Town of Sutton

TOWN OF SUTTON

Pillsbury Memorial Hall

93 Main Street

Sutton Mills, NH 03221

 

PLANNING BOARD

Draft Minutes of the Regular Meeting

June 12, 2018

These Minutes Are Not Official Until Approved by the Board at its Next Regular Meeting

Board Members Present: Roger Wells, Chair; Debbie Lang, Vice-Chair; David Angeli; and Jim Lowe

Ex-Officio Board Member Present: Bill Curless

Staff Present: Diane Lander, Land Use Coordinator

Others Present: Glenn Pogust, Sutton Resident; Maurice Saunders, Sutton Resident; Betty Ann Giles, Sutton Resident.

Public Hearing Scheduled

Maurice and Carolyn Saunders (Map 6 Lot 733,421 Chalk Pond Road): Boundary adjustment to acquire 1.1 acres from New London Bridge Fellowship (Map 6 Lot 750,420).

Call to Order Regular Meeting

Chairperson Wells called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.

Roll Call

Approval of Minutes of Regular Meeting of May 8, 2018

  • Motion: Ex-Officio Board Member Curless moved to approve the minutes of the May 8, 2018 regular meeting as written.  Board Member Lowe seconded the motion.  The motion carried unanimously.

The Board Members met with a possible new board member.

  • Glenn Pogust and his wife, Susan, have lived in Sutton Since 2012.  He is a lawyer who practiced in New York and has recently retired.  Glenn shared a summary of his recent activities and answered questions from Board Members.  The meeting went well.  Chairman Wells will send an email to the Board of Selectmen asking Glenn Pogust be appointed to the Planning Board as an Alternate.

Public Hearing: Maurice and Carolyn Saunders (Map 6 Lot 733,421 Chalk Pond Road): Boundary adjustment to acquire 1.1 acres from New London Bridge Fellowship (Map 6 Lot 750,420).

Mr. Saunders joined the Board at the table.

  • He provided a summary of the project to date and said his purpose in asking for a lot line adjustment is to allow him to build his home where originally planned.  The property map he was originally given does not correctly show the boundary lines.
  • There is an existing driveway to the New London Bridge Fellowship property (Map 6 Lot 750,420) that comes off Chalk Pond Road.  The proposed driveway to the Saunders’ property (Map 6 Lot 733,421) would be a shared driveway coming off the existing driveway.  In July or August 2017. Mr. Saunders was told by the Town he did not need a permit for his driveway as it does not come off a road.  This is correct.
  • However, the Board wanted to be sure that New London Bridge Fellowship and Mr. Saunders understand that the large lot (New London Bridge Fellowship, Map 6 Lot 750,420) cannot be further subdivided.  A maximum of two users of a driveway are allowed.
  • The frontage requirement is 200 feet and one lot has 202.5 feet while the other has only 198 feet.  This is not an issue for the lot line request as the subdivision is a pre-existing subdivision.

Chairman Wells opened the Public Hearing for public comments.

  • Ms. Giles asked why Mr. Saunders originally did not have a correct property map.  Mr. Saunders replied that it was simply a mistake, and that he had come to the Town Hall and asked what to do.  She said it might impact her if New London Bridge Fellowship or Mr. Saunders proposed an alternate access route sometime in the future.  However, that would be a different hearing.
  • Motion: Hearing no more comments from the public, Chairman Wells moved to close the Public Hearing.  Board Member Lowe seconded the motion.  The motion carried unanimously.  The Public Hearing was closed.

The New London Bridge Fellowship property (Map 6 Lot 750,420) and the Saunders’ property (Map 6 Lot 733,421) may lie within the Steep Slope Overlay District, which is defined in the Sutton Zoning Ordinance.

  • Article XI.B.1, page 38: The Steep Slopes Overlay District is hereby defined as comprising all areas within which there is an elevation change of 20 feet or more and the slope is 20% or greater.  Any area which meets the foregoing criteria lies within the Steep Slopes Overlay District even though it may be part of a larger area which has a slope of less than 20%.
  • Mr. Saunders said, according to his surveyor, the slopes are less than 20%.  Unfortunately, the map presented to the Board does not clearly show what the elevation changes and slopes are at key points.  Chairman Wells said the lot line adjustment is contingent on the steep slope issue being resolved and asked Mr. Saunders to provide the Planning Board with a surveyor signed document substantiating that the slopes are less than 20%.  Chairman Wells also provided Mr. Saunders with the relevant Zoning Ordinance references.
  • Motion: Board Member Angeli moved to table and continue the meeting pending an approved surveyor document being provided to the Board showing the shared driveway meets all driveway and steep slope sections of the Sutton Zoning Ordinance.  Board Member Lowe seconded the motion.  The motion carried unanimously.

New Business

No New Business was brought before the Board.

Old Business

The Board discussed three additional changes to the proposed subdivision regulations.  Exhibit E1 needs to have the required % compaction added.  Notification by “certified mail” changes to “certified mail, return receipt requested” in three places (Article V.B.5.a, Article VI.A.5, and Article VII.B).  Article V.B.5.c should be modified to say “in town, such as the Post Office(s).”

Motion: After discussion among all Board members, Ex-Officio Board Member Curless moved to approve the proposed Subdivision and Site Plan Review Regulations as modified.  Board member Lange seconded the motion.  The motion carried unanimously.

The Public Hearing on the proposed Subdivision Regulations will be scheduled for the July 10th Planning Board meeting.

Other business that may legally come before the Board

Correspondence/Final Comments

  • No Correspondence/Final Comments were brought before the Board.

July 10th meeting

  • Board Members to meet Jim Morris, a possible new board member.
  • Eversource Public Hearing: pruning or removing trees on Blasdell Hill Road and Keyser Street, both of which are scenic roads, in order to replace a few poles.  A printout of the explanation for the work and accompanying pictures was provided to each Board Member.
  • Maurice Saunders: continued meeting for lot line adjustment.
  • Maurice Saunders: pre-application preliminary consultation.
  • Proposed Subdivision Regulations Public Hearing

Adjournment

  • Motion: There being no further business, Board Member Angeli moved to adjourn the meeting.  Chairman Wells seconded the motion.  The motion carried unanimously.  The meeting adjourned at 8:00 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Diane M. Lander, Land Use Coordinator