Planning Board

The meeting convened at the Town House at 7:05 PM. Regular members present were Waine Whittier, Alan Williams, Ed Lawless, and Creston Gaither. Also present were John and Marianne Archard.

The Board considered the Kellys’ proposal to remove all the pine from the area near the pond on their Flying Pond parcel depicted on tax map 10 as lot 35 and to replant the disturbed area with hemlock. Alan presented this proposal and is involved with the project and thus recused himself from the Board’s deliberations. The Board had visited the site on January 23, with licensed forester Harold Burnett present. The pines are concentrated in the center portion of the area The timber harvest section of the Shoreland Zoning Ordinance (SZO) was reviewed. The area in question lies within the Limited Residential District of the Shoreland Zone. The Board voted 3 – 0 that this proposal should be reviewed under SZO Section O(2) and not Section P. Alan presented data from Harold Burnett indicating that 27% of the trees in the center portion of the area would be harvested. Less than 30% of the trees in the other portions would be harvested. It was agreed that the SZO’s 40% limit applies to the entire area and not just to one portion. It thus appears that the 40% threshold would not be reached under the present proposal. The Board understands that the area to be most intensely harvested is to be replanted. A review of Table 1 in the SZO indicated that no permit is required for this project.

The Board moved on to a discussion of the proposed Building Ordinance, with John and Marianne representing the Ordinance Review Committee, which drafted the ordinance. Proposed amendments to Draft 1 were discussed vigorously. It was agreed that a public hearing for the proposed ordinance should be held prior to its adoption; and that the ordinance should indicate that Planning Board approval as required by the SZO must be obtained prior to the issuance of a Building Ordinance permit for any project within the Shoreland Zone.

The meeting adjourned at 8:30 PM.

Creston Gaither, secretary

The Board did not hold a formal meeting in February as no quorum was available. Regular members Creston Gaither and Ed Lawless met with Jim Meader informally at the Town House on February 24 but took no formal action on the Board’s behalf.

On February 28 Creston, Ed and Waine Whittier met with Jim at his Flying Pond property (tax map 10 lot 104) to consider his proposal to construct a frost wall under the existing camp on the parcel (see permit subsequently issued for details).

The March meeting convened at 7:00 PM at the Town House. Regular members present were Creston Gaither, Ed Lawless, Waine Whittier, and Alan Williams.

Minutes of the January 27 meeting were read and accepted.

Waine has responded to an email from Russ Burtt regarding a Code Enforcement action in progress regarding Mr. Burtt’s property depicted on tax map 7 as lot 27; Waine advised Mr. Burtt to come to the Board’s March meeting; however, he did not appear.

Code Enforcement Officer John Archard’s email regarding the former Austin property on Flying Pond shown on tax map 11 as lot 13 – H was briefly discussed.

The Board having received no permit application for this lot no formal action was taken.

Recently issued permits were briefly reviewed and discussed.

The meeting adjourned at 7:30 PM.

Creston Gaither, secretary