the variance process and in the mean time the
BOS can discuss their option with Town counsel for an opinion. He said they could seek a variance and then a
subdivision with the provision it is for a temporary use, then in the future
the land can be returned to one lot in by a voluntary merger or they can wait
for the BOS to confirm the legality of allowing them to proceed with temporary
permission or some other suggested legal solution. He suggested the BOS work quickly to contact
legal counsel. Mr. Sawyer said they
would try and added if they did subdivide they would be taxed on two $70,000.00
lots. He said he hated to see persons
living in Town 50 years without options other than moving into a nursing home
out of Town. Sec. Aslinger asked if by
amending the zoning ordinance a couple of years ago requiring multifamily to be
all on one foundation closed the door on allowing for a situation like this. She asked if it could be considered a
multifamily lot, rather than being a connected multifamily dwelling, she
offered to check with other Towns and the State to see how it can be fairly
addressed. Ch. Miller said the reason for the amendment was to prevent
multifamily dwellings being connected by only a breezeway.
IX. Communications
and Miscellaneous
A. Master Plan Update - Mr. Daviss said he and Mr. Schupack met with SWRPC to
review the vision statement and goals and objectives for any conflicting
language and compatibility with the Master Plan, they would do the tidy up as
part of the membership fees/annual dues.
They will prepare a cost proposal on the rewrite of the land use
technical section hopefully by the next work session. Sec. Aslinger asked if the Board wanted to
set the dates for the public hearings to adopt the Conservation Commission
documents into the Master Plan. The
documents are the Comparative Land Values and Farms Forests Streams
inventory. Selectman Sawyer questioned
why they should be included in the Master Plan that he takes dim view of the
Conservation Commission’s reports being included since it was made up for them.
Mr. Fletcher said the Planning Board was being bashed by some of the
Conservation people, thinking the Board is stupid and doesn’t know what they
are doing. Sec. Aslinger asked if so
then the planning board should not consider or take anything they (WCC) do as
important? She said it is documented
information with the mapping based on facts and data. It’s information that should be included in
the Master Plan wouldn’t we want comparative land values and our natural
resources as part of the master plan?
Mr. Daviss said the documents also support the Master Plan revision by
giving some background and data to establish the goals and objectives in the
survey the Town responded to, in addition SWRPC will read through the documents
as part of their proposal to tell us if there are any inconsistencies before
adopting it into the Master Plan. Ch.
Miller said then it would be best to wait until they had a chance to comment on
it before holding any public hearings.
Mr. Sawyer said one thing he noticed in the document was a goal of
setting aside 25% of all lands for conservation which is not accessible to the
public, thinking, is that something the Town wants? He said they have 12 % presently, he’s not
sure whether SWRPC came up with that or if it was the previous Conservation
Commission members. He said that was one
of the things that could greatly affect the Town because land that is put in conservation
is not taxable -basically. Mr. Fletcher
asked if he thought the land would be “posted” after its put into
easement? Mr. Sawyer said some of it has
been posted already. Mr. Daviss said he
was unaware the plan called for 25% having not had a chance to read it
entirely. Mr. Sawyer said if they let
SWRPC do all the planning for us they could do away with the Conservation
Commission, Planning and Zoning and have Statewide zoning which is what he
thinks the State wants. He doesn’t think
that’s what the Town of Walpole wants.
He thinks what we have works although the Town has changed not being as
much as an agrarian society but there hasn’t been a tremendous influx of people
either.
Mr. Dill reflecting on the
Frost’s situation thought a couple of years ago they could have proceeded, now
they are going to be 12-15 thousand dollars in the hole and delayed 3 or 4
months at 1000 dollars per month. He
said we keep adding pages and pages of regulations making it difficult to help
people when the need arises. He said
it’s supposedly to keep the bad guys out of Town but he thinks it
Walpole
Planning Board Minutes 6/10/08 page 6
punishes
the people already living in Town. Ms.
Aslinger said she thought the regulations protect the property owners. Mr. Dill disagreed saying every time
something new is added the large property owners ie, the farmer’s are being
hurt. They get hit every single time and
it takes away the flexibility on their largest asset. Mr. White said the flip side is the property
owner’s view living across the street from two mobile homes kitty cornered on
one lot with one septic system so they can save money while the neighbors take
it to court and spend their own money trying to fight it. Ch. Miller disagreed with Mr. Dill saying
there have been instances where the Town has accommodated a need and it’s come
back to haunt them. He said even without
any changes to the ordinances, there is a rational for they way the ordinance
was written in the 1960’s and as Sheldon pointed out it has worked for many
years without major changes and has protected the Town. He said it doesn’t work out when the rules
and regulations aren’t applied. He said
the abutters could be adversely affected in their property values by this type
of allowance. Mr. Dill agreed with his
thinking but thought it was scary to think the Conservation Commissions
document full of changes could be adopted without members realizing a goal of
setting aside 25% of land for conservation being included. Ch. Miller said most of the natural resources
information is already covered in the Master Plan. Mr. Dill thought the Board was voting tonight
to include the WCC’s report in the Master Plan.
Ch. Miller said no, it was to consider scheduling the public hearing
only, but it has been tabled pending SWRPC’s review mentioned by Mr.
Daviss. Sec. Aslinger said at the last
work session members discussed holding a public hearing on the two documents so
she added it to the agenda, not knowing about the SWRPC review, which she
agreed should be considered before a hearing.
Mr. Sawyer said the 25% was brought up at the first Master Plan Work
Session. Ch. Miller asked if the
Conservation Commission members were appointed by the Selectmen? Mr. Sawyer said yes, and the alternates are
appointed as well.
B. Fees increase request - Sec. Aslinger asked the Board to please consider
the $25.00 increase she is requesting and whether anyone had studied the other
Town’s fees she prepared. Mr. Sawyer moved to keep them the same as
what they are, seconded by Mr. Fletcher.
Mr. Daviss asked if the fees were covering the costs? Sec. Aslinger said no they are not, that is
why she asked for the increase. Mr.
Daviss asked why the Board is subsidizing applicants? Ch. Miller called for discussion with the
motion on the floor. Mr. Sawyer said you
are not supposed to cover all the costs of the planning and zoning board budget
through the fees, its supposed to cover the cost of a particular application,
not doing the master plan. Sec. Aslinger
agreed that the fees are to cover the applications only. He said then you have to look at being more
expensive than surrounding Towns, why?
If the school systems are costing more, are you getting better education
or more expensive education? He
questions whether the fees should be higher than every other Town except for
Chesterfield and where does it stop? If
fee structures are only supposed to cover the costs why limit them to planning
and zoning, why not set fees for anything that comes up perhaps there should be
user fees for education, roads. Mr.
Daviss asked whether the planning board fees were covering the actual costs of
processing the applications? Sec.
Aslinger said no, even with the increase it is not fully covering the expenses
- but it is offsetting them. Postage has
gone up three times since the original fees increase, the abutter notice
postage is now costing $3.12 and the Board charges $5.00 which may seem like
it’s covering the expense but it doesn’t cover the labor. She said even though the Selectmen think they
can limit her time by cutting the labor portion of the Board’s budget, she
still has to get the legal notices out the alternative would be costly
lawsuits. She said she was being very
conservative requesting $25.00 per application and upping the postage, she said
the Board doesn’t charge for the published legal notice as many Towns do. Ch. Miller pointed to Charlestown, Alstead
and Marlboro as comparisons all being lower than Walpole’s fees. Sec. Aslinger said she spoke with individuals
of each of the 18 Towns all are interested in getting a copy of the figures she
gathered because they don’t feel they are covering their costs. Some Towns haven’t increased fees since
2005. Ch. Miller said a few years ago
they were only charging $25.00 now it’s $150.00. Sec. Aslinger argued that the $25.00 wasn’t
covering the costs even then but was costing the townspeople instead. He
disagreed saying previous clerks weren’t spending as much. Sec. Aslinger said she thought one of the
reasons the previous clerk left was because she wasn’t be properly compensated
for her time. Mr. Sawyer said it was
because her kids were busy with activities and she would be ready to return in
two years. Ch. Miller thought the
increase was excessive compared to the past.
Sec. Aslinger said it seemed the discussion was being directed at her
personally. Ch. Miller said no it
wasn’t. Mr. Sawyer compared the recyling
center costing the taxpayers $150,000 dollars, should they increase the bag fee
to cover the costs? Mr. Dill thought
there would be a lot more garbage on the side of
Walpole
Planning Board Minutes 6/10/08 page 7
the
road if they did and Sec. Aslinger thought the fees should be raised for all
other Towns using Walpole’s facility.
Ch. Miller called for further discussion. Mr. Daviss thought the Board should make an
approach
to
cover more of the costs instead of operating at a greater loss than
needed. He said it cost what it costs -
he doesn’t see the relevance to other Towns, someone who wants to build in
Walpole is not going to go to Chesterfield to save $25.00. He said it costs what it costs - let’s have
the people who want the service pay for the service. Mr. Bob Miller asked what the shortfall is. Ch. Miller said Sec. Aslinger probably knows,
that she has put a lot of effort into elevating the position and the Board has
benefited, it’s been terrific, a lot of great ideas have come forth through her
efforts and he trusts her to account for her time for processing the
applications but questions whether the minutes and other board duties should be
included in the application fees. He
thought there were two distinctions of her time. He said he a few years ago the application
fee was $25.00 but at the suggestion of Ms. Aslinger and against what he
thought would fly the fees were substantially increased and much to his
surprise there hasn’t been any adverse reverberation. Mr. Dill asked if part of the increase from 5
-10 years ago is due to the Board doing the work of the applicants, is it for
the Town or applicant, should the applicant’s do more? Sec. Aslinger said she is available anytime
to answer questions/inquiries and on some days she has received 15 such phone
calls, her cell phone number is “out there” and it is part of the secretarial
duties to answer questions as to how to file an application or where to drop
off materials or be placed on the agenda.
She said she doesn’t charge for the inquiries. The RSA’s state the fees need to be
reasonable to cover costs, she isn’t trying to cover SWRPC’s expenses in the
fees, only the processing of the applications.
She guides the applicant’s through the process and thinks it’s the right
approach and the applicant’s have shown their appreciation, the Board may not
appreciate her efforts but the applicant’s do and it’s great. Mr. Dill said to take Mrs. Frost as an
example, he said she went to the BOS, spoke with Sec. Aslinger who spoke with
Ms. Mansouri and then here tonight at the full Planning Board, next to the
Zoning Board, doesn’t it seem like too much effort? Ch. Miller said each applicant is different
requiring whatever time is needed and trusts Sec. Aslinger to do the work as
needed and to account fairly for her time, the issue is whether the Board
thinks the fees need to be increased as requested. Sec. Aslinger said she is simply trying to
defray some of the costs. Mr. Sawyer
said cemetery mowing isn’t being covered by fees either. Ch. Miller called for the
vote. Four were in favor of the motion to keep the fees as is and three
against. Motion passed. Ch. Miller thanked Sec. Aslinger for the
extra effort she puts in. Sec. Aslinger
said her intention is to pass the duties on to the next person creating a job
that wouldn’t require them to provide their own computer, phone, and office at
their home, be on call 24 hours a day 7 days a week and be underpaid by
volunteering half of their time. She
said she was hoping to recombine the Zoning and Planning secretarial position,
however that has been complicated, she
hoped to make it a more professional offering in order to attract a qualified
person. She said she wishes to spend
more time on the Board as a member rather than being bogged down by the
clerical duties. She would like to run
for a full member and spend her time working on planning, the secretarial
position doesn’t pay enough for the amount of time required, she’d rather spend
the time working on the Master Plan and regulations.
C.
Other - Mr. Sawyer said he
would like to mention his concern over interpreting very complicated State and
Town regulations more so at the BOS level but he defies any Planning Board
member to say they know what they all are or a Selectmen to say the same. They are all the time coming up against an
unknown. He said whenever there is a
complaint or question whether it is legal or not legal according to the zoning
they have to go through the process. He
said it behooves them, as planning board members not sit in judgment before the
process is complete and that they recognize there is a process that you can go
through. As the zoning changes the Board
has to change how they view a project.
He said to try to research it as much as they can and abide by the
regulations as they are. He said
they’ve run into a few instances where incorrect statements about a project
have been made, so reiterates the need to research before commenting.
X. 8:48pm Mr. Dill moved to adjourn the meeting,
seconded, motion carried unanimously.
Next
work session to be held 6/24 at 7pm and next meeting 7/8/08 at 7pm.
Cc: PB, ZBA,
WCC, BOS, NWVC, Town offices, applicants and engineers
Posted: Town
Hall, Lobby, Burdick’s Market, www.walpoleplanningboard.org and
www.thewalpolean.com