MONT VERNON PLANNING BOARD

Mont Vernon, NH 03057

MEETING MINUTES – TUESDAY FEBRUARY 13, 2007

AGENDA

7:00 PM Mail and Announcements

Minutes of January 9, 2007

Minutes of January 23, 2007

7:15 PM Vote on Zoning Amendments

7:20 PM CIP Report

7:45 PM Road standards – pavement specifications

8:15 PM Development Agreement and Phasing

8:45 PM Checklist Revision Presentation – Annette and Vicky

9:15 PM Review of subdivisions currently before the board

10:00 PM Adjournment

Seated: Vicky Arico, Annette Immorlica, chairperson; and Tom McKinney

Selectmen’s Representative: Gerry Griffin

Absent: Jim Bird, John Quinlan and Kevin Stewart

7:06 PM Immorlica called the meeting to order. The board went through the mail and announcements. Immorlica stated that Kevin Stewart would like to be an alternate and John Quinlan is running for Selectmen. Immorlica pointed out that they will be down two members soon. Immorlica stated that Dave Hall Jr. went to the Selectmen to be appointed to the planning board but she felt it would be difficult. Griffin stated that he does not want to entertain the possibility of a conflict of interest on the board. Immorlica stated that Jeff Burnett, from the Conservation Commission, has been looking at the trails in some of the subdivisions before the board and has suggested that it would be useful for the board to have a trails policy.

7:15 PM McKinney moved to approve the minutes of January 9, 2007 as amended. Griffin seconded. All were in favor. The motion passed. Arico moved to approve the minutes of January 23, 2007 as amended. McKinney seconded. All were in favor. The motion passed.

Immorlica stated that Chip Spalding and Bucky Grugnale are both in favor of changing the road standards. Immorlica asked the board if they should ask the three subdivisions before them to abide by the 8” crushed gravel and 8” bankrun for their roads. Arico and Griffin felt that they should have to abide by the regulation that existed when they applied. Immorlica stated that she would like to at least ask the applicants and see what they have to say.

7:20 PM CIP Report McKinney stated that they saw a rough draft in January and that he has provided John Quinlan with some comments since then to include. Among other things, McKinney stated that he added paragraphs about the police and McCollum building and the Mont Vernon/Amherst school situation. Immorlica questioned if they were separating the fire department from the police. McKinney replied yes. Arico stated that she spoke with Andrea Gallagher, library trustee, and she wants the town to tell them when to build the new library. Arico stated that she told Gallagher that the new library was in the CIP report for 2009. McKinney stated that the CIP committee was invited to attend a meeting with the Fire Chief and he and John attended. McKinney felt they did a good job and would be in support for the new fire station.

7:26 PM Griffin presented information about the tax rate in Mont Vernon relative to other towns in the state. Griffin stated that the equalized tax rate is what matters and a low equalized tax rate attracts buyers to a town. Griffin stated that Mont Vernon has a problem because they have no industrial base. Griffin stated that Mont Vernon’s equalized tax rate had gone down but it going back up and they need to get their town budgets and school budget under control. Immorlica stated that she feels the main driver of taxes is school. Griffin stated that it is and they need to find a happy medium between good schools and expenses. Griffin stated that if taxes are too high then the quality of development falls along with revenues and property values.

7:46 PM Road Standards Immorlica stated that they have changed the base to 8” crushed gravel and 8” bankrun and Spalding would like to see them increase the pavement to 4.5”. Immorlica stated that Grugnale would like to see more pavement as well. Griffin stated that they can not force this on the subdivisions currently before the board and he would like to take more time with it. Immorlica asked Kevin Pomeroy, the fire chief, if he finds the roads substandard. Pomeroy stated that some of the roads are not holding up as they should but he has more issues with the road widths. Immorlica stated that they would discuss this issue more at a later meeting.

7:52 PM Development Agreement Immorlica stated that Will Sullivan sent out Dave Hall’s development agreement. Griffin stated that he looked over John Tenhave’s development agreement and felt it was too intense for the town. Griffin stated that the Selectmen sat down with Hall and Desmarais and told them their concerns. Immorlica asked the board if they would rather do development agreements on a case by case basis. The board felt they would rather do it case by case. Immorlica asked if they want the development agreement to state something about vesting. Griffin stated that they have phasing to protect them. Griffin stated that they have about 60 lots coming in a soft market and they should let the market drive them. Arico suggested that they ask the developers at what point they think they will be vested and see what they say.

8:10 PM Checklist Revision Immorlica stated that she and Arico went through the checklist and noted items that are for the planning board to address. Immorlica questioned if they should split those items off from the items Vollmer will look at so that there would be two checklists. The board agreed to keep it all together.

8:17 PM The board voted to support the senior housing ordinance 4 to 0. The board voted to support the zoning amendment to I-305.3(g) 4 to 0.

8:20 PM Review of current subdivisions Immorlica stated that she emailed Ken Clinton and asked for the open space lot calculations on the front page of the Desmarais plans. Immorlica stated that she sent the open items for Mystic Brook to Chad Branon and he will take care of them. The board had a brief discussion about bonding and who is in charge of it – the Selectmen or planning board.

8:31 PM Immorlica recused herself. McKinney took over as chairperson. Arico stated that Jeff Burnett, of the Conservation Commission, gave them information regarding the trails on the Hall property. Arico stated that Burnett walked the trails and came across some very poorly drained soils at the access point and found some other points where it may be impassable. Arico showed a plan where she had drawn an alternate trail that Burnett suggested and stated she will present it at the hearing. McKinney stated that he would look over Hall’s legal documents.

8:48 PM McKinney moved to adjourn the meeting. Arico seconded. All were in favor. The meeting was adjourned.

Respectfully submitted,

Angela Wilson, Administrative Assistant