Standish Planning Board Meeting Minutes 11/07/2016
Standish Planning Board
Meeting Minutes
November 07, 2016
The meeting was called to order by Chairman Brian Libby at 6:57pm. Present were Mike Willette, Betty Thompson, Carol Billington, Joleen Whittemore, Adam Higgins and Cindy Beckwith.
Approval of Meeting Minutes from October 03, 2016
Mrs. Billington made a motion seconded by Mrs. Beckwith to approve the meeting minutes as written. All in favor.
Approval of Finding of Fact:
Michael Lyons, dba Tower Publishing, 650 Cape Road, Map 3, Lot 20- Site Plan Application
Shaw Brothers Construction,(dba S.B. Freeport, Inc.,) Map 20, Lot 57-Route 35 - Gravel Pit renewal with expansion
Central Maine Power Co., Inc. Map 14, Lot 93B/172, 71, 70/147, 60/62- Installation of a transmission line between Shad Gully and Shaw’s Mill Road- Site Plan Application
Mrs. Billington made a motion to waive the reading of all three of the Finding of Fact and also made a motion to approve seconded by Mr. Willette. All in favor.
Communication:
Leavitt-Tompson, LLC., Map 10, Lots 22-A/19-6, Sketch Plan Review
Mr. Benson said the application for the sketch plan review came in a few days late and this was just a communication to get it onto the agenda. He said that advertising has now been done and abutter notices sent, with a public hearing scheduled on November 21, 2016 and then a workshop directly after. Mr. Libby said this is something that the Board really needs a site walk on before snow flies. A site walk was scheduled for Saturday, November 19, 2016 at 10:00am. Steve Blais said it is hunting season, so dress accordingly. He said it is quite a hike through and he asked to meet at Leavitt Earthworks.
Old Business:
Acres of Wildlife, Pequawket Trail, Map 11, Lots 1-4 Site Plan Review
Mr. Libby said this application has been with the Board for way to long and there are many problems with it that were unforeseen. He said they are working on it and trying to make it a contract zone. He said they have tabled this and tabled it and feel it should be tabled for at least three months, to the February 6, 2017 meeting. Mrs. Billington made a motion to table until then, seconded by Mrs. Beckwith. All in favor.
Mrs. Billington said when we come back to this, what will we will need to do? Mr. Libby said he needs a contract zone and also to come into compliance with the Town. Mr. Libby said the Town sent a letter giving Mr. Baptista six months to come into compliance before they take legal action. Mr. Libby said Mr. Baptista is in default and Mr. Benson said this would give him more time. Mrs. Billington said she wonders at the end of three months, will he have given them enough to work with. Mr. Benson said time will tell and if not then the Board can find the application incomplete and deny it. Or if there was some progress, Mr. Benson said it could be tabled. Mr. Benson said he needs to continue to make progress with the contract zone with the Council and work towards coming into compliance and making an expansion of the campground. There are also safety issues that need to be resolved and Mr. Baptista needs to continue working on those as well.
St. Joseph’s College, 278 White’s Bridge Road, Map 20, Lot 32 - Site Plan Application for change of use(conversion of barn to a social events center)
Peter Biegel from Land Design Solutions was present to represent the applicant. Present also were Jim DeLougas, President of the College Chuck Dawe, Don Henley and Stuart Coop. Peter gave a brief presentation of the project and what changes they have paid to the plan. He said they have had a site walk and also a workshop since the last meeting. He showed all of the land that the college owns on both sides of the road.
Mr. Biegel said the farm is the primary use of the social events center venue. He said with the farm being a working one and then used for the social events center, it would be a good thing for the campus and also give the College some added revenue. He said when they left the workshop, it had been discussed about the parking and also about people crossing over White’s Bridge Road to the events center. He said there are 902 parking spaces available on the campus and their proposal is no parking on the social event center venue. He said a question was raised about putting parking on the other side and they feel it’s not necessary.
He said there are people that work just on scheduling events and they are very good at what they do. He said they would park all the vehicles on the main campus when there is an event and then using College vans, they would transport people over to the events center. When the event ended, those people would be transported back to the main campus via the College vans. He said before an event is booked, the people that market and schedule the events would make sure that adequate parking was available on the campus. He said that since 2015, there have been over 50 events on the campus ranging from a minimal number to over three hundred people. He said they have had some weddings with a number of people around 100 or more.
He said the people scheduling the events are competent and are good at scheduling. He said people will be picked up and brought back, making safety the first priority. He said they have added additional street lighting and also some signs with lights that would be blinking, signifying that something is ahead and not just the usual. He said they are proposing to add lights and also have provided an impact fee. He said there would be another light in front of the facility and also another one at the cross walk. He said along with the added lighting, they will also provide more signage signifying an event is happening ahead. He said every social event would have more signage and lights so people can watch out for something ahead. Those signs and added lights would go out about an hour or more before the event was scheduled to happen. There is a button to cross at the cross walk with blinking lights that go on. He said the center is lit up at night also.
He said some of the lights would be temporary, there are four, and there would be five more added coming up the driveway to the events center. He said they received the fire inspector’s report asking for more signage and they will provide that also. The signage would be a fire lane-no parking sign and there wouldn’t be any parking by the events center anyways, as all people are going to be dropped off and also would be provided a ride back to the parking lot on the campus via the campus vans. Peter said the impact fee was already calculated for the traffic and also for the added street lighting. He said they are proposing that also as a condition of approval.
He said they had received the traffic impact report and it doesn’t change much of anything as far as the college is concerned through MDOT. He said they will not schedule any events unless they are scheduled through the event center planning department. He said they have tried to make sure they have covered all the aspects that the planning board had concerns about. Mrs. Whittemore asked about the signs and lights and when they would be put up before an event. Jim. DeLougas , the College President ,spoke and said they would generally put them up about an hour and a half before the event would be taking place. He said that is usually the time they are ready by. He said there are lights on timers and they come on at dusk on a regular basis. He said that the blinking lights would stay on until the event was over and that everyone at the event was safely across the road. He said they abide by all noise ordinances and anything else the Town asks of them.
There were no public comments. Mr. Libby asked the Board for a motion to find the application complete. Mrs. Billington made a motion and this was seconded by Mrs. Beckwith. All in favor.
The following are the Standards and Conditions for approval( 181-73) :
A. The provisions for vehicular loading, unloading and parking and for vehicular and pedestrian circulation on the site and onto adjacent public streets and ways will not create hazards to safety nor will impose a significant burden upon public facilities.
Mrs. Billington made a motion seconded by Mr. Willette that Standard A has been met. All in favor.
B. The bulk location and height of proposed buildings and structures and the proposed uses thereof will not be detrimental or will impose undue burdens on the public facilities. NA
C. The provisions of on-site landscaping and screening do provide adequate protection to neighboring properties from detrimental features of the development. NA
D. The site plan adequately provides for the soil and drainage problems that the development will create. NA
E. The provisions for exterior lighting will not create undue hazards to motorists traveling on adjacent public streets nor are inadequate for the safety of occupants or users of the site nor will such lighting damage the value and diminish the usability of adjacent properties.
Mrs. Billington made a motion seconded by Mrs. Beckwith that Standard E has been met. All in favor.
F. The applicant has provided reasonable evidence of his financial capabilities to complete the development as planned and approved.
Mrs. Billington made a motion seconded by Mr. Willette that Standard F has been met. All in favor.
G. The proposed development will not create undue fire safety hazards by not providing adequate access to the site or the buildings on the site for emergency vehicles or by failure to meet other fire safety ordinances or laws. The Fire Department shall file a written report with the Planning Board prior to the hearing.
Mr. Higgins made a motion seconded by Mrs. Beckwith that Standard G has been met. All in favor.
H. The proposed development has made adequate provision for sewage disposal.
Mr. Higgins made a motion seconded by Mr. Willette that Standard H has been met. All in favor.
I. The proposed site plan will not alter the existing character of the surrounding zoning district or division to the extent that it will become a detriment or potential nuisance to said zoning division or district.
Mrs. Billington made a motion seconded by Mrs. Beckwith that Standard I has been met. All in favor.
J. The proposed development has made adequate provision for water supply, including an adequate supply of water for fire-protection purposes.
Mr. Higgins made a motion seconded by Mrs. Billington that Standard J has been met. All in favor.
K. No plan shall be approved by the Planning Board as long as the applicant is in default on a previously approved plan.
Mrs. Billington made a motion seconded by Mr. Higgins that Standard K has been met. All in favor.
L. Architectural drawings showing exteriors of proposed new nonresidential/commercial buildings in the Village Center District shall be compatible with a Colonial New England design. Such design can be achieved by incorporating features such as, but not limited to, broken rooflines, clapboard siding, steeply pitched roofs, roof overhangs, small pane windows, dormers, window shutters. NA
M. Within the Standish Corner District, the plan must meet all of the following additional standards: NA
The applicant is approved, with the standard condition of approval also.
New Business :
Randall Dube, 9 Clark’s Point Road, Map 53, Lot 4-Shoreland Zoning Application
Brady Frick from Albert Frick Associates was present to represent the applicant. He said that Albert is on vacation. He gave a brief overview as to what the Dube’s would like to do. He said they have a cottage that they would like to demolish and rebuild on a different part of the property. He gave each member of the Board an updated plan with the only difference being the high water mark. He said the foundation of the existing cottage is failing and they would like to move back from the water. He said they would also seek a variance from the setbacks both on the front and side of the property. He said they would like the property to remain as it is now and are trying to keep it the same.
He said they have a shared septic system which the neighbor has now asked them to put in their own system, which crosses the road. He said their proposal looks like it moves the structure back as far as they possibly can. He said they have lake water now and are also asking to drill a well. The well driller has said they can drill in front towards the lake. He said they also need to get a permit by rule from the DEP where they are going to remove the crumbling foundation and also for drilling the well in such close proximity to the lake, around 75 feet from the water.
They would like to put some stones around the sides of the camp to minimize the run off from the water. Mr. Benson said that he doesn’t like plans handed out at the meeting and said that they needed that information, but not for approval tonight. Mr. Libby asked what were the wishes of the Board. He said it looked like the cottage was being set back as far as it could be. Mr. Higgins said a site walk would be good and one was scheduled for Saturday, November 19, 2016 at 12:00pm. Mr. Libby said they very rarely have a shoreland zoning application they approve that night.
Public Hearing;
Town of Standish Moratorium Ordinance on Retail Marijuana Establishments and Retail Marijuana Social Clubs
Mr. Libby said this public hearing is pretty self-explanatory. Mr. Higgins said that there are a number of municipalities that want time for something like this and felt this moratorium was a good idea. Mrs. Billington agreed.
Meeting adjourned at 7:38pm.