Ordinance Review Committee
Minutes
January 3, 2008
Present: James Foster, Wade Trudel, Gary Foster, Richard Bibber,
Others: Kinderly Hodgdon
Wade Trudel called the meeting to order at 7:07 pm
Gary Foster moved and Richard Bibber seconded to accept the December 19, 2007 minutes as corrected. Vote 4-Yes
Gary Foster reported the fire suppression ordinance is not ready. The ordinance was tabled by the Town Council after the first reading of the original draft.
The updated matrix dated 12/19/07 was reviewed so that it may be passed on to the planning consultant. Wade Trudel recommended the original matrix be available to use in comparison to the latest version. All agreed. Gary Foster will update the matrix. Wade Trudel noted there are a lot of the things that are currently listed as site plan review that may be handled by the code officer. The committee’s recommendations should be included in the final draft of the matrix that is passed on to the planning consultant. It was noted if something is a permitted use, it should be permitted unless there was a reason to require site plan review in order to protect specific resources.
Day care in the different zones was reviewed. Gary Foster noted there is some inconsistency between what is allowed in different zones for day care. The change to twenty or fewer was made to have the ordinances consistent with State regulations. Gary Foster suggested day care for five or fewer and six or more be eliminated and allow day care for twenty or fewer in WH2 and BT2 and require site plan review for day care with twenty-one or more.
Gary Foster also noted there are additional uses that currently exist in the ordinances that conflict and they were noted on the revised matrix. Mr. G. Foster recommended the committee may want to draft language to note the inconsistent uses that need to be updated in the ordinances;
Richard Bibber noted he did not things drinking establishment should be in Medium Density. All agreed.
The definition of essential operations was reviewed. James Foster noted essential operations is intended to allow the water district to do what is necessary, such as a pump station; Gary Foster noted the committee interpreted essential operations of the water district as maintenance and repair of the infrastructure and that would be covered under public utilities; Richard Bibber questioned if public utilities should be under site plan review. All agreed utilities should not have to go before the board to maintain public utility infrastructure. Gary Foster noted a footnote was added noting more clarification was needed for essential operations of the water district. A suggestion was made to have a definition for public infrastructure in regards to maintenance repairs so that it would be different from expansion of
public utilities. Kinderly Hodgdon will check for public utilities jurisdiction in the state statutes and check what other towns do for delivery and upgrade of public utilities.
James Foster recommended there be a document that shows what RRA is and what is recommended for each zone. Gary Foster will work on the document. Gary Foster noted some of the uses that do not need site plan review or others should be listed in the performance standards.
Light manufacturing and light repair service in WH2 was questioned and it was noted the definition may be what will need to be changed. James Foster noted many of the sub definitions were included to allow them in a district where the use was not allowed.;
James Foster recommended there be a reduction in the amount of uses. Mr. J. Foster noted the matrix takes exceptions to the rules in specific zones and tries to put them into all of the zones and he would recommend there be more combination of uses to reduce the total number.
Gary Foster questioned if the committee is not to rewrite the ordinances, should the committee meetings be changed from meeting twice a month, to once a month. All agreed direction from the council would be helpful.
The agenda for the next meeting was reviewed. All agreed it would be helpful to have a copy of the proposed fire suppression ordinance in advance of the meeting if it is ready.
Meeting adjourned at 8:36 p.m.
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