All right. Good evening everyone and welcome to this our August 25th 25 2025 meeting of the Lunberg Planning Board. We are here um as always at recording in progress. We're here as
always at the beautiful Bilato meeting room um in town hall. If you are watching us at home and want to join in the meeting, you can either use the link on the agenda. You can find that the agenda on the town website to join the
Zoom and join through there. You could also come on down here. Now Zoom link also you can call in with a phone as well and there's instructions for that. This meeting is being recorded and um yeah, I believe that's everything
we need. So, thank you for joining us tonight and we will open with public comment. Okay, seeing none, we'll move on to chair's report.
Let me call up those notes for y'all. Give me one second. Um, I wanted to open the meeting tonight with the first thing kind of coming from us besides the usual requirements. Um, you don't see Matt Allison up here
tonight. Matt Allison has chosen to step back from the playing board. He has given, to my understanding, uh, Matt, I apologize if I get the number wrong, but 11 years of service on the planning board. and uh he's had to take uh now
step back and away from the board, but that's over a decade of service to the town just in that capacity. And planning, as people often tell me, is some of the more dry work the town does. It's not
always exciting. It's not always fun. It is always important. So, Matt, thank you very much for over a decade of service to the town. I hope I get to work with you on other committees or projects in the future when you have the time. Uh, thank you very much to Matthew
Allison. Um, moving us forward, coming up on Thursday, October 2nd, we will have the third annual town government meet and greet. That will be from 5:30 to 8:30
p.m. at Smoke Stack Roers. Again, on Thursday, October 2nd. If you are part of the volunteer government or the paid government in town, the employees, you should have received an email with a flyer about this and flyers are also out
on Facebook and going around as well. The town government meet and greet is put together by the economic development committee and it's a fantastic opportunity. If you are a business owner or you run a
business in Lunenburgg or if you're interested in opening a business in Lunenburgg, this is a great way to come on in and it's a it's a nice event. It is relaxed. Local restaurants donate food. You sit,
you have a a case, a little slice of quesadilla, a glass of wine, and you chat. It's a chance to meet with government officials, employees, representatives
outside of like it's that thing where you come in, right? you get your application in and the first time you meet someone is either across the desk or when you're standing at a podium up there and then there's a select board or
playing board or whoever up here. That formality absolutely has its place, but there's also the opportunity for that not to be the first interaction. Of course, you can always come into the planning office. You can always speak with government officials. This is a
chance to do so in a laid-back atmosphere chat. Someone can say, "Oh, well, you need you would want to talk to the building commissioner about that. Let me introduce you to Brian." It's just a chance to make those connections. It makes it a friendly, more welcome
experience. Again, Thursday, October 2nd, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. uh this year is at Smoke Stack Roers. Uh do please RSVP those. um flyers are around. I also want to let the public and the
board know that the land use director role will be posted shortly. Um the delay in that has been well effectively what can you and can't you change because
employee town employee roles have rules and everything. Um, it'll be posted. I mean, when I say shortly, I mean it may have been posted today. If not, it will be shortly. The the hangup is mostly just the time to get it out. Um, to my
understanding, the uh job description is changing to move it to an exclusively planning and economic development role
with the management component. I think that is being separated out into a stipen position. Um, and that that scenario lets Ritter building kind of be managed by someone who whoever's best. It doesn't have to
be that one hire who's new to the town necessarily. Um, and in addition, it makes that land use really our planner role more competitive. Why aren't we changing the dog job title? because that's one of those things that
changing the title, you can change the job description, but changing the title, bigger deal. That's where you have to actually, I don't know if it's a vote town meeting or so, but there's things that have to happen, but it can get posted and it will be out there and it will be um for all hopes set up as a
more competitive position to get us the best candidate because what we really need is a planner and economic development person. So, good news and forward progress on that front. I do want to let the board know
that we will be um sometime in the fall. It might be our next meeting. Brian Jingris, a building commissioner, is going to be coming in and he's going to give us an intro course in OpenGV. OpenGV is the software that all the town
employees use. Um that's the software our applicants use for applying in many not everything's off paper and digital yet but some processes are and the goal is so that like we got the links today
in our email so we can see the files there. Um and then with open gov that also lets you see once you have the once we have the training we can log in that also lets us just see that all the communication has happened correctly but
whatever else we need to see but that will be might be as early as our next meeting and that uh I believe concom has already moved that way that's the direction boards are going in town and that is part of that is the whole process of making the application
process easier keeping documents all in one place and that way it's not well which version are you looking at which version am I looking at trying to streamline that process um
I want to let uh again the board and everyone know MBTA communities is coming up the um I mean we've done the hard part right we had the public info sessions we got the public info back we
disced discussed it. We settled on the um the quote paper compliance model which again I want would say paper compliance it's not only allowed but it's it's taking credit for work we already did and that's super um and so
the consultants will getting that be getting that back to us in the next couple weeks and the goal is for us to set uh post shortly to have my goal is for us to have the public hearing at our September 22nd meeting.
Um, I don't expect this to be a huge public hearing because we're being handed wording. The discussion's been had now. It's handing us wording to we can make sure it's good, but this is wording that's been approved by the state and should be smooth sailing
getting us into town meeting, special town meeting for the fall. You say approved by the state. So, they've gone through HLC's pre-adoption review process. Yes. That well, okay, let me rephrase that.
That is my understanding. That was the plan. I have not talked to Nells, our consulting contact, who is out of the office at this moment. Okay. And said, "Hey, Nells, have you done this?" But that was the plan.
Um, no. was to go to EOHLC and or whoever else. I can't the alphabet soup. It's EOHLC. They they've encouraged and offered pre-adoption. And we're probably a little bit in Clover by
having delayed this long because it's only adjacent rurals that are left to comply. So, I think there's 17 in that pool. So the most they would get is those 17. And when the
deadline for 24 was it was like they were they said 90 days and it was more like 120 because it they were just delued with Yeah. Uh so my understanding is we should be all set with that and then um
assuming the town approves at a town meeting special town meeting we're golden. I mean, also assuming we approve it, I I have trouble imagining that we wouldn't, but um at at this point in my life, um
I'm ready for anything to happen. Is the consultant also on the hook for submission of the compliance package? I don't know that off the hop top of my head. I could go back and I have the documentation what the comp what they're
and and I asked that because even if town meeting approves it, we're not done until we submit the compliance package, which isn't a lot of heavy lift, but it's a lot of
work in compiling the information that they require, the signatures, the documentation, all of that, and getting it to them by the turn of the year because that's a really short timeline to turn that
around. I will um give me one second to fix that typo so I remember what the heck I'm saying. Great. I Adam, I'll follow up on that. Yeah. Um I have I mean I have all that doc I'm not going to look for it now. I have that documentation in there and cuz that's a
good question cuz if not we need to take care of that. Thank you. And I'd rather figure that out now than on November 19th. Uh yeah. Nope. Great. Again, I'm gunning for September 22nd. Um I want to make
sure they can get it to us in Can we post the public hearing without having it Yeah. in hand? Okay, great. I you can start the process, but like once the ad runs, you really should have it in your hand. Yeah. Okay. Cuz people are going to come looking for it.
Yeah. No, great. That I just want to make sure they will get it to us in a timely enough fashion for that. Mhm. Um I don't have the exact I don't have the exact date in front of me. So I will check. If not, we'll move it out one
meeting cuz we again, we have to get we have to get that all that info submitted really by the end of the week if we're going to have that as a September 22nd meeting. But good news, Lunberg Public Schools open tomorrow. My schedule
freeze up. Um, back to your unpaid internship. Uh, yeah, a little bit. Um, couple other there's just a bunch to
update on. Um, the LBA I I go to the LBA meetings when I can because I think it helps us to have representation there just to chat with them. I've been able to answer some questions. There's a lot of why why do you require X? And
it's really easy to say well because the state makes us. And that it it takes some of that load off. Why is the town doing this? And it's like well be or to say I know it feels like a burden but here's the reason why or at times to say yeah why
are we at why are we doing that? Um regardless they asked if um I if I could help them understand the developing storm water utility. Now hey Tim yes I don't fully understand the upcoming
storm water utility. I understand it in concept. Sure. Um, so the LB I could I I can send you the meeting date, but they meet like it's like an 8:30 a.m. on a weekday meeting, so the time is likely not convenient for you, and I don't want to
push you to have to present there. Let me know. I've got a hybrid schedule, so sometimes I'm available. Cool. And if that doesn't work, I I would love to chat with you either way just so I can get more up to I know how storm water utilities generally work broadly. Sure. I don't know what y'all in the task
force are looking at specifically yet. Awesome. That's but they I mean that's an unknown and I'd like to help that turn into a more understood value. And finally, just on a light and happy
note, the planner's office is getting repainted. just to look fresh and nice so that when we because it's a whole lot easier to repaint the office when there isn't someone in it. And again, um,
Ritter is Ritter. It is the age it is. There are obstacles that have been put in front of trying to get work done there in a costly and timely fashion. That said, anything we can do to make that a more enjoyable workspace for our
hired staff is, I would argue, supremely important, but it's getting repainted. So, hooray for that. I was in there today and they were scraping and sanding and
yay. That is it for the notes uh for the chairsport report. Um, all right. Now, Jasmine, I just want to check in. I don't think we've had anything that's had to go across your desk, but I want to make sure in case
I'm wrong and you know something about something I don't right now. Is there anything else or do I have the handle on everything? No, you certainly have a great handle on everything. Super. Thank you. Uh again, uh Jiren Jasmine Ferinaci is our interim uh
planner in the meantime and she is here to help out and I there's always a chance that something's gone by her that I haven't seen yet. Perfect. Well, now let's move on to our first actual helping the public business directly.
We've got an approval not required an ANR for 830 830 Mass a good evening. I'm Ryan Proctor with Doulison Roy. here tonight representing the owner Steven Panos uh for the ANR plan that we've submitted for 8:30
Massav. What we have here is essentially a parcel creation for a future parcel swap. The property at 8:30 Massav currently contains all the land that is enveloped in the red outline on the plan and we are intending to create parcel 2
which is the blue hatched area uh for conveyance to one of the southerntherly property owners uh within the future. The remaining land uh which is identified as lot 1A will still conform to the minimum dimensional zoning requirements in the zoning district
which is the residential A as well as the limited uh business zone district and we are not proposing any changes to the property frontage on 830 Massav. Uh 830 Massav does contain a single family home currently and we have or will be filing an application for a sewer
connection for that property uh this week with the sewer commission. And then the remaining portion outlined in blue is currently vacant. So, okay, happy to take any questions. Um, I'm I'm not I know I can check this in
open gov, but I'm not well I have to redo my login there. So, I'll just ask uh you did submit to the I mean again the answer is your your issue but you did submit to the planning uh not planning we're planning to the health department and get whatever response they had. We did I think there is a
response from them in open gov also I can read that and it also was snipped into the uh application package that I submitted. Okay, great. Uh as as long as you have that info and you're comfy with it, great. Again, uh for those who are familiar with the ANR process and wonder
why I'm asking about board of health, when people submit ANR here, we do also have them um uh submit to the board of health. We're not allowed to make our judgment based on
what the board of health says. The board of health can say you're messing up your septic system and in the end that's the future options for septic. That's the applicant's problem. We do that because that makes we want the
applicant to know if it's going to be a problem. We've had applicants come in, do an ANR, and then come back and say, "Whoops." And some often that's further down the path once they've already spent money on more plans, right?
So great. Um, no change in frontage, you said? Nope. Okay. And both lots are conforming, correct? Yep. Okay. Yeah, the the planning board had approved the ANR for this lot uh I think three or four years ago. Um, and the adjacent lot. So,
great. Y um questions from the board. The house is on sewer, correct? It will be on sewer. And this throat at the rear of the remaining portion that leads out to this triangular area. Yes. What's the width of that? I don't
I believe it's 25 ft. I can um I thought we had a provision in the dimensional regulations that is it and it might be 25. I thought it was 50. That anything
that comes to a vanishing point lower than 50 ft beyond the house doesn't count towards the lot size. I'm unaware of the off top of my head. Um, and I'm just I I want to see if I can find it. Um,
it's it's so if anyone else has questions, they can Well, now I have one question, but it it it's that one. So, okay. Because I know we have a different minimum width at the house, but Awesome.
Welcome to planning where the uh apologies where small questions that end up with lots of silence and typing. So lot shape unless improved approved in conjunction with a subdivision plan under the general laws chapter 41 or
with a development plan review under this bylaw lots shall maintain beyond the principal building a lot width as defined in section B of the definition of lot section 252.1 and measured from side lot to side lot line to be a
minimum of 50% of the required lot width as defined in subsection B above of any lot area with less than the minimum described above shall not be calculated in the required area dimension or used
for any other purpose. So this is a limited business residential correct. So the required lot width is 100. So the 50% of that would be 50 feet. So that it
looks to be about 100 to 125 ft of length for that 25 ft. If that were subtracted from your required width, I mean you also get into trouble with the the point at the end of the triangle. Um
right I it may what essentially is happening is we may be creating a non-conforming lot. Um, it looks like you're creating a lot of 90,000 square ft. So, it's probably not an issue in the grand scheme of
things, right? Um, because there is there a required lot area? Uh, I believe it's 80. It's 40,000, right? And this is a a reduced frontage lot also. So, I think so we have the open.
So, it needs to be double that. So, it needs to be 80. Um, so we're we're kind of teetering on the line, okay, of whether or not you meet the requirements. I can definitely clarify that with a calculation.
Okay. I mean, I I I globally don't have an issue with the division. It makes total sense. There's extra land here. Somebody wants it. These folks don't need it. They're not going to do anything with it. Great. I'm all for for that land swap. I just need wanted to be sure that we're not
violating the ANR statute. I understand. Um to that end, what is our time because we have 21 days after submittal. Correct. Correct. Um the applicant could
um extend that time by request u or the board could deny it and they could refile with clarification. Um I would imagine you'd be willing to extend to our next meeting which is what September 8.
That sounds I believe that's correct. I could tell you I got to call up that note sheet. Yes. Yeah, that would that would be preferable if the board's amendable to that. Yeah. I I don't I again I I don't think there's an issue with this as a a larger project. Just it's the the little details that I want to make sure we
don't. All right. Great. Do we need to do anything on the uh motion side for that to happen or is this just the applicant saying I'll come back next time? And it would be the applicant sending written uh communication probably to Jen that gets stamped at the town clerk's
office so that we have a record that it was sent uh and accepted and um timestamped. Okay, great. And I can do that tomorrow. Okay, thank you. Super. Thank you so much. All right. Thank you. Good catch, Adam. Thank you very much.
Have a good night. All right. And so presumably we'll see them at the next meeting so they can be on the agenda. Great. I'm going to hop back into my agenda quickly. That is next up
is public hearing for 499 Northfield Road. Good evening. Good evening. Oh, wait. We have to open the We have to open this hearing. Give me one second to pull it up. Yeah, I I'm like, wait, this is an
actual hearing we have that we haven't Oh, hearing we isn't continued from like months and months and months ago. How novel. It's thinking about loading. Don't you love technology? Love it.
My favorite. If you want, Amanda, I have it available on my screen. I was going to say it might be time to put in an outside article for new uh new planning board tablets. Hold on. We're right there. There we go. Okay, I got it. It heard your threats. Uh, the Lunberg Planning Board will hold
a public hearing on August 25th, 2025 at 6:05 p.m. Town Hall 17 Main Street, Lunberg, Mass to hear and review an application for site plan approval pursuant to 250-18.4 4 of the code of the town of Lunberg by
Priscilla is it dischar disch. I'm assuming that means square foot addition to the rear building of the Pat Brody shelter for cats. Subject property information. The location is 499
Northfield Road in Lunenburgg. Assessor's map 39, parcel number four. owner is Edward and Priscilla Dischamps uh at 455 Northfield Road in Lunberg, Mass. Uh you can view materials online
at lunbergmma.portal.openggov.com/arch via an email request to the planning office planning lunenbergmma.gov or in person at the planning office at 960 Mass Avenue in Lunberg. Great. Now that we've actually opened
the public hearing, take it away. Perfect. So, good evening for the record. Justinlair McCarti Engineering here tonight on behalf of Mr. and Mrs. Dashamps who are also here in the audience. So, as stated, the project is at 499 Northfield Road. Just to orient
the board, if you're looking at the plan, the top of the page is Northfield Road. If you go plan right where the north arrow is, that would be the intersection of Northfield and Hullman Street. So this is the Patrody shelter for cats.
Since their creation and the start of the business back in the late 80s 90s, they've been here. They've always been here. Within the past few years, the way that the shelter has been going. They're looking
to expand it and get a little bit more room. So with this, we're proposing the 1,800 ft² addition. And I'm just going to walk over to the plan just so the board can see the 1800 foot edition. I I I am so sorry. I You could bring the
microphone with you, but they can't hear you at home. Nope, that's all right. It's got Bob Barker. Yeah, it's very game show. Thank you. So, as I was saying, the 18800T edition is the building here.
Along with that will be a screened in porch on the outside. That's the thinner rectangle and then the light tan is the existing building at the back of the property. So we're here tonight for the site plan approval. We did submit a zone determination with the building
inspector. We were required to go in front of ZBA which we have and received the special permit for the shelter/kennel and the definition of the bylaws. We did go in front of conservation commission at their last meeting. We did receive our order of conditions. The only change
I want to note on this plan shown here to what the commission wanted was on the plan right we do have the septic system shown and with that they wanted us to extend the erosion control around it a little bit more as part of this project
we do have to expand the existing septic system to meet the board of health requirements we've had preliminary conversation with the board they're on board no pun intended to have us expand the system. So when they're ready to start construction, we'll coordinate
with the board and the board of health agent on testing and verifying the size of the expansion. The other thing is that this project does not require a stormware special permit as we're under an acre of disturbance.
But to help mitigate some of the stormwire runoff, you can see on the plan there's a light gray stone around the edge of the proposed addition. That's a stone line drip edge that would catch the runoff from the rooftop and infiltrate it into the ground. And
that's very typical of the Pstone diaphrags that we've been in front of you with for driveways and whatnot. So really that is the gist of the project. Like I said, we have ZBA approval, Kong approval, board of
health's on board. So you guys are really the last piece and if you guys have any additional questions, more than happy to answer them. Um, wonderful. Uh, love the cat shelter. Uh, but I couple
quick questions. I I see it comes right up to the lot line and I saw something about future ANR. So, not so much a future ANR. So, this piece also abuts a project we
previously did on Holman. It was a 7 ANR lot division that we did with some single family homes. The the champs at the time did buy what was lot number six that had fronted on Northfield Road being a butters to this. They didn't
want a house in their backyard. So they said we're going to buy the piece. So they do own both the part 499 which we're speaking to as well as the adjacent former Watt 6. So with them having the common ownership of it,
that internal lot line does disappear. So the zone setback line would be to the dark black outer perimeter line. Okay, understood. Thank you. Okay. And that was one thing we had to discuss with the building commissioner as well
and he was good with that. Great. Do they intend to do an 81X plan or a a formal ANR to combine the lots or are they holding them separate for their own purposes in the future? So depending on who you talk to, you can
do the 81X plan or you could have your attorney convey just convey the two deeds together since it's under common ownership. So yes is your answer. One way the other ill
they're ultimately going to do. I I I generally suggest that both is and I that there's an exhibit that goes an sorry guys we can't hear anything gives
an easy and reliable visual of of what folks own and it what it will do is going forward in the future it it it puts guys on Zoom we can't hear anything I'm so Sorry, I don't know if the mics are
off. Um, well, okay. Thank you, Jasmine. Um, it puts on record that the town then captures it for their mapping purposes.
It don't be a public access. You can't mute public access. Uh but you have to have your mic off. Yeah. Or we get the the loop.
So no no don't ask public access shouldn't be muted. We need them. But it is Oh, we can ask them to unmute. Yeah. And it's not. Oh, there it is. It's back. Okay. I believe I believe the issue should be fixed.
Jasmine, can you hear us now out in the uh ether of the internet? Yes. Thank you so much. Okay. Thank you. So, bat check. Basically, I was saying you can do either. I I always say both makes the most sense. The deed that way you have a
a legal description of the lot and you've done the survey. I mean, you have it. The 81X, it's really just paying the what is it? $150 now to record a plan, which, you know, can feel like highway robbery, but you get a visual that is recorded on
the town's record plans. Um, it's certainly not necessary for this project, but as a property owner, it's something that I would say folks may want to do in the long term. And it's potential cleaner title, correct? as you have
it resolves a lot of issues at the time of sale or probate or whatever happens hopefully decades in the future. Yeah. But just for the board's clarification, the intent is to have this as one large parcel. My apologies. Over here, we're just
trying to do a I see that on the screen we've got a uh notification that we don't know is coming from this computer or another one. So, we're trying to free up the screen quickly. Do you mind if I carry on with my questions? Not at all. I just wanted to explain the kabutzing over here.
No, that's fine. Uh, can you tell us what the total square footage is, including the screened porch? So, after, excuse me, after the construction, it's about 3,900 square ft. The fire department did respond on open gov
asking that same question. And I'm No, I'm talking about the just the addition portion. Does the 1800 cover the screen porch as well as the building? No, I believe 1800 was the building itself. Okay. And then the screen porch is additional.
Yeah, screen porch is additional. It is an open screen. Really? I I just want to kind of understand u the is there an operation and maintenance plan for the proposed storm water BMP?
So, one was not submitted as part of it, not being under the stormwater permit. But, but I I think that for a project like this, it's and it's a it's a simple BMP, it's a simple maintenance plan. I think having included as part of the decision
um will just make a a cleaner uh decision. So, I would I would recommend to the board that we require that. Um, was there any soil testing done in the general area of the building
um in conjunction with the design of the BMP? So, not at this time, but I believe you were here when we did the the home in development, correct? So, we did extensive testing for both Stormar and you're inferring that it's going to be a
similar it was very consistent throughout the areas. So, and I just didn't want you to put it in and have it be a tight till underneath and have this basically just be like a moat around the cat shelter. Um, so, uh, and then you have these two
heavy black lines that extend to the south. So, those are retaining walls as part of this. And actually, that was what I guessed they were, but I didn't see any note about it.
So these elevations were drawn by McKenzie Engineering just depicting the addition. If you look at the bottom one, you can see it says stairs going into a basement of the addition. The retaining walls are being proposed to just meet the grade so that way they
can drive in and out or wheel material in and out and not have an extensive amount of grading to be done. What is the um height of the retaining walls soup to nuts? So you're probably looking
5 ft give or take. So you're 540 top might even be less cuz you're 540 top of concrete and then you have a basement. I don't believe it's a full full basement. And then you have retaining walls down to 534 532. And those are going to be modular blocks. Yeah, that would be the intent.
And you'll need fall protection along the top of it. If it exceeds 36 36 in. Yes. Okay. Yeah. It's not It might be one maybe two courses of block really coming
out from the basement. And I mean none of this is again a critical. It just I want to understand what we're what we're talking about as we as we get towards it. Y um other than that I you know it's clean runoff. The drip edge is really just there to provide extra protection. Um a
little bit of capacity and some infiltration. So um that's the majority of my questions. Okay. Uh thank you Adam. I the questions I had after looking this had to do with understanding the property line as well
as um just making sure making sure we weren't going to hit any issues with zoning and you said you've been before ZBA. Yep. So, super. Um other questions from the board. All right.
[Applause] Adam, in your litany of questions, I I don't mean that negatively. Um, uh, did you get the answers you need or are we waiting? I did. I mean, I I there's nothing here that I think we can't vote on tonight. Condition the submission of of the
operation maintenance plan. Okay. Would that be acceptable to put together an operation and maintenance plan for the I think I have one somewhere. Fantastic. All right. Um, if there are no more questions from the board, we could have a motion to close the public
hearing for 499 Northfield Road and then we uh deliberate and blah. So moved, second. Moved and seconded. All in favor? I I Super duper. Thank you so much. Thank you.
Yes, I've just said super duper as a matter of public record. It's there now. Um, okay, great. So, um, I mean, it sounds like we would want to
look at all standard conditions as well as, uh, the special condition of, um, submitting a help me with that. I've already operation and maintenance plan. Thank you. Operation and maintenance
plan for the storm water drip edge. Um, do we have anything else? Not that I'm aware of. So, we could have a motion such as to approve the uh site plan for 499 Northfield Road
um with all standard conditions and the special condition of requiring submission of a operations and maintenance plan for the storm water drip edge. So moved. Second. Moved and seconded. All in favor? Hi.
You're all set. Thank you. Have a good evening. Will you all come and visit once we have it done? I am just down the road. Absolutely. You might not be able to get rid of him. [Applause]
[Music] All right, let me go back to our agenda. That was uh public I mean that's our public hearings for today. Rock and roll. Next up is a very small piece under
reorganization. Uh we don't it's not a big one but Mr. Allison was our representative to the municipal building design committee also also called in you'll see that in building reuse committee. They're the same thing. Um,
we need to put someone forward that cuz they are uh the the select board has modified their charge based on um 15 years of chasing their tail. Yeah. Well, especially based on getting
so close yet so far at in May. Mhm. Um, and they need our person there so we can rock and roll. I am I am interested in taking this role
myself, but I don't want that to cut out others saying they want it. Um, and I'll be especially clear, the one of the reasons I'm interested is because
I want to make sure that committee has someone good at public speaking and explaining things to the public in laying out the whole idea because I think that's going to be key in any project moving forward.
Um, and I view that as one of my strengths. I'm not heck bent on that role, but I see that as something I can bring to the table. If there's others who are interested, speak up, please. I nominate Matt Brener to be the
planning board's designator of the municipal building design committee. I will second. Moved and seconded. All in favor? I. All right. I felt him jumping out of his chair, but I wanted to get that nomination.
[Music] Um, we have no decisions or anything to go through right now. Board discussions. I'm just going to reverse the order on those quickly cuz I feel like it. Um,
so signature of paperwork for 430 Mulpus Road. Don't worry about the wording too much. I'm going to lay this out for you very quickly. 430 Mulpus Road. Um, it's it's a Harbor Homes property. Harbor Harbor Classic.
Harbor Classic Homes. Thank you. I'm like, I'm missing a word in there. Um, yeah. No, this is we just need to f This isn't really a discussion. Just we don't have a place to put let's vote on something to fix paperwork issues. Um
when this I believe it was storm water when the shity deposit was put in it was like during an overlap in change in admin assistance and I don't remember who basically the whoever filed it used
and this was like a year ago or something used um Margery's old paperwork not the newer paperwork work and so it referenced um a an account type that doesn't exist anymore at that
bank. So we this is purely clearing up paperwork. Um I spoke with uh Mr. Ron Kvu. I apologize uh if I got your last name if I
butchered it. Um because he came in and said, "What's going on?" I said this is just us. This is something the treasurer, town treasurer needs us to do. Um specifically to close out the make a
motion to close out the old account and enable her to open the correct account. Uh I can get into more details for us or I can give you a motion to use. So, I'm looking for a motion such as for the planning board to close out the
current account for 430 Mulpus Road Performance Guarantee then turn over the funds to the town treasurer to use as the shity deposit to create a new performance guarantee account in the correct format. So moved. Second. Moved and seconded. All in favor?
I. Perfect. Um, and Jen, did you uh get Maren's followup on that? I did not yet. Okay. But I'm hoping to get that by tomorrow morning. Oh, no. She sent an email followup um
with the steps. I you may or may I will double check later and see if you were uh CCed on that. If not, I'll forward it to you. Just a slightly different set of steps than I specified in my email today. Okay. For office backend stuff.
Great. Super. Um, and oh no. Okay, I see. Yeah. No, I I didn't realize you had sent another email to M. No, you you're up to date and everything. Great. Then we don't need to worry more
about that. The next item on our agenda is the master plan steering committee review of current items. Um, I can explain that broadly or Tim, you're welcome to because you're our rep. Um, sure. Uh, what we've got in front of us
is the, um, kind of draft of what is going to be going into the master plan. Um, the board has attempted to break it up into sections and send those sections out to
what they believe are the appropriate boards for comment. Um, basically the document we've got here, um, we've just got a couple questions to go through on each of these points. One, is
this controlled by our board? Like, do we have any input on this? Uh, what currently exists? Um, and what would we need or what would our involvement be in these um, ideas or recommendations?
Um yeah, basically that should cover I think most of what we would need in this. What's our time frame on this? Uh October, beginning of October. They want it back. Yeah, they need it by oc by the end of September, last day.
I would ask that we carry this till the first meeting in September. Um having just seen it, I think I'd really like to take a minute to dig through it. And I want to be clear, these are not all the
goals. These are the goals they feel specifically are directed to the planning board. That's correct. And it would be is the master document all of the goals or like cuz there's a there's a there's two
workbooks here. Yes. And one says planning board and one says master. Yes. So, is the master all the goals broken down by chapter? Uh, yes. I don't know if I don't think they're broken down by chapter necessarily because that would be really helpful for
me. Sure. to be able to frame how I review it, knowing what the goal is associated with because I think really even even goals in a housing chapter in
a master plan sometimes are, you know, reaching into other places. But understanding what the frame of that goal or that uh objective is
would give me a better a better angle to review it from and kind of make comment on. These are not necess and Tim you can I've missed a couple meetings because I was traveling so I correct me and interrupt me. Um
I mean these are not necessarily the formal goals. What these are are so through the rounds of public feedback, there's been a lot of narrowing where it's get feedback, you know, get open-ended
feedback, turn that feedback into a survey to get more closed feedback, take the results of that survey, ask pose it with some pro probing questions to the public to get more open-ended but
narrow Yeah, you're taking the closed feedback and you're shaving it with open feedback. Yes. Repeat a few times. And that's kind of distilled down to certain recommend uh cuz you'll see the column that we have is recommendations from public
feedback. Um and then what the master plan steering committee did is looked at it and said with overunder, okay, these this these pieces of feedback saying the public wants this.
Mhm. Really apply to the council on aging. These apply to planning board. These but there's overlap. So, it could be that um make downtown more walkable could apply
to planning board and architectural preservation. And so, it's getting feedback from the whatever groups that's kind of within their domain. And that's why it's set it's a little weird the setup as a spreadsheet, but that's
because some things only go one place, some go Yeah. I mean that the spreadsheet doesn't necessarily bother me. I guess I I I expect a final master plan has the elements required by the general laws. Mhm. And each of those elements outlines the
current state of those, the projected state of those, the desired state of those, and then a series of goals and objectives to achieve that desired state. And that is repeated through e
each of the eight chapters and then that's all coalesed into a goals and objectives chapter that has an action matrix after it. And so like supportive range of housing options for all ages and income. That's very clearly a
housing goal. But something like make downtown more walkable could be an economic development goal. It could be a housing goal. It's most likely a circulation and transportation goal because that's the
that's the sort of pot that it fits in in a in a like a a technical face value kind of thing and it has those ancillary benefits. Um, and I guess it it might not matter what chapter they're supposed to go in, but I
really do want to take some time to kind of digest it and u and, you know, put my my thoughts down in a in a more directed way. Full agreement on more time. That's why it's in front of us. Um, can do you want
do you want Tim and I to follow up and if Oh, I mean, no. Let me let me look at I'll look at how it was presented and if I have questions or something, I can either reach out to Tim or I can reach out to Kim Duffy directly. Y uh and
you know, I can just I know I'm shy, but I'll say my piece at the September meeting. There we go. And we have two meetings to review this. So we'll put it on our Yeah. So if we can move this to our next meeting's discussion agenda as well.
Um and perfect. Great. Does anyone have anything they want to talk about on it now or now that we've discussed it? You can just go back and digest. I don't want if someone's like, "Oh, but I have feedback I really want to share. I don't want to cut that
short." All right. I'm fine with that. Sounds great. Um, okay. Those are our two board discussion topics. Um, hey Jen, anything big happening in neighboring communities
that we need to know about? Okay, great. Um, I think at a previous meeting things bleed together a little. Adam, I know at one point you had a question about why is this now here now? I think I did I
answer that at a previous Okay. Well, I think it was an you weren't at the meeting. I asked and it was answered. It makes sense. Um I just I I thought we were discussing all of them and I was like that seems like a lot.
Fair. Okay, great. Wonderful. Summer's confusing. Um okay, committee reports, master plan, steering committee. Um there's not really much to add in based upon, you
know, uh beyond what we just talked about. Um we are in the refining process uh to try and get everything ready uh for town meeting if we can. Super. Um and my the goal is we are not
planning the goal is to have present the progress at town meeting not to have Yes. Yes. Okay. Great. That's what that's where I remembered our conversation being, but I wanted to make sure I was right and I wanted to make sure that the
public as well understood. We're not giving them a master plan town meeting. We're getting delightfully close, but okay. Open space committee. Um, nothing particularly new to
uh contribute. Um, we had a I'm so sorry. Property that was previously not recommended and we passed over coming out of chapter that due to some documenting problems came back up. Uh,
we came to the same conclusion. We're not looking to pick up the property. I don't remember the exact address. It was on West Towns and Road. Um, but yeah, that's that's about it. Yeah. Um, oh, did your community discuss that
again? Cuz it it did it did come back up again. Uh, well, I knew it came I apolog So, I apologize to the board then because it look when I read through their response, it looked like it was just Yeah, we had already said no. Yeah. So, I it looked like the two committees
that responded said we already said no. Sure. And so I didn't think to put it back on the agenda for us to discuss again. Oh, okay. Um well, the committee recommended not uh picking up the parcel. Okay. Uh if there is time for us to
discuss it, I will get on our next agenda to look at quickly, but um yeah. All right. Municipal Building Design Committee. Um well, I've kind of given the update on that. They're going to be up and running
again. Capital Planning Committee uh Capital Planning Committee is just beginning to do its Frankensteinian reviving back from the dead as it does every year. Um
there is nothing to report because we're now in the time to get meetings going phase. Um, yeah, that's really all to report there. Economic Development Committee did not
meet for most of the summer, but did have a meeting last week. Um, I worked with the economic development committee to um, as Kathy Clark has stepped back as chair to basically help move that
committee forward and be like, I can't call a meeting, but I can do all the leg work so you all can call a meeting. And they had their meeting. Um, Josie Gilchrist is the new chair of that committee. Um I'm looking forward to the
output of it going forward. A couple things I put forward to them is um some of what I anticipate happening going forward and things I would like to put on our agenda going forward is so
first of all there's going to be the town meeting and great they handle that. I would like us once we have a planner, I don't want us doing it till we have a planner and economic development person because I think they're key, but I would
like us to revisit the EDC's charter and uh look at if that is the makeup in charge we want them to have. Um it has taken a very
small business um and I would I would argue micro business bent over the years and there's nothing wrong with that. They're they are part of the economic drivers. We we say small business we're often thinking micro businesses but small businesses go up to like 50 employees or something they're bigger.
Um, and um, I'm of the opinion that I think we're we're we as a board in conjunction with whoever is going to be helping us understand and organize economic development going forward
that we'll want to kind of zone in the focus of that committee and the build to make sure it can support those needs. So going forward, we can try to have that better bond with the business community and really try to
um I've said in other formats, other venues, we're at the point right now that there's a lot of funding that we have taken for granted that it turns out we were taking for granted because you could count on
certain funding every year from the federal government for decades and it there are no guarantees. Now, I am I'm my one man's opinion is I would like us to see what we can do to shore up our own economic house
so that though we're less impacted knowing that economic development is a 20-year thing. You're not, oh well, get get more development then we're all set. I I would also just throw the caution flag up on the combined role of planner
and economic development because you're combining gladanding and regulation. Yes. And economic development folks as helpful and useful as they can be their
job is to tell people we can figure that out. And often planners jobs is regulatory. Here's the rules. You need to follow these rules. So if you're one on one day telling them to figure it out and then you'll help them figure it out and they
come to see you and you're like, "Oh, but here's all the rules you have to follow." It can get messy. So I think that as we look at this and as we talk with whomever is hired, I think there's a role for the economic
development committee in some of that more public facing or more participatory in helping businesses get creative and navigate the system. Um, but it needs to be done in a way that recognizes their
volunteers. And I think it's something we should be thinking about as as we move that way. No. And you you have experience both in the planner and semi-economic development role here in town and with that committee from that role. So no, I
I can tell you that that under the understanding of the dual nature is it's not lost on me and it isn't lost on uh Jennifer Warren Diamond either as our town manager. And that's been part of
the that ongoing discussion of okay, so we're going to have someone that will simultaneously be saying, well, here's what works for regular here's what we may want to have for regs in town. And something we'll need to know as a
board is another part of their job is kind of to say here's how you work around some of the rags in town. And it's awkward, but it's doable. And it just takes a it
takes someone with a certain mentality that they can make recommendations that are that aid or allow someone to work through the process and surmount some of
their potential issues while also allowing that the regulation spirit and intent is met in in that process. I agree with that. I I think I think that's a good point that that it also
becomes something the economic development committee can help with in the long run, especially as far as policy setting and direction of like an e economic development program can go. Now, what I did tell the EDC was that
one thing I'm going once again once we have a planner, I'm going to want the I would like the I would like to us before we go messing with the EDC's charter. It's ultimately our call.
Mhm. But I would like us to find out from the EDC what they think their what their vision for that committee is. And once we have they can come up with that again with a planner
and I'll be there too as our exeicio member. Once all that's together then it comes to us and that gives us more stuff to chew on. We may agree with their vision, we may not, but it gives us input of where they are now, where they think they want to be. Um, I think it's
good for the committee to think about who they want to be as well. Mhm. A little bit of mission setting is usually not a bad thing in life. Stormwater task force. Um, we've run into some technical difficulties
with some of the information we've been given. Uh, we're just working on reviewing that. We're not sure anymore that we're going to have a presentation for town meeting. Um, we're just kind of playing this out as we get the information we need.
Better to do it right. Y. Amen. Montichus Regional Planning Commission. Uh, we met earlier this month. I didn't have any notes really to share. It was a fairly quick meeting. So it was mostly
budgetary updates on projects that were happening. So nothing specific really. Montichus Joint Transportation Committee. We did meet I was unable to attend that meeting. So no notes.
That reminds me, Amanda, I want to kit commits with you for like five minutes on an org that's reached out to me. Reaching out is a strong term. um that has included me as one of their seemingly members randomly as because
I'm chair of the playing board about transportation. I'll chat with you. Okay. It's just I'm trying to figure out if this is something you know anything about. Okay. Um no big deal. Great minutes approval. Um because that ends committee reports.
There are minutes for the meeting from 7:14. Motion to approve. Second. That was fast. Moved and seconded. Very short minutes. Yeah. I had a question though about
Is that okay? I'm sorry. Okay. Uh I just had a question on the out of order comments that were in it. I'm not sure what that's referring to. So like under chair director's report it says out of order. Under decisions it says out of order. I'm just wondering what that's referring to. Um,
it just meant that the way that they were addressed were out of order of the Got it. Okay. Out of order for the agenda. Ah, okay. I didn't I hadn't noticed that before, but now I'm good. Thank you. All right. Got it. Okay.
Um, we have a motion and a second to approve the minutes. All in favor? I will abstain. Perfect. Um, we're moving faster than I can switch screens. Meeting schedule. The plane
board meets at 6:00 p.m. at town hall unless otherwise stated. Upcoming meetings include Monday, September 9th, Monday, September 22nd, and Monday, October 27th. Do we not meet the first?
It's Columbus Day or Indigenous People's Day. Good to know. And it's the eighth, not the ninth. Hush for being right. That that I don't want anyone to show up here on on Tuesday the 9th wondering. That would be awful. Thank you. Monday,
September 8th. Monday, September 22nd, Monday, October 27th. I do not anticipate we will need that October meeting. I can envision a world
where MBTA communities means I'm wrong and we might need that early October meeting for a public hearing. I think we'll be fine either way because we there's no reason having the public hearing on the 27th should be
fine for the town. Yeah. For meeting town warrant and everything. I mean it should go on the warrant ahead of time. Yes. We're we it has to go on the warrant and then if there's changes we can either do it on the floor or if it's changed in time we can change the
language in the warrant before printing. I believe that is the I believe that is all how it should go. Yes, I am aware that still not having a full-time dedicated planner to the town.
Um the a as we saw with the brief meeting we had to hold last week for minutes approval. Um thank you Tim. Thank you Amanda for being able to enjoin to join that. You weren't needed. Yeah, sorry. I I didn't see that until this. No, it's fine. Don't worry about it. Not
um I could have reached out to I could have given you a call, but it wasn't it wasn't something you were even there for. So, um, but we have those little snafoos from time to time that we're still hopefully,
yeah, but we're not dealing with like the the everything needs to be in by January 1st and then the warrant doesn't get printed for 3 months and you can't change anything after you like Yeah, I just think it would be good to put
together the warrant article for submission so that it's there and there's a placeholder. er and we don't miss a deadline. Agreed. Um and I'm making sure that we're I'm in the office making sure we're on top of those things. Chatting with Brian, chatting with Jen, making
sure we're there. Um public comment, no public in the room. No public online. All right. Board comment concerns. Uh just a point of information for applicants, folks watching for you uh
Jen, there have been a series of communities who have had people receive invoices uh on town letterhead for fees due for projects uh multiple thousands
of dollars that were done fraudulently. So, there's either an AI or a scammer collective that is scrubbing uh agendas and sending folks invoices on town letterhead. Uh so, folks should be aware
out there. Um and if you have a question, if you get a wild invoice, please reach out to the planning office. I can give some more specific instructions on that. Actually, I apologize because I that didn't make it that didn't make it to this note set for
tonight and that was supposed to be what I opened with. Um because No, you're right. That is an issue that they're seem to be combing the public the newspaper articles and public databases and seeing who has applications.
Okay. Couple things the town is doing to protect you. new applications going forward are going to get a note letting them know that this is happening in open gov. They go into open gov they're going to get a
page that says hey FYI and it's going to give them a few steps and they're the steps I'm going to talk about now that they're these are the standard anti-scammer steps. If you get a bill from the planning department or for the town for your application that doesn't
make sense to you, call us. What you're not going to do is you're not going to use the phone number on that bill because boy howdy will they be happy to tell you that you owe money regardless. You're going to use you're
going to look it up. You know, use your internet, use your phone book if you still have one. uh call the Ritter building, call the planning office, you'll get uh you'll get Jen Dagel and
she will be able to confirm if you actually owe anything. Don't use the number on any on a bill you get. Just look it up separately. Give a call. Um any question you have, call the office. Um that's really the
biggie. We're getting that note out in front of people. Don't hesitate to reach out or come in in person to double check. And by the way, Jen, you may get people calling about that. That's why. Um, thank you, Adam. I would have been
awful to not get that out there in the world. Um, any other board comment concerns? Okay. Okay. In that case, I would look for a motion to adjurnn. So moved. Second. Moved and seconded. All in favor?
I. I. 7:16 p.m. Thank you very much everyone out there in TV land. I hope you have a great evening and we'll see you in a couple weeks.