PLANNING BOARD

Work Session Tuesday July 22, 2008, 7:00pm Town Hall Basement

Minutes

Present:  Jeff Miller, Dave DeCoste, Ben Daviss, Fred Dill, Sheldon Sawyer, Shane O’Keefe, Mel Schupack

Recording:  Pamela Aslinger, Secretary

These minutes are unapproved and will be reviewed at the August 12, 2008 meeting for corrections.

Meeting opened at 7:05pm

            Purpose of the meeting was to review final drafts of the goals and objectives and vision statement summary resulting from 7/8/08 planning board meeting.  And to discuss the pending dues owed to SW Regional Planning Commission for 2008 and the adoption of the Conservation Commission’s revised conservation plan into the Master Plan.

            Mr. Daviss reported that Tim Murphy from SWRPC had responded via letter regarding the possibility the Town would not pay the balance of the 2008 dues ($1000.00).  Mr. Murphy wrote that it was an unprecedented situation that will need further discussion and guidance from his Executive Committee who may meet in August or September.  He stated he understood the concerns of the selectboard as it relates to difficult economic times but their action has created an inequity with the 34 other dues-paying members.  He is uncomfortable reducing the level of service to match the partial dues - being a slippery slope.  He prefers to have the Town find a way to pay the remaining dues and at least make the guarantee they will be paid by January 2009 if there is a current year shortfall.

            Ch. Miller queried Selectman Sawyer as to why the BOS did not confer with the planning board and other land use boards before the decision was made during the budget process?  Mr. Sawyer said the decision was made unanimously by the selectboard at a hearing on the budget in unison with several other departmental cuts to reflect the need to hold down spending. He agreed they should have informed the boards prior to the cut.  He disagreed that SWRPC would not provide some services to the town for 2008 with the balance of the dues to be paid at a later time.  He asked why SWRPC originally offered to do so, but now is uncertain?  Mr. Daviss explained that he notified SWRPC because at the last planning board meeting Mr. Sawyer could not guarantee payment of the shortfall so it changed the scope of possible services SWRPC might provide.

            Discussion continued resulting in Mr. Schupack, Mr. Daviss, Pam Aslinger, Ch. Miller and Selectman Sawyer agreeing to meet at the August 7th selectboard meeting to ask if the BOS will pay the balance of the dues immediately, thus allowing the master plan update to progress.  Ch. Mansouri and Marsha Galloway will also be asked to attend.

            - Ch. Miller commented on two issues of concern regarding the adoption of the town-wide Conservation plan into the Master Plan.  He specifically disagreed with the requirement of a 100 ft. setback from water bodies and wetlands although noting until the town passed such a requirement by warrant article it is only a suggestion.  He and others felt it was too restrictive.  Secondly he objected to a “farm overly district”, again being too restrictive and limiting future use of farmland despite the economic feasibility of farming that may result in a farmer needing to sell land for other uses than farming. 

Discussion resulted in making a suggestion to the conservation commission to amend the document in those two areas.  Mr. Daviss will contact the commisstion via letter before their next meeting asking

Walpole Planning Board Work Session 7/22/08 Minutes page 2

the commission to consider lessening the 100 ft. setback to 75 ft. and removing the recommended farm overlay district and replacing it with the existing wording in the Master Plan ie;

“The identification of prime farmland soils in town is a good first step in understanding how these lands might be preserved for the agricultural value.  An overlay zoning district might set these lands aside for only farming activities.”  The existing wording leaves a specific “district” being open for discussion.  Mr. Daviss asked if the two changes were made would the planning board be ready to hold a public hearing on its adoption at the September meeting?  Answer was yes.

            - Mr. Daviss supplied revised handouts of the goals and objectives and vision statement summary (on file).  He re-wrote the summary based on the comments from SWRPC, the prior planning board meeting and town-wide survey.  Most present agreed with the re-write and placement of it to be inserted directly after the bulleted principles.

            “It is the vision of the people of Walpole to preserve our historic and small-town village character, natural environment, open spaces, working farms and agricultural lands.  Within that context, the town will accommodate population growth, development of the built environment, and ecologically sensitive, environmentally responsible economic development and related provisions for local employment.  It also is the vision of the people of Walpole to maintain the distinct characteristics of the town’s three villages of Drewsville, North Walpole and Walpole.”

            - Ch. Miller reminded those to attend the Selectboard meeting on 8/7/08 at 7:30pm and that further action on the master plan update is suspended pending the outcome of the meeting.

            Meeting closed 8:15pm