Danby Planning Commission 3/13/2017 630pm Meeting at Town Office Regular Meeting Agenda Last meeting minutes revised / approved Agenda reviewed / adjusted as needed Fuller Sand and Gravel Permit Application March working session topics: Study on 178 S. Main Street usage for town functions Land Use: Establish a process that promotes active and productive communication between businesses and neighboring property owners to reconcile land use issues and concerns Including Community Value Mapping in Land Use Planning see RRPC presentation Hazard Mitigation/Flood Resilience: Review the recently approved Hazard Mitigation Plan, ensure an implementation and management process have been established Other business? Assistance needed on topics for next couple months: Conservation district and Otter Creek / Poultney Mettowee Watershed Plans Next meeting Monday, 4/10/2017 at 630pm? Select Board Update in April? Public comment? Adjourn March 6, 2017 1
Fuller Sand and Gravel Permit Application See maps / site plans provided under separate cover Verify in alignment with land use guidelines in town plan Highlights from application: Extraction of sand and gravel from the pit will be at a maximum rate of 15,000 cubic yards per year. The Applicant is seeking a permit duration of 30 years. The operation will be subject to ongoing reclamation. ln 2014 the Permittee received an Act 250 Amendment for its existing facility authorizing truck trips at a maximum of 70 trucks per day (70 trips in and 70 trips out), without exceeding a permitted maximum of 180 truck trips per week. The amendment requested herein will not require an increase in permitted levels of truck traffic entering and leaving that facility. Hours of operation of the pit will be the same as for the main Fuller operation. Equipment on the site will consist of one or two excavators, a portable screener, and one or two loaders. Existing employees will work at the new pit when and as necessary; no new hires will be required. No crushing or blasting will occur as part of the new operation although limited screening of material will occur. Erosion Prevention and Sediment Control Plan and to cover the brief period of construction submitted. Storm water Pollution and Prevention Plan submitted and approved. No process emissions, smoke or odors will result from the project. On-site dust from operations and truck traffic will be controlled through water application. There will be no burning of forest or construction debris. March 6, 2017 2
Fuller Sand and Gravel Permit Application March 6, 2017 3
Study on 178 S. Main Street usage for town functions Next Steps Quail s Nest owners offer to town withdrawn Potential buyers in conversation with sub-committee / Select Board Study put on hold until election completed and new Select Board approves need to continue Assuming property does not sell and study continues, proposed approach is to focus the study on one option (versus several) to complete it faster and provide more detail One scenario is: Carriage House use as the town office; the study would explore required interior / exterior renovations, costs, and formulate a plan to move from the current space Main Building in the immediate future, clean it up and let it sit while we explore over several years with the county, state, feds and non-profit organizations potential uses, including short term affordable housing, elderly housing, etc. While this assessment is occurring, the town could use the 1st floor in the summer months for events or meetings For the land in the rear / cottage, burn down the barn that s collapsing, close up the cottage and hold onto the land for potential future use / sale For the town garage, leave it where it is and recommend best next steps to enhance what would remain For the transfer station, explore moving it to where Mt. Tabor has theirs on Rt. 7, sharing expenses with them Another scenario is to not use the property at all sell it instead; renovate existing town office, find new location for garage and transfer station Select Board will provide guidance on preferred focus March 6, 2017 4
Land Use Process Establish a process that promotes active and productive communication between businesses and neighboring property owners to reconcile land use issues and concerns See sample processes under separate cover provided in January s meeting See article (under separate cover, also provided in January) on Houston, TX approach, summarized here: Houston works without what locals jokingly call the Z word, because even though the city lacks formal zoning, it is not an anything-goes environment in which developers have complete, unfettered freedom. Instead, over the years, the city has devised other restraints, including ordinances that regulate design and limit certain uses, even if they do not dictate specific areas where those uses must go. In addition, other legal and governance mechanisms have evolved, including deed restrictions and historic designations that allow homeowners in a neighborhood to impose rules that function as a sort of de-facto locally controlled zoning, and district organizations that give local businesses some influence in shaping the look and character of their areas. Finally, developers themselves have stepped in to fill the regulatory gap by creating master-planned communities most on the suburban periphery, but some within Houston itself that provide a more carefully controlled environment for those who seek it. Community Value Mapping in Land Use Planning see RRPC presentation under separate cover. Considerations: Should Town Plan Land use map / existing ordnances (some already exist restricting development in flood areas) guide the process and decision making? Should we assess using Value Mapping? Should all Act 250 applications be reviewed for compliance with Town Plan as part of this process? If a process is adopted to handle land use issues, how should it work? Next Steps: Should the Planning Commission play a role? If so, should they screen complaints to ensure validity, provide comments and send to Select Board for consideration? If complaints go to the Select Board, what should they do with them? Should we draft a proposed process for Danby; review it in next Planning Commission meeting, refine it and submit to Select Board in April? March 6, 2017 5
Hazard Mitigation / Flood Resilience Plan 2016 Plan See current plan under separate cover Observations: Version provided last month was dated It has been updated / approved in 2016 and FEMA has approved it as well Highlights: Page 8: Committee appointed to develop it and process they went through Page 11 12: Status on prior plan actions Page 28 on: Updated actions planning commission assigned several as highlighted; several actions overlap with town plan initiatives we re pursuing Page 35 outlines future process Recommendations Ensure Planning Commission participates in next update Keep process as is, do not merge into town plan update effort Bring follow-ups on actions into our work however to ensure progress is made and documented March 6, 2017 6
Appendix: Upcoming working session topics to develop recommendations Completed Items, pending SB approval as indicated March 6, 2017 7
Appendix: Upcoming working session topics to develop recommendations For 2017 March 6, 2017 8
Appendix: Upcoming working session topics to develop recommendations For 1 st half 2018 March 6, 2017 9
Appendix: Follow-ups Tracker (1 of 2) March 6, 2017 10
Appendix: Follow-ups Tracker (2 of 2) March 6, 2017 11