AGENDA
Town of Stratham, NH Planning Board
The Town of Stratham, Planning Board will conduct a Public
Hearing on Wednesday, January 21, 2009 at 7:00 p.m., at the Stratham Town Hall,
10 Bunker Hill Avenue, Stratham, NH to
consider the following:
(Snow date Thursday, January 22, 2009)
Call to Order: 7:05 p.m.
Appointment of Alternates:
Approval of Minutes:
October 29, 2008
Gateway Commercial District
Presentation and Discussion:
To amend Section 5.4 Accessory Apartments and Section 2.1.2
Definitions to allow greater
flexibility in development of an accessory apartment. The amendment will recognize current RSA’s
and recent approvals by the ZBA.
Amend the Stratham Zoning Ordinances add a
new Section 3.4.14 Special
Commercial and Section 3.6 Table of Uses (SC) to add a new zoning district which will allow
Hotel/Conference facilities along with commercial, entertainment, professional
office and limited residential uses south of the Route 101 intersection along
Portsmouth Avenue.
To add a new Section 5.12 Small Wind Energy Systems which will provide for the regulation of small wind energy systems within
the town of Stratham. The proposed
ordinance will allow the Building inspector to grant permits for these systems
if they meet the conditions of the ordinance.
Other:
Members Present: Mike Houghton, Mike
Debietto, Mary Wool, Janet Johnson,
Bruno Federico, Mary Jane Werner and Charles (Chuck) Grassie, Town
Planner.
1.
Gateway Commercial District Presentation and
Discussion:
Mr. Grassie stated that the Rockingham County Economic Development Commission agreed to help the town market the Gateway Master Plan through a grant. Weston & Sampson was chosen to do the project.
Mr. Grassie stated because we started this late you would notice in the documents that Weston & Sampson supplied the board that some of the timelines start back in December of 2008. Originally when this was discussed we felt we had the funding at that time, but the funding was held up.
Mr. Grassie stated the product that Wesson and Sampson will show the board is not relevant exactly to our town, but it will be the type of product they will be producing for us. Mr. Chuck Grassie would like the board to give Wesson and Sampson some guidance on what they think the citizens in town would like to see as far as promoting this project.
Gene Bolinger, Vice President of Wesson and Sampson and Cheri Ruane who is a landscape architect, project manager and team leader at Wesson and Sampson.
Gene Bolinger sent a proposal to Mr. Grassie to provide some support as the town considers adopting form based zoning. The primary role for Wesson and Sampson is to provide the graphics that help support the project and understand what Stratham will look like under the new zoning.
Gene Bolinger brought some images of projects they are currently working on. They are traditional New England Village Centers that Wesson and Sampson are refurbishing infrastructure, doing streetscape improvements and working with others to develop architectural guidelines and standards. Mr. Gene Bolinger allowed the board to review the images.
Mr. Grassie encouraged members of the committee to participate and give feed back. Mr. Grassie feels a graphic representation of what the form based zoning district will look like is what the board wanted. That is what we have hired Wesson and Sampson to do.
Mrs. Johnson said if the Planning Board thinks this is a good idea as far as presenting to the public we need to decide how to proceed from now until February 23, 2009. Mr. Grassie stated we have to give Wesson and Sampson feed back tonight and they will deliver us a final project a week before February 23, 2009.
Mr. Bolanger and the board discussed various ways the graphics can be done for before and after photos.
Janet Johnson suggested that you incorporate the vision statement the purpose and the existing conditions as an introduction then move to the fundamental recommendations, and that would be supported by the visuals. The whole document would be available, but you would not have to read it everyone.
Mike Houghton said that Janet Johnson has hit this dead on from the marketing perspective on how they sell this to the community. He believes there is a lot of peripheral work that needs to be done. From a graphic perspective he thinks if you can take existing images and turn them into a rendering from a before now point of view. He believes that is the most practical way to attract this project.
Mike Debitetto suggested to the board that you do a before and after perspective, but to have a variety of different looks. Janet Johnson also stated that we should pick an area in the district that the community is familiar with to do by example. It is not feasible to do the whole district.
Mr. Bolinger responded to the board’s ideas and said that was exactly what he had in mind as far as the imagery. A few things to keep in mind are we don’t want the after picture to be a promise to the community that is what will be there. In the end it is up to private developers to work with the Planning Board. The second issue is with the before pictures you don’t want to put up pictures of someone’s business and then say we don’t like this tear it down. It has to be done in a careful manner with respect.
Becky Mitchell from the gateway committee said her understanding is there grant money to produce graphics and public presentation materials. They are asking the public to allow funds to go ahead with form-based code. They want to try and explain to the public what form base code is and what it can produce. Becky Mitchell asked the board if there is any kind of narrative materials that can go along with the presentation.
Mr. Grassie referred the board to page 3 of the documents that Wesson and Sampson provided to explain the intention. Cheri from Wesson and Sampson said that they have worked on projects with large stores and parking lots that currently existed and was able to implemented the zoning around the existing buildings.
Nate Merrill thinks it is important to show the commercial zone boundary lines very clearly on the Arial Maps.
The board members continued a brief discussion before moving on to the next agenda item.
The Chair opened the public hearing on the proposed zoning amendments.
1.
Amend
Section 5.4 Accessory Apartments
To amend Section 5.4 Accessory Apartments and Section 2.1.2 Definitions
to allow greater flexibility in
development of an accessory apartment.
The amendment will recognize current RSA’s and recent approvals by the
ZBA.
Mr. Grassie briefed the board regarding one change to 5.4.4B, which reads:
Once any renovation or construction is complete, or the owner is ready to have a unit occupied, a request shall be made to the Building Inspector for an occupancy permit. With the request for the occupancy permit, the owner shall provide the Building Inspector with a copy of a recorded deed addendum listing the conditions set forth in Section 5.4.3 of these ordinances and any other conditions, which may have been placed on the property by the Stratham Zoning Board of Adjustment in the granting of the Special Exception. There shall be no occupancy of the accessory unit until the Building Inspector has issued said occupancy permit.
Lucy Cushman stated there is no surcharge in NH to record Deed addendums, and the price to record a one-page deed addendum is $12.43. Lucy Cushman suggested to the board that the $12.43 charge be charged at the time that the owner goes to the ZBA to ensure the addendum gets recorded. Mr. Grassie said that the occupant is unable to receive an Occupancy permit unless this is recorded. Mr. Grassie said he would suggest to the ZBA that they charge the $12.43.
Mike Debitetto questioned the board on why the accessory apartment has to look like a garage. Mr. Grassie responded and said at the last meeting he submitted separately the question of allowing cottages on the property, and the board decided they did not want two separate building units on one lot. Mr. Debitetto thinks it is a mistake to limit the accessory apartment to look like a garage he thinks modern day carriage houses accent the house nicely.
Motion to accept and place on the ballot this final version of the Accessory Apartment proposed amendment made by Mary Jane Werner seconded by Bruno Federico. Motion passed.
2.
Add a new
Section 3.4.14 Special Commercial
Amend the Stratham Zoning Ordinances add a new Section 3.4.14 Special Commercial and Section 3.6 Table of Uses (SC) to add a new zoning district which will allow Hotel/Conference facilities along with commercial, entertainment, professional office and limited residential uses south of the Route 101 intersection along Portsmouth Avenue.
Mr. Grassie briefed the board on the requirements please see attached Special Commercial District Proposed Zoning Amendment.
Nate Merrill asked the board why the ability to have a corporate office or headquarter was not listed on the Special Commercial District Proposed Zoning Amendments. Mr. Grassie responded and stated it is already in current zone.
Motion to accept Special Commercial District amendment and place on the ballot was made by Mary Jane Werner and seconded by Bruno Federico motion passed.
3.
Revised
Definition of Agriculture, Farm, Farming
To revise Section 2.1.6 Agriculture, Farm, Farming to more comply with NH RSA 21:34-a Farm, Agriculture, Farming. The Planning Board has found that the current definition has not been conducive to the establishment of new farms or farming activities within Stratham.
Mr. Grassie stated that the definition has remained the same as the last few meetings. It does reduce the amount of stuff that has to be produced on site. This just adopts the State Law and the State definition of Agriculture.
Please see attached Revised Definition of Agriculture, Farm, and Farming
Motion to accept and place on the ballot the Revised Definition of Agriculture, Farm, Farming made by Bruno Federico seconded by Mary Jane Werner, motion passed.
4.
Section
5.12 Small Wind Energy Systems
To add a new Section 5.12 Small Wind Energy Systems which will provide for the regulation of small wind energy systems within the town of Stratham. The proposed ordinance will allow the Building Inspector to grant permits for these systems if they meet the conditions of the ordinance.
Mr. Grassie stated this is the State Model Ordinance, and it sets up provisions for the Building Inspector to issue permits. Please see attached Small Wind Energy Systems.
Marty Wool made a motion to accept and and send it to the voters at Town Meeting seconded by Mary Jane Werner, motion passed.
Mr. Grassie briefed the board regarding the following RSA: Under the amended RSA 674:22, a growth management ordinance maybe adopted “only if there is a demonstrated need to regulate the timing of development, based upon the municipality’s lack of capacity to accommodate anticipated growth in the absence of such an ordinance.” This is important: the ordinance cannot be based simply on a belief that the municipality is growing too fast, or faster than surrounding towns. There must be a demonstrated Lack of capacity to accommodate growth – typically meaning insufficient infrastructure or inadequate municipal service.
The board also reviewed and discussed information from the Municipal Association dealing with the new state laws for affordable housing and wind generators.
Motion to adjourn at 8:45 p.m. made by Mary Jane Werner seconded by Marty Wool, motion passed.
Respectfully Submitted,
Sarah C. Del Rossi
Planning Board Secretary