Planning Commission Meeting Minutes: November 25, 2013

Newfane Planning Commission Meeting Minutes

Meeting Location: Newfane Town Hall                                       

Meeting Date: November 25, 2013

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Attendees:                         Ed Druke, George Friend, Tristam Johnson, Pat Weisbrich

DRB Attendees:                                None

Zoning Admin.:                 Absent

Public attendees:            None

Discussion Items and Actions

  1. Meeting called to order: 7:05 p.m. Attendees as noted above
  2. Review and Approve Minutes:
    1. Minutes from the meeting held on 9/23 are missing.
    2. Minutes from meetings held on 10/14 and 10/28 were reviewed for accuracy. A motion was made to approve the minutes as submitted. Motion approved.
  3. Review Agenda: Motion was made to approve the Agenda. Motion approved.
  4. Old Business
    1. Zoning By-Laws draft review has been completed. Tristam will make the final changes and submit the Final Newfane Zoning By-Laws at the next meeting on December 9.
    2. Minutes of previous meetings from April 2011 to the present will be printed off, presented and filed by George Friend.
  5. New Business
    1. Discuss and clarify the processes for approval of the new Zoning By-Laws provided by the Windham Regional Commission and the Vermont League of Cities and Towns:
  1. Ed suggested the creation of a summary action plan to delineate the process. Information regarding appropriate action items and time frames were found on pages 10-12 and 16-17 in the Plan and By-Laws Adoption Tools document. The following partial schedules was agreed upon:
    1.                                                                            i.      Final Zoning By-Laws document will be presented at the December 9 Planning Commission Meeting
    2.                                                                          ii.      Planning Commission members will have the next two weeks to review the document and suggest any final additions or deletions as necessary. A vote for the final approval of the Town of Newfane Zoning By-Laws will take place at the subsequent meeting on December 23, 2013.
    3.                                                                         iii.      At the December 23 meeting, the Planning Commission will choose a date for the public hearing. At that time the list of steps that need to be taken prior to the hearing will be divided amongst the Planning Commission members.
    4.                                                                        iv.      Tristam will provide a one page summary to address the rational behind all changes made to the current Zoning By-Laws and how said changes conform to goal of affordable housing, land uses and densities and any specific proposals regarding planned community facilities.
      1. A letter from Mr. John Bennett, Senior Planner, Windham Regional Commission to Mr. Todd Lawley, Vice-Chair, Newfane Select Board was presented and reviewed. A discussion of the letter ensued, but no action item was proposed. The letter will be included in the file.
      2. Other Business
      3. Review of Mail: Tristam will review the mail that has filled the Planning Commission mailbox. He will summarize action items and present at the next meeting.
      4. Project review sheet
  1. Next meeting:   December 9 at 7:00pm
  2. Adjournment:  A motion was made to adjourn the meeting at 8:03 p.m.  Motion approved

Respectfully submitted,

Pat Weisbrich