Pittsfield Planning Board
Town Hall, 85 Main Street
Pittsfield, NH 03263
Minutes of Public Meeting

DATE: THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2010

ITEM 1. Call to Order at 7:04 P.M. by Ted Mitchell, Vice-Chairman.

ITEM 2. Roll Call

Members Present:

Ted Mitchell (TM), Vice-Chairman, Fred Hast (FH), Selectman Ex Officio, Daniel Greene (DG), Dan Schroth (DS), Pat Heffernan (PH), and Clayton Wood (CW), Alternate.

Members Absent:

Bill Miskoe (BM), Chairman, and Rich Hunsberger (RH).

Clayton Wood is seated on the Board.

ITEM 4. WORK SESSION – Matt Monahan

Ralph Odell – CIP:

He presented to Board corrected version of the CIP with spreadsheet veering the capital expenditures for the next ten years. Administration has identified the various projects and how funded. Police Department and Fire Department now have their equipment identified now. The capital reserves and balance are as of December 31, 2010. This plan may change within the next ten years and when things come up and grants are available it will changes. It should be updated every two years. The Board of Selectman will review as well as the Budget Committee and can increase the capital reserves.

He related that the recommendations are pretty straight forward. We would like your okay with this and to give this spreadsheet to the Budget Committee.

(CW) Motion to accept CIP with changes. (DG) Second. After Discussion: Carried 6-0.

Changes:

(DG) It is noted that the Police Department has $35,000 every year for Building Improvements (Electrical Work) from 2010 to 2011. It was noted that this is actually $3,500 each year x ten years which would equal $35,000.

Ralph Odell: The new buildings for Police Department/Highway Garage/Fire Department are spread out for all years. Board questioned the Fire Department funds for tanker and ladder truck which was about $325,000 and $400,000 respectively.

(DG) Will these be accepted? Ralph Odell: This is a guideline and will be used as a tool for future budgeting.

Work Session – Zoning Ordinances – Matt Monahan:

Matt Monahan: There are three changes as suggested by Laura Spector, Town Attorney.

1. Parking proposal – She thought the conditional use permit would be the easiest way to go and I will put something together on this. The CIP provision is now in place. Owner should have to show there is sufficient parking either on street or elsewhere.

2. Regarding non-conforming lots, the Board discussed the merging of non-conforming lots which cannot be done by the assessor automatically and has to be done by the owner.

3. Frontage: She has suggested allowing lots to front on private roads built to town standards as set forth in the subdivision regulations and removing the requirement that mobile home parks and senior housing which do not include any non-residential facilities or multifamily units undergo Site Plan Review.

Matt Monahan: Per attorney suggestion, we will remove Article 5.2. She notes that she would be uncomfortable from a legal standpoint for this to be on the books.

Signage – BI to issue permits on signage. Any decision made would be subject to appeal by ZBA. If individual would be coming before Planning Board for Site Plan Review, that would probably be included in their plans and Planning Board would cover. On others looking to put up signs, it would fall on the Building Inspector. This would meet the signage requirements of the Zoning Ordinances.

Carol Dodge: We had someone come before ZBA for a church sign and lighting, which we granted. By going through the Building Inspector, it makes it a faster process and all safety issues would be in place. There is no actual sign permit.

(TM) We need someone to make sure sign is legal and Building Inspector would do that. (DG) In the past there have been accidents with signs and are we doing this half-way by not saying “structurally safe?” Matt Monahan: The Building Inspector would do that part of it. We do have some criteria already on this. (DS) You cannot legislate common sense and you can register common sense. (TM) Town would not be liable down the road if “sign” hits someone or destroys property; it is up to the owner.

(DS) These things do not substantially change our proposal, everyone agree? Board agreed.

(CW) My concern at the last meeting was on Home Occupancy. Maybe we have gone too far and which includes all safety issues. I feel this is out of our hands. Matt Monahan: Regarding Home Occupation and the process, you cannot have a definition for everything. The process would be to get as much in as we can. The definition is straight forward and maybe in the future, we can rethink it.

(CW) I am also concerned about the time factor. Are we going to have time to clean-up these issues? Matt Monahan: All changes suggested on December 16th, I will make the changes as soon as possible to make sure we get in what we have. (DS) Mitering this down too much is not going to get it passed. The only way to get this passed, unless it is a big change, is to get the people behind it.

(TM) Do you think Home Occupation should be a separate item on the ballot? Board agreed “No.” Carole Dodge: But Cluster should be.
(CW) Home Occupation contains basically safety issues and I am concerned about that. (DS) We need to decide what does the Town really need? (TM) We should bring up Clayton’s concerns and thoughts at the Public Presentation on December 16th and see what the public wants on Home Occupation and Cluster Development.

Matt Monahan: At this point we should not be changing and revising. If we want to be successful but also responsive to these things, we still have two Public Hearings to make revisions. I would not like one issue to “sink” this whole thing. We do not as a practical matter want to overwhelm the people. Copies will be available prior to public presentation. (TM) We should cover those items first that are not an issue and those that may be an issue second.

Matt Monahan: There is also the Shooting Range definition: “Sport shooting range” or “range” means an area designed and operated for the use of rifles, shotguns, pistols, silhouettes, skeet, trap, black powder, or any other similar type of sport shooting in a commercial context. Nothing in this definition shall prohibit an individual and his invited guests from discharging firearms on his/her own land or land controlled by him.
We will update the draft after the Public Presentation.

ITEM 5. New Business

None.

ITEM 7. Building Inspector Report

Dan Kramer, Building Inspector: There have been 37 new permits issued as of the end of August. Revenue is a little over $4,000. The Building Department to date revenue is $14,100. Nineteen inspections have been accomplished in the last three months, 11 certified letters of complaint/compliance. We pretty much now have the office in order and Fred has acquired a new file cabinet for use in that office.

Also, at the Union Block the tarp is off the roof, and the roof has been redone, though poorly, but at least the tarp is off. I am working on getting the fire escape out of there and intend to send citation on December 3rd to get rid of it.

There were no Building Codes books in the office but have been ordered and should be in soon. Code books are on the computer.

The propane tanks on Concord Hill Road have been taken care. 35 S.Main Street is being fixed up. The big problem is the decks that have been put on in the entryway. They are not to code and when Fred O. inspects there, it will be an issue.

It has been an interesting learning process but I think things are now under control. Seven new or manufactured houses are under construction. We lost a couple of houses to fire and one has been replaced on Foss Avenue.

(TM) thanked Dan for his report and noted that in the future a report can be written rather than his appearing and Dee will forward it to us. You would only need to be present if notified by Chairman.

Board member questioned what was happening with the proposed Family Dollar. Dan Kramer: It was suggested that I stay out of this by Paul Skowron. The proposal has to go before the ZBA and the owner has to do that and he will not sign it prior to sale of property. Buyer wants assurance that the ZBA will do it and that cannot be done. Going before the ZBA is always a risk. The zones as noted were not accurate and that is also an issue. This all may “torpedo” the whole thing. Hopefully it goes through. I had wanted to push it along, but as I noted Paul advised me not to. He advised Board of Building Inspector hours and that he was always available by phone.

Board agreed “Good job, Dan. We finally got someone competent and organized.”

ITEM 5. Selectman’s Report – Fred Hast, Selectmen Ex Officio

(FH) We have been working on the budget and that is now done. We will be negotiating through the Unions for no raises. All will be treated equally.

ITEM 10: Public Input

None. Close Public Input.

ITEM 9. Members Concerns

None.

ITEM 3. Approval of Minutes of November 18, 2010.

(DG) Motion to approve the Minutes of November 18, 2010. (DS) Second. Carried 6-0.

REMINDER: (TM) The next meeting is Thursday December 16th, High School Lecture Hall at 7:00 P.M. – Public Presentation.

ITEM 11. Adjournment

(DG) Motion to adjourn. (PH) Second. Carried 6-0.

Meeting adjourned at 8:26 P.M.

Approved:

______________________________ _____________________
Ted Mitchell, Vice-Chairman Date

I hereby certify that these Minutes were recorded as noted by Dan Schroth on December 2, 2010, transcribed and public posted on December 9, 2010 by me.

__________________________________________
Delores A. Fritz, Secretary Planning Board

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