Minutes of Meeting
Meeting held upstairs in Town Hall Wednesday April 8, 2009
Attending:
Regular members: Vice Chairman Les Hilton, Leo Enos, Selectmen’s representative, Joe Hoey, Claude Reed, and David Rexford.
Alternate members: Leon
Rideout, Justin Carter, Mark St.Pierre and Andrew Hartford.
Excused: John Brooks, Steve Young and Aurore Hood.
Others attending:
Administrative Services Manager Becky Newton, Colin Sutherland, Alan
Bouthillier, Dana Blais, Joyce McGee, Craig Lantagne and Lucy Wyman.
The meeting was called to order at
6:30 P.M. by Vice Chairman Les Hilton. He welcomed all to the meeting. Roll Call followed.
At this time Andrew Hartford was
introduced to the Board as the new Alternate member and welcomed by all.
Initial Business:
To review and approve the minutes of
the March 4, 2009 meeting.
A motion was made by Claude Reed and seconded by Mark St. Pierre to accept the minutes as written. A vote was taken and the motion carried.
Public Hearings:
Case #714 - - Alan
Bouthillier – Applicant requests to
subdivide 5 existing lots (with various lot line adjustments) and create 4 new
lots and one lot comprised of the remaining lands. Existing lots: R18 lot 8 (40 acres); R18 Lot
14 (52.8 acres); R18-1 (55 acres); R18-24 (158 acres); and R18 2 (4.7
acres). New lots: 1 (21.23 acres); 2 (12.45 acres); 3 (19.27
acres); existing R18 lot 2 (4.38 acres) and lot 4 remaining lands
(256.28). Lands off
At this time Vice Chairman Hilton asked if there was anyone on the Board
who needed to recuse themselves for this case.
Noting that there were none the meeting moved on.
Vice Chairman Hilton appointed
alternates Justin Carter and Mark St. Pierre as full voting members for the
case in the absence of Steve Young and John Brooks.
Colin Sutherland, Surveyor passed
out plans once again for the Board to review, as there were some who were not
at the March meeting.
Joe Hoey asked if Mr. Bouthillier
was putting up any towers for broadband. He was told that he had not heard
anything regards to it.
It was asked if
there was anyone from the public who wished to speak to the case.
Joyce McGee spoke on behalf of Ted
and Lois McGee who are abutters to the property in question. She asked specifically about the large lot of
256.28 acres. She wanted to know what
Mr. Bouthillier’s plans for the future was with that a lot. Mr. Bouthillier stated that he was planning
to add the lot to his present house lot and that he had no plans for future
development of said lot.
Ms. McGee also asked how his plans
for the lots fit into the Master Plan as some of the lots abut Christies Maple
Farm.
Mr. Bouthillier said that he would
follow all of the requirements that are asked of him for any development that
he plans to do, he has done so in the past and said that he would do so in the
future.
Becky Newton reminded all that if
there were to be any further subdivisions of said lots that they would have to
come back before the Planning Board for approval.
Lucy Wyman asked if the community
has any responsibility for the stewardship of the property.
Mr. Bouthillier said that when
selling lots he tries to guide the people to do the right thing with the lot.
Leon Rideout stated that the Master
Plan does not restrict the owner as to what he can do with his lot, it is only
a guide for them to use.
Lucy Wyman then stated that we are
all stewards of our community and feels that is what the Master Plan is all
about.
Mr. Bouthilllier stated that at this
time he has no intentions to develop the area.
He also stated that when he did a subdivision awhile back it created a
lot of hardship on him and the abutters, he also stated that if he did decide
to subdivide he would have to come back to the Planning Board. He also stated that he has sold one of the
lots to Dana Blais who will be putting in Christmas trees. Mr. Blais spoke and said that he would be
having only a Christmas tree farm on his lot and would not be redeveloping it. It was mentioned that in the past, Dubreuil’s
were subdividing one lot at a time and once they got over a set number of lots
(which was believe to be 10 lots) they were required by the Planning Board to
provide a plan of all future subdivision.
The planning board had made this requirement in the past.
At this time the
meeting was closed to the Public and any Abutters and open only for the
Planning Board.
It was asked what would happen if
there were more subdividing done. Becky Newton said that if there were more
that 15 lots the case would have to go to the Attorney General’s office.
Leo Enos asked about the lot by
Henry’s. That the driveway not be off of
After no further discussion a vote
was called for to accept the plan for final approval.
A motion was made by Leon Rideout and seconded by Claude Reed to accept the plan for Final Approval. A vote was taken and the motion carried.
Other Business:
At this time Craig Latagne from the
Passumpsic Bank came to the Board with a modification to the original plan that
they had presented previously.
Becky Newton stated that they had
inspected the site and decided that with the current curb cut it would be very
difficult to plow in that area. It all
looked good on the plan but on the ground it wouldn’t work.
Mr. Latagne stated that originally
there was to be a sidewalk with the parking on the side. Now they are planning to remove the sidewalk
and put a granite curb with 6 parallel parking spaces on the side by the
bank. With this they would be picking up
about 10 feet of space.
Les Hilton asked if it would be
marked as to where to park and the answer was yes and they would line them
accordingly.
Leon Rideout stated that they would
be blocking the sidewalk where they are parking now.
Becky Newton said that
Lucy Wyman asked if they could park
at an angle and the answer was a definite no.
She also stated that if the Planning Board had paid closer attention in
the first place this problem would not have come about. She also stated that she was not in favor of
the parking in front of the bank, the outside lighting, 4 drive-up windows, the
lack of trees and other issues. She felt
that the Board was just rubber stamping everything that came before them and
not paying attention to the regulations.
Les Hilton said that the Board is
trying to work with the people and businesses in town so that everyone is
happy.
Mr. Lantagne said that the lighting
does shine down, not out, and that there needs to be lighting at the
drive-ups. He also stated that there had
been a lot of time and money spent in doing what the town had suggested for
requirements, they are not trying to harm anyone in anyway. He again stated that there would be a granite
curb with 6 parking spaces on the side of the road. They would request that the Police Department
sign the other side of the road for no parking.
Claude Reed said that he had spoken
to the Superintendent on the job and said that he was very polite and listened
to his suggestions of another place for the cut to be.
Lucy Wyman once again stated that
there needed to be more trees.
Les Hilton asked where the power
lines were. Underground.
Becky Newton said that if there were
trees instead of shrubs they would need to be miniature due to power lines if
they are overhead.
Les Hilton said that the Board was
in favor of having the sidewalk removed, 6 parking spaces on the outside of the
curb with curbing to be set on the bank property line.
Claude Reed said that with cars
coming in off of
Mark St. Pierre stated that large
trees on the edge would create a hazard coming and going off the street.
The Board was reminded that we are
only hearing the case as a “modification” to what has already been
approved. A motion was called for to
approve.
A motion was made by Claude Reed and seconded by Leo Enos to approve the modifications to the Passumpsic Bank as – “curbing on the bank property line, 6 parallel parking spaces, sidewalk eliminated and signs on the North side of the street saying no-parking”. A vote was called for and the motion carried.
Other Business:
There was information handed out
about the Planning and Zoning Conference on May 2, 2009 – please contact Becky
Newton if you are attending.
A notice from North Country Council
that the will be meeting in Groveton on April 14, 2009.
There were no building permits.
Master Plan Sub-Committee and
Municipal survey – those who are scheduled to be on the committee are: Leon Rideout, Andy Nadeau, Alan Savage, Greg
Westcott, John Brooks, Steve Young, Don Doolan, David Atkinson, Rick Bernier,
Rich Rochefort and Jude Gesel. There was
a question as to whether Aurore Hood, Alan Bouthillier and Mike Kopp were on
the committee. The first meeting will be May 21st at 6:30 P.M. These people will be notified of such.
At the May meeting there will also
be election of officers for the Planning Board.
Noting that there
was no further business to come before the meeting a motion was called for to
adjourn.
A motion was made by David Rexford and seconded by Justin Carter to adjourn. A vote was taken and the meeting adjourned at 7:35 P.M.
Respectfully
Submitted: Approved:
Sandra E. Doolan –
Clerk Steven
D. Young
Chairman