All right, I'll get going. Today's December 3rd. As a preliminary matter, this is 49th chair of the new planning board. Permit permit me to confirm that all members and persons anticipated on the agenda are present and can hear me. Planning board members,
when I call your name, please respond the affirmative. Peter Pos, >> yes, sir. Larry Murphy, >> sure. >> Scott Kinter, >> yes. >> Steve Manion, >> yes. >> And town staff, Kristen Grubs, >> yes.
>> And u no sad tonight. >> Correct. >> Okay. Very good. Good evening. December 3rd, 2025 open meeting of the new planning board is being conducted remotely consistent with the chapter 2 of the acts of 2025
which extends the governor's March 12th, 2020 order suspending certain provisions of the open meeting law GLC 3820 until June 30th, 2027. For this meeting, Newbury Planning Board
is convening by video conference via Zoom as posted on the planning board's agenda, which can be found at the town's website. You may join us by going to http semicolon/zoom. us and entering meeting ID number
83271413056 and the passcode is 108790 or by calling in at 1 19292056099 US and entering the meeting pass code u meeting ID number and passcode when prompted prompted.
Please note that this meeting is being recorded and that attendees are participating by video and or telephone conference. The meeting is also being broadcast live through local access channel 9
and on Zoom and at https semicolon newberv.wicksite.com/tnctv wicksite.com/tnctv and the recording will be available on the new access YouTube channel.
Finally, any vote taken in this meeting will be conducted by roll call vote. So, moving on to the first item on the agenda is um meeting uh planning board meeting minutes. Um the first set of
minutes we have is November 5th. Um, has everyone gotten a chance to review the meeting minutes for November 5th? >> They have, and it looks fine to me. >> Okay. Anyone else have any edits or uh comments on the november 5th meeting
minutes? Hearing none, I'd entertain a motion to approve the meeting minutes for November 5th. >> I move to approve the meeting amendments and meeting minutes of November 5th, 2025.
Thank you, Larry. And a second. >> Second. >> Second. >> Thank you, Steve. Uh, and Scott, thank you for the third roll call vote. Peter Pos, >> yes, sir. >> Larry Murphy, >> yes.
>> Uh, Scott Kenta, >> yes. >> And Steve Manian, >> yes. >> And I vote yes as well. Moving on to our next set of meeting minutes. They are for November 19th, 2025. So, everyone had a chance to review the
meeting minutes for November 19th, 2025. >> But again, yes, and they look fine to me. >> Okay. And uh anyone else with any other comments on the November 19th meeting minutes? >> None. >> Hearing none, I would entertain a motion
to approve the meeting minutes for November 19th, 2025. >> So moved. Thank you, Scott. Do I have a second? >> Second. >> Second. >> Thank you, Steve. Um, roll call vote. Peter Pos.
>> Yes, sir. >> Larry Murphy, >> uh, yes. >> Scott Kenter, >> yes. >> Steve Manian, >> I I >> And I vote yes as well. So, meeting minutes are approved.
Moving on to the next item on the agenda, we have um liaison and meeting reports. And uh first up is ZBA. Uh Larry, do you have anything new from ZBA? >> Uh it just uh you're probably all aware
of it at this point, but the um uh the uh uh hearing on um what is it? Uh the Sunset Club, excuse me, uh was uh continued at the last CBA uh meeting until their uh uh December
meeting. >> Okay. >> And that that's all I have. What do you >> All right. Thank you, Larry. Uh moving on to conservation. Conservation met last night. I have my notes here. We had a few septic
approvals and a lot of things on the agenda actually were continued for one reason or another by the applicants requested by the applicants. We did have um one item though that is some of us
may be familiar with is um it was originally Berago. I'm not sure what it is now. the solar solar array at USA in off of Main Street in Biffield. Um
they were coming in for a certificate of compliance. Um there was a slight error in the posting, the details of the posting. It was a um they had a what they were looking for
was a certificate of compliance if anyone recalls for the modification to the plan for the access road for national grid and um unfortunately it was the original application number on
there so we didn't come to a vote on it. We passed it on moved it on to January. So that'll be coming up in January. Um MVPC that would be Kristen. >> Um
thank you. Um let's see. So the last commissioners meeting um Mayor Mac Valley Planning Commission. Um we spent some time on the agenda. Um they're working on some bylaw updates to
their sort of open meeting law and other um uh legal upgrades to some of their charter and bylaw. So there was an attorney who's been reviewing everything and we spent some time kind of going through that um
sort of administrative updates. Um they also are expanding into there was if you've ever been to their um offices in Haveril, there was like a little wing that had some other um administrative offices and they're sort of redoing
their um ADA access into the building and then adding some office space which is great because they've had about six people up in the attic which doesn't really have a lot of insulation. Um, so it's exciting for the commission and um
all of their staff are are looking forward to that. Um, uh, let's see, a couple other, um, sort of MVPC related updates. Um, I think I may have mentioned, but I'm helping uh
serve on the subcommittee, which is a joint committee between MVPC and MEVA, the um transit authority that I'm also Newberry's advisory person to. Um, so it's the ferryboat subcommittee, which
is a pretty exciting project. I it got a little press over the last couple months, but if you haven't heard, there's going to be solar powered ferry boats that they hope to um start triing next spring. Um so it's it's moving
along. They're doing an outreach marketing campaign around um getting people excited. I think it's a 28 person boat that's going to go from Hil down to Newbury Port. So, they're working on where the access steps will be and when it'll run and all that kind of stuff.
Um, so that's kind of fun. Um, just a couple other MVPC related things. I've got I can keep talking for another minute or two, right? Um they um they're helping they're
continuing to help the town with some transportation planning work with DPW and planning working together for Newbury. Um they put together traffic counts that were taken I may have mentioned this before but I'll mention
it again. um traffic counts and video taken at the Boston Road Route 1 intersection um in Newbury in September. They gathered all that um data from the myio vision cameras and and uh analyzed
it and put it into a PowerPoint that shows what kinds of turns people are taking, what the safety problems are. Um, and they sort of packaged that up in a really um, helpful way which allowed DPW to submit it to Mass DOT to try to
get in the queue for some um, more significant improvements at that intersection. It's probably going to be a process um but in terms of how much time it takes but getting into this map
it portal is sort of the first step and then there's a review committee through mass DOS various um safety planning different entities that look at all that data that's been gathered um and I'll keep you all posted on the next steps
but it's been you know I think Newber's master plan has that intersection as the highest priority in terms of transportation safety improvements. Um so it's it's exciting to see that move forward. Um
and then let's see. I guess the only other thing is they at the commissioner's meeting, every um department head at MVPC gives updates and I thought this board might be interested to know that um both Marramac and West Newbury passed their
MBTA um multif family overlay district bylaws. They're 3A um compliant now. Those town meetings were just held this fall. And then the one town left in our region is Boxford and they have their town meeting coming up um December 17th
to try to approve their um MBTA district. So um just Newbury led the way and all the other towns in the region are now nearly compliant with the 3A legislation.
So that's it on MVPC >> and that was Box. This will be Boxer's first attempt, Kristen, that you're aware of. >> Um, I don't think they actually had a vote. They sort of might have tried to get it
on the warrant last spring and and didn't. I'm not I'm not positive on that if they've actually took a vote and failed and now they're coming back or if this is their first vote. I know West Newbury took a couple of town meetings to get it approved. >> Yeah. Okay. Okay. Well, good luck to
Boxford on that. And thank you, Kristen. >> Yeah. >> All right. I have 7:15. Actually, 7:16 now. Um, so we'll go to a public hearing. Um, 2-8 Bullpoint Road. Uh public hearing
continuence site plan review. Level two site plan review application for asbuilt constructed changes to the approved site plan of record in a proposed new 40x40 pavilion structure at the Sunset Club at
2-8 Old Point Road. Assess map U.02-0-1 uh 153A. owner of the Cottage Commercial LLC, Vincent Goden, manager. Applicant representative Steve Sawyer, PE Millennium Engineering, Inc. Um, the
applicant has requested a continuence to January 7th, 2026. So, we will not be having that public hearing tonight. Um, I would entertain a motion to continue the public hearing for 2-8 Old Point Road site plan review
to January 7th, 2026 at 7:15 on Zoom. >> You have it. >> Thank you, Pete. Um, do I have a second? >> Second. >> Second. >> Thank you, Scott. Um, roll call vote.
Peter Pos, >> yes. Larry Murphy, >> yes. >> Scott Kenter, >> yes. >> And Steve Manion, >> yes. >> And I vote yes as well. And I find it odd that we're almost into the next
year. So with that, we'll be seeing the Sunset Club on January 7th. Um final item on the agenda um is a plans report. Um Kristen. All right.
>> Um, I guess I'll take your your comment that it's a bit alarming. We're already almost into January as a as a a segue. uh Woody to say um Martha and I spent a
bunch of hours yesterday afternoon as the snow fell um reviewing all of the bylaw amendment work and um we don't have a substantive presentation tonight but I do think in reviewing the calendar
again with her we think it would make sense for the board to have another workshop to um really dive into which of the many amendments we've been looking at we want to move forward with this
year. the schedule um as I shared a draft I think a couple weeks ago by email, but um the schedule leading up to town meeting with all the requirements for Mass General Law in terms of public hearings and as you all know um really
brings us right into January. So, if you want more than one meeting to really review the bylaws, I think we're going to have to try to schedule a meeting this month um to dive into that with Martha um present and if that was of
interest to the board, we could try to do it inerson workshop again. So, I wanted to kind of put that out there as an idea and see. I know it's a, you know, december is a busy time with
family and holidays and lots of things. So, um, I can send an email and or if anyone wants to talk tonight about whether meeting on December 17th would still work or if we want to look at a daytime meeting that
week. Um, if there's better or worse days. Martha and I thought possibly Tuesday or Thursday would be better for daytime or we could just stick with the evening meeting if that does work better. Um I do think sometimes in
person is better when you're sort of diving into some details around the zoning bylaw stuff. Well, given the >> I have some other updates, too, but I thought I'd just pause on that for a minute.
>> It seems to me that in person is a good way to go, but given the weather constraints, uh I think we need to be able to have Zoom as a backup should the weather not be favorable. And during the day, I think is better um than the chilly dark of winter.
But that's my opinion. >> Yeah. Are people around that week potentially? So the week of um like 16th, 17th, 18th. >> Yeah, I am. I'm available. Yep.
>> Okay. I just wanted to make sure like not everyone was, you know, flying to see their kids or grandkids. Scott's looking like he might have some travel on his on his mind.
>> I do. I I can um probably give you some dates tomorrow where I'll be unavailable, but it's uh it's getting pretty full. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Um
>> how about a Saturday workshop? >> Just kidding. Yeah, up for whatever works. We want to be as efficient as possible while giving time to talk about what we need to. Okay,
I'll follow up. Um, anyone shoot me yays or nays and then I'll check in with and we can follow up on that. >> Um, >> I'm I'm flexible on daytime. Sounds great to me. Um, if Scott can get his
dates in and then fill out the rest of the board and come up with a date that I'm I'm available. So, thank you. >> Okay. Okay. I know sometimes we can figure out
hybrid too if you know some of us are in person, someone needs to zoom in. >> Um, okay. um project stuff like permit project stuff. Um Woody mentioned Berago. Um that's that is a project that
hasn't closed out with the planning board either and there it was a complicated project. So Satie and I have been reviewing um the original decision and then the modification for the um special permit on those projects. She
actually joined um the conservation agent um I guess yesterday morning on that property because she'd never been out there. I've been out there once, not in a couple years, but um so that'll be
that'll take some time to sort through, but that'll probably be coming back to the planning board. That will need to be coming back to the planning board. um they still have our performance guarantee funding held by the town and there's some conditions to check through
with the consom. Um and I think I mentioned um 15 central is working on their submission for a definitive subdivision for the two lots at um 17 central next to AL Prime gas
station. This is the one that we reviewed the preliminary subdivision plan for. Now they're they're coming back, but they didn't quite have everything together to bring the submission to this meeting. So, they'll be coming um at a later meeting.
And um just 34 central update, they they did the um uh applicants, the buyers did close on that property. um right right after they filed their decision um
following the last planning board meeting. Um so that's exciting for them and they have reached out to the select board to start the discussion on the off-site improvements for that project that were as a part of the planning
board's um site plan decision. So my guess is it'll be sometime in January that they come to the select board meeting to talk about um some of the you know the realignment of central court and some of the you know crosswalks and
traffic um uh proposed improvements on town own property and on the roads. Um so I'll keep you posted on that. Um, and then the lower green, I think you all
remember the folks working for the town on uh the study committee for the lower green historic um district. Um they have had their preliminary study
approved by Mass Historical Commission. Um, so I received an email which I will forward to all of you tomorrow with a copy of that study and I've followed up with them to know, you know, are they interested in coming back and discussing it with the planning board. Um, I do
think their their timeline is moving towards bringing a bylaw to annual town meeting to um approve that lower historic uh district. So, they're on track with that. that that will also
require a public hearing um similar to the bylaw amendments. And let's see, uh two more projects. Um the board of Austin Trail Newbury North project is
from Biffield to Newbury Port. This is the funding through the um federal appropriation that the town received. Um, and I think I've updated before we have selected a consultant firm, but the
paperwork related to the funding being federal and state, it's been very complicated, but we've taken some steps forward recently. I have a scope of work from the consultant. Now, we have to get it independently reviewed and then we
finally, you know, we work through the contract and my hope is that project will kick off in January. Um, we'll see how long all this final paperwork takes, but that's exciting. I think the board of Austin committee is looking forward to getting going on that and there will
be a lot of public outreach related to that project as well. It's a feasibility of where the best alignment of the trail path will be to get from the center of Bifffield to the New Greyport train station. Um, and there's a lot of
options and constraints and considerations related to that. So, my guess is that project will be more than a year really in planning. Um so if it starts in January, it'll probably proceed for, you know, most of 2026, if
not longer. And then finally, um Plum Island turnpike project um has received an extension for that uh effort as well until June. I think we're still uh the city of Newbury Port and
Newbury working with Tai and Bond as the consultants are um our schedule is to have a second public meeting in January. Now we are hoping to get it in December but um not going to have everything
together for that. So um probably the week of January 12th and I should know that date soon. So there'll be, you know, outreach related to inviting the public to that meeting. Um the first public meeting last May was real
information gathering, like getting input from people, not just folks who live on Plum Island, but um people who travel to Plum Island. Um and the this will be more of a presentation of what
what has been learned. there's been, you know, looking at the wetlands. Um, we had a meeting a couple weeks, a week and a half ago. Um, uh, actually it was just it was the Monday before Thanksgiving, so I don't
know was that a week ago. Um, with the, uh, permitting agencies. So, uh, CZM, D, NEPA, Division of Marine Fisheries, um, the US Fish and Wildlife Service and,
um, uh, folks from the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs. So it was a big meeting which shows how much interest I think people have in you know in Plum Island turnpike which is you know a
heavily used road that regularly sees flooding now and when you do projections um is certainly anticipated to see additional um flooding concerns about safety traveling back and forth to the island. So there was a meeting with the
agencies to really look at um the feasibility and what permitting and environmental constraints there are to doing anything with the road whether it's raising it or um raising it in certain places. A in a lot of places the
salt marsh is right up to the edge of the road and it would probably extend under the road if it could. Um so just sort of talking through in a open discussion and trying to get feedback from the agencies about what the
permitting would look like. Um can you know and there there are there was a lot of good discussion. They are not really in a position similar to any permitting agency like you all like you can have informal discussions but you not really
in a position to have any clear statements unless you're act you actually have a project that's been submitted that you are um reacting to. So there's still some back and forth that Tai and Bond is is sort of managing
project managing with getting input from the agencies. And I think that's the last bit of work in order to get um some proposed improvements ready to present and get a response from the public. That
should be in January. >> Kristen, that was helpful. Um couple questions. Yep. >> Did Did anyone take notes of this meeting that would be available for the public to read particularly ahead of the uh tenative January 12th date?
>> Um yes, Tai and Bond staff um I know were taking a lot of notes. It wasn't a recorded meeting, but um I will h I'm happy to share those once I get them. We have our next meeting as a project
team on um a week from today. So, it'll probably be after that meeting. >> Yeah, that would be helpful. Uh even I would would not anticipate, you know, reviewing a video recording if it had been made, but just getting a uh >> sense of where the players are.
That's where the meeting notes would really be helpful to see what what's on people's mind and then be able to bring that to the January 12th or whatever date that it is. Uh, and was did Fish and Wildlife participate? You may have said, but I probably missed it if you
did. >> Um, the shutdown to contend with as well. >> I think it was the day they were back. I think it was the first day back. So, um I'll have to check. I
can't actually, as I said, there were like 18 people on it. So, I'll I'll we'll have a list of who attended in the in the notes from the meeting. >> Sure. Thank you. >> Yeah, I think I think who was there was
Nancy Pow who's the biologist who's been involved in a lot of salt marsh restoration resiliency projects. I don't think I know Matt Hillman was not there and I don't think Ella um Weber who is the outreach person was able to attend but I'll check
>> right we'll have another spring tide uh this week so I will certainly monitor whether there's any flooding of the turnpike just as an aside >> yeah it's supposed I actually got some materials that I've been meaning to just
send out in a news alert about um the sort of uh crowd um outreach to the public to encourage photographs being submitted into this portal. I forget I'm forgetting the name
of it where you can upload pictures of flooding and it's sort of tracking um locations in a sort of crowdsourcing open source kind of way. Mhm. >> So, I think it's anticipated to be a
pretty high tide coming up. >> I'll have to check my uh page insurance tide chart. >> What do you if I could Kristen? >> Yeah. >> Uh two things with regards to Berago Solar. I think it'd be really helpful if
the board could have the decision especially with the conditions because I know the performance guarantee was tied to a lot of the conditions. Um and I that's this is when I started on this board was when that project started so a long time ago. >> And um I know that there was a you know
um there was supposed to be a buffer established and I remember Moth and I walking out and the buffer was died you know had died after a year and I don't know if it had been reestablished. Um, so that needs to be visited. And Woody, I think, you know, you know, with the the applicants of 34 central going uh
between before the select board, I wonder if it's it's if it's not beneficial to have some representation as as far as what the planning board's thought process was as we were edging the applicant to look at central court uh from a safety standpoint. They might
they might, you know, promote that, they might not. But I think it's really important for the select board to know the painstaking time and effort that went into that process and the decision-m that this board came to to really stimulate that whole, you know, conversation and outcome. Um, so I don't
know if that's something for consideration, you know, as it as it uh and same thing when it goes to conservation, just so they can really understand that we just didn't ask the applicant to do it. There was a lot of thought that went into it. So two few comments
>> noted and I think we there should be some representation when that comes up. So if you do hear of when that is when that does the dad date is I' be very interested in knowing and I'm able to attend I will
>> so >> we'll follow it on TV but I've been having trouble getting the selecting beaten live on TV and there's also no watching on TV's not there's no input so I I would attend
Yeah, >> I will keep you posted when I hear >> there for the conservation end of it anyways, Pete. So, >> go uh Steve, you >> Yeah. And Woody, if I may, um Pete's comments about history and the
BGO project brought me thinking about how um when we do get around to looking at Sunset, it may be useful to have in hand what it is that we approved all those years ago or what the planning
board approved all those years ago and just as a baseline to look at. So, if that's something that uh is appropriate for Kristen to pull together and send to us, that might be good background information. >> Okay. When they hit the agenda, I will
remind Kristen to get the decisions and out to the board so everyone can review them and be up to speed for the meeting. >> Thank you. >> That's a very good point. Thank you, Steve, and Pete as well. So, >> yeah, I'm happy to do that. Those are
great suggestions. >> I'm not sure when they're going to hit the agendas, Steve and Pete. But when they do, I will definitely make sure we get the past decisions out because some of it's goes back, especially Burggo, quite a few years. It'll be a good refresher for everyone
that was here and for those who work. So, um, Scott, you have any words of wisdom, Larry? Pete, >> I I have no wisdom tonight. >> Okay.
It's all used up for the day. >> That's fine. Um I have nothing else. Kristen, you're all set. >> I'm all set. Yep. Thank you. >> I would I would entertain a motion to adjurnn. >> So moved.
>> Thank you, Steve. Do I have a second? >> Second. >> Thank you, Larry. Roll call vote. Pete, >> yes, sir. >> Larry, >> yes. >> Scott, >> yes. >> Steve, >> yes. >> And I vote yes as well. I'll see you all
either in person at a workshop or at the next or on Zoom at the next meeting on the 17th, whichever comes first. >> Okay. Good night. >> Thanks everybody. Have a good night, everyone. Thank you.