PLANNING BOARD

MEETING

Monday, July 8, 2002

Belmont Corner Meeting House

Belmont, New Hampshire

Members Present:  Chairman P. Harris; G. Flack, C. Patten, J. Pike, J. Marden and W. Brunkhardt.

Members Absent:  W. Peterson.

Alternates Absent: C. Shibles and G. Bolduc.

Staff:  C. Daigle, R. Ball and E. Murphy.

Master Plan Subcommittee Members:  Chairman L. Frawley; J. Bolduc SEA and K. Knowlton.

The chairman opened the meeting at 7:00 P.M.

MASTER PLAN:

P. Harris explained that tonight’s meeting is to discuss the first four chapters of the Master Plan.

J. Bolduc stated that the June 21^st Community Meeting was good and done in a timely manner. The information presented was clear and precise. They explained the Master Plan, where it currently stands and the process it took to get where we are. There were not a lot of questions because the public was well informed. Most of the questions were about how it was going to affect individual businesses. He had hoped for a better attendance but that means the community is comfortable with the direction the Master Plan is heading. There were about 23 people who attended besides the committee members.

P. Harris stated that having the Lakes Regions Public Access TV there was helpful and he has received positive feedback from it. He stated that the feedback he is getting is that everyone is involved in the Town’s future planning and it is not just the Boards running the Town.

P. Harris wanted to know about the Master Plan budget, how much is still left and how the money has been spent. C. Daigle stated that she would bring a copy of budget to the next meeting.

P. Harris stated that the chapters are terrific. Economic Development involves high tech and not all the necessary information is available at this time. There is a need for education on Economic Development to insure that the existing businesses are not hurt by it. It is a very serious project and they need to be careful when they get into it. The volunteers and staff that are working on the Master Plan are extremely busy and they don’t want to overload them. When the workload eases up then they will have the time to dedicate themselves to working on Economic Development. J. Bolduc stated that they are trying to confirm the Master Plan now and it would be more productive to work on Economic Development later. L. Frawley stated that based on the RSA’s the existing Economic Development information could be used as an appendix to the Master Plan.  P. Harris stated that it will be used as an appendix but there is not enough time to do all the necessary work to develop an Economic Development Chapter. L. Frawley wanted to know what to tell the people that have talked to her about it since the May memo. Should she refer them to the Board of Selectmen next year? She hopes the educational background she provided will help ease the load. P. Harris thanked her for the information she gathered and stated that he has also gathered some. L. Frawley stated that she would tell the Economic Development volunteers to hold off because they want to do more than gather information. There will be an appendix to the Master Plan so they don’t have to start from ground zero. J. Pike stated that they need an Economic Development Plan but with the current work load there is not enough time to work on it as everyone has too much on their plate at this time. The Planning Board has enough to absorb with their full workload and needs to clean up loose ends before they take on any new projects. C. Daigle explained that all the information that has been gathered is in the information data binder and is available in the Land Use Office. L. Frawley stated that the Community Profile is done with fewer groups and meetings making the process easier.

COMMUNITY FACILITIES:

J. Marden stated that in Chapter 1 the Old Fire Station should be deleted because it has been torn down and is only a vacant piece of land. He also stated that the Boyscouts are using the Old Town Garage and that should be included under the Old Town Garage section. They want to put work into it but not if it is going to be torn down. J. Pike agreed that the Old Fire Station should be removed from Chapter 1. G. Flack wanted to know if that site is used for parking. C. Daigle stated that will be used for employee parking easing up spaces at the library parking lot. J. Pike wanted to know if the only the existing municipal buildings need to be listed or the ones that will be needed or upgraded in the near future. J. Bolduc stated that he will interview all the Town Department Heads for their input on the entire Master Plan draft so they can be outlined in the Master Plan. P. Harris stated that the departments projected needs have been outlined as part of the CIP also.

J. Marden wanted to know if a Community Center should be included under Goal II. J. Bolduc stated that it should be under Goal II and directly stated as the Community Center. J. Marden stated that it should come before any Municipal Building.  G. Flack stated that it is one of the first things that the Town has been talking about for a number of years but nothing has come from it. L. Frawley wanted to know if the inventory of the Town’s assets should include the beach and beach facilities. She stated that they should be listed to make the inventory complete. 

J. Pike had some questions about strategies and the CIP and if they should be included as part of the Objective 1-3. J. Marden stated that we could talk to Canterbury to see how many permits they allowed and how they are progressing. P. Harris stated that the Master Plan is concerned about surrounding towns and their goals. They already have a date to meet with the school to gather information from them on their plans for the future. J. Bolduc stated that the chapter has not been written yet. The chapter for regional concerns would describe what surrounding towns are doing and its effect and impact on Belmont.

P. Harris wanted to know about the local photos that are to be included in the Master Plan. L. Frawley  stated that there are four of them collecting the pictures and they just have to get together to decide on which pictures should be included in the Master Plan. J. Bolduc stated that the deadline for the ballots is July 19^th . He hopes to have another revised draft Master Plan for the August 12^th Second Monday meeting.

CONSERVATION AND PRESERVATION:

J. Marden had stated that Goal 1 for the Conservation and Preservation Chapter is missing. J. Bolduc stated that it will be added. L. Frawley stated that under Objective V- 2 it refers to the Conservation Committee and it should be the Conservation Commission. Under Objective V- 5 see Rochester NH March 2002 should not be there. Also under Objective X-6 County Conservation Commission should be County Conservation District. 

CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS:

J. Pike wanted to know if the Town’s gravel pit regulations are in line with the State’s. C. Daigle stated that towns can be more stringent in some cases but not more lenient. C. Daigle stated that under Existing Conditions the wording needs to be changed from permitted sand and gravel sites to existing sand and gravel sites. She explained that all pits under state law are required to reclaim the pits and it is happening more because they are being taxed for open area. J. Pike stated that there is a bonding process for open pits but what about existing ones can someone just leaves it without reclaiming it. C. Daigle stated that someone will still own the pit and if it is sold and not reclaimed the new property owner will have to pay the higher taxes if the pit is not reclaimed. J. Marden stated that Belmont doesn’t have any fines in place. C. Daigle stated that the Court decides what the fines will be and they are usually zero because they would rather have it reclaimed. The State regulates open pits through Site Specific. J. Pike wanted to know if Belmont gets any money from cubic yards. C. Daigle stated that it gets $.02 for a cubic yard. The assessor goes out once a year to confirm the amount that has been removed from the pit.

HOUSING:

J. Pike stated that Objective 1-6 encourages mixed uses commercial and residential. The Strategies agrees with it in the Village district but not everywhere. C. Daigle stated they encourage mixed uses in the village but there are concerns about the density and having a rural character. C. Daigle stated that in Objective 1-4 the phrase economic incentive should omit the word economic. J. Pike stated that if you omit the word incentive it will be the same as Strategies. L. Frawley stated that meetings about mixed uses downtown should include members from the State. J. Pike stated that if the State is involved they would know about where economic funding is coming from and how to obtain some. J. Pike questioned Objective III-1 establish building permit fees stating that they reviewed the fee schedule and it was decided to increased other permitting fees but not have a fee for building permits. They had agreed that if they implemented a fee for building permits then people would not apply for them and the tax base would not increase. The Board agreed to review fees annually. The Board discussed Objective 3 –2 establishing fines for unlawful construction violations. C. Daigle stated that she will discuss it with Atty. Walter Mitchell.

VISION SESSION:

J. Bolduc explained that as the process continues they will move forward with elements of the plan. He wants to discuss having a Visioning Session at the next steering committee meeting. The additional chapters will be discussed at the August Second Monday meeting. SEA will work with R. Ball on the graphics and converting the large format drawings to 8 ½” x 11”.

K. Knowlton started that he is present tonight because the Planning Board wants more participation from subcommittees and the Conservation Commission. J. Pike wanted to know if the Conservation Commission is notified about subdivision applications. C. Daigle stated that they are.  J. Pike stated that the Planning Board needs more guidance when applications come before them. They need the Commission’s input on drainage and land. R. Ball stated that the departments are also doing a good job reviewing applications. K. Knowlton stated that both the Planning Board and the Conservation Commission have the same goals in mind. The Commission reviews what they are presented and would like to be better informed by having a Planning Board member at their meetings to inform them of what is happening. He stated that he could be contacted by phone if something arises that needs his attention. Keeping the rural character of Belmont is something the citizens want and it is the Town’s burden to respect their wishes. More people have rights than the just the individual property owners. Land development has an impact on everyone. P. Harris stated that this is the objective of the Master Plan.

L. Frawley stated that the steering committee wants to take time off from writing and she suggested combining the Visioning meeting with the Planning Board’s Second Monday meeting in August. P. Harris stated that they will be reviewing more chapters at the next meeting and will not have enough time to include Visioning at that meeting. Visioning would need to be a separate meeting. J. Bolduc stated that he wants to canvas the members about what their opinions are and to get their input. This will be involved and if the time frame is restricted then he won’t get all their input. L. Frawley stated that she is not scheduling a Steering Committee meeting until September because of everyone’s busy schedule and the committees want time off and she will be unavailable in September and October.

OTHER BUSINESS:

BOARD'S ACTION‑MINUTES:

MOTION:  On a motion by J. Pike, seconded by J. Marden, it was voted to approve the minutes of the June 10, 2002, meeting as submitted. (3-2-0) C. Patten and G. Flack abstained.

On a motion by C. Patten, seconded by W. Brunkhardt, it was voted to approve the minutes of the June 21, 2002, meeting as submitted. (5-0).

STAFF REPORT:

A.        AMENDMENTS:  The Planning Board signed the Site Plan Amendments.

B.        JOINT MEETING WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD:  A joint meeting with the Planning Board, Board of Selectmen and the School Board has been scheduled for August 8^th at 7:00 p.m.

C.        RICHARD GAGNE DBA B.B.E. REALTY, L.L.C. TAX LOT 238-004:  J. Pike wanted to know about the field changes made to the culvert prior to the plan signing. C. Daigle stated that the culvert change was made as a result of a field inspection but prior to the Board signing the final plan. She stated that field changes can be expected after an inspection. The Final plan shows a 30” culvert. The applicant is working with engineer now and the Board has been requiring an engineer for some time now and the Board has been consistent for the last year.

R. Ball stated that he received a letter from Mr. Tom Selling regarding the requirement for computing the drainage under Aiden Circle. R. Ball stated that he is asking the Board to approve an independent engineer to review Mr. Selling’s statements. He is recommending Mr. Ed Minick, who has been a government engineer, and recommended that the applicant be responsible for the cost. It was the consensus of the Board to hire engineer Mr. Ed Minick at the applicant’s expense.

C. Daigle explained that the Land Use Office received an Earth Excavation permit for Mr. Gagne but it was not filed by the meeting deadline for earth excavation permits. P. Harris wanted to know what has been done about taxation. C. Daigle explained that DRA has been on site and has written a letter of finding to Mr. Gagne. Ms. Karen Gilbert, an abutter, wanted to know who has more authority to impose violation fees and fines, is it the State or the Town? C. Daigle stated that normally the State does but like the Town they are looking to bring things in to compliance more than collecting fines.

Ms. Gilbert stated that she has measured other culverts in the development and they are18”. She suggested that Public Works Director and Planning Board get together with the State to review plans. R. Ball stated that the Town is looking at relocating an outlet at the wetlands at the same elevation. There is a substantial amount of work that needs to be done on Sargent Lake Road. J. Pike stated that they should check into ROW from Aiden Circle and who is responsible for it. Ms. Gilbert wanted to know if the Town plans on increasing monitoring of the site to prevent further violations. R. Ball stated that he has been out to the site numerous times and will continue to inspect as necessary.

D         NEWLETTER:  The Board received copies of the April/May State Planning News.

E.         GROWTH MANAGEMENT STUDIES:    J. Marden would like information on growth management studies and how they are done.

ADJOURNMENT:

MOTION:  On a motion by C. Patten, seconded by J. Pike, it was voted unanimously to adjourn at 8:55 p.m.  (5-0)

Respectfully submitted,