Town of Grafton, VT
Planning Commission
Tuesday, October 13, 2014
7PM
Town Hall
AGENDA
Present: Jon Miller, David Acker, Liisa Kissel, Eric Stevens, John Plummer, Rex James,
Steve Fisher
Absent: none
Call to Order 7:04 PM
Public Comment – none
Sam Battaglino, Don Dougall
Minutes: 9/9/14
Accept as amended MSP
Don Dougall – Support for grant for recreation areas
3 properties have received FEMA buyout offers– no owners yet committed
Land can only be used for public use
Govt. money available for transition
1. Parker Hill Rd – Simplest of the three
FEMA – cleans off all buildings
Town – naturalizes (except for knotweed)
2. Larry Middleton – Green house Rt. 121
most expensive of 3
small pole structure with roof
picnic tables, bike rack, info kiosk
small parking lot – not paved
trash not quite figured out yet
3. Rob Hall – New bench and new shade trees
Eligible to up to $30,000 – current budget
Salvage stone and build up a wall/railing (Fisher)
These are 2nd tier homes – 1st tier (destroyed) already settled
How can we check if FEMA will clean up? (Kissel, James)
FEMA has responsibility (Battaglino)
Will apply for construction grant – 2015 – by then we will know how many will be taking
buy-out
90 day tear down window (FEMA)
Joe Wilson will be at the next Selectboard meeting – knows FEMA well
will take any questions
Support Don’s plans presented for proposed buy-out properties and grant submission
(Kissel, Plummer) PASSED, 1 abstention
Conversation continued about salvaging some pieces of the building
Town Land Use Administrator
Action items – nothing to report
Chuck Wise
Kissel asked about paper circulated and comments from Bill Kearns regarding
flood maps, culvert sizes. Chuck will provide comment. (see attached)
Question regarding FIRM. They are the flood maps that are used.
If there are inconsistencies, have to go out and look, and a note is made as to the error
in mapping.
Economic Development Opportunities update
Rex James
Application submitted
Oct 23 Kissel will present to the application board to help application
Grant: $48,000 2 interns for 2 year period –
create economic development “manpower”
develop a model for small towns without town staff
deliverables: -google map all business
-what do the businesses need to grow
-collaborations between businesses
-assist in website, social media
$2mil/year - $6 mil in applications submitted; only 3 came from businesses,
all of rest came from non-profit, municipality
Grant focus: add jobs after losses from VT Yankee
Grafton strategy: adding 1-2 jobs to lots of small businesses
Office Space: upstairs town hall
Windham Foundation – considered another business in town (Fisher, James)
Supervision committee to be formed by Select board if receive grant
SWOT Analysis – passed by Select Board – talk to WRC for facilitation (Kissel)
No follow up report or analysis from WRC–
Saxtons River’s was covered under another grant
Grafton did not go after grant last year
Form of SWOT – town meeting style only format WRC will carry out
Next select board meeting: set date – will go on agenda
Town meeting format allows for interactions (Stevens)
can draw in other comments after public meeting
Sponsored by Select Board and Planning Commission
November Grafton News – possible date in first half of the month –
get date from Susan (WRC)
Hold at school in the evening
Date search with Planning Commission Nov 10 – no other public meetings
Nov 11 – Planning Comm regular meeting
Nov 18
Adapt poster from Saxtons River (Miller)
How will information be used
-for Town Plan (James)
-ideas for Select Board,
-mention grant – use info for direction for interns
-focus on economy – easier to make action plan (Stevens)
Town Plan Revision
(tabled)
Chapter:
Energy
Liisa Kissel
Municipal Planning Grant
Eric Stevens
Handout from Eric – Grafton Fluvial Erosion Hazard Mapping and Analysis
pieces used for the grant
Resulting map: Town plan, subdivision regulation, local hazard mitigation plan and food
zoning ordinance
Previous maps did not take into consideration -Flash flood, mud slides (Irene, 1996)
inadequate culverts noted, and plan for above floods
Will also help neighbors in watershed
Grant decision in early December
Windham Regional – Services (completed)
Conversation regarding sections in draft Town Plan:
GIS efforts and meeting coordination can be done by WRC, Chuck can do what WRC
had been doing (Stevens, Kissel)
Planning Comm can get to 80-90% - then have input
Energy – needs new knowledge included (Kissel)
Telecommunications
Chapter to Chuck: Economy
send to Commissioners - Sept revisions from R. James
Roads and Transportation – may be regulatory changes
drainage upgraded
Mail
WRC – WR Plan – adopted
Town has option to veto (majority of town legislative bodies in County)
Hughes Real Estate: Thank you for Economy Study
New Business
Shoreland Protection Act – impacts town in region (not Grafton)
impoundment of water behind dam (10acres+) a shoreline –
250’ of high water mark
affecting rivers with dams
Old Business
Rockingham Conservation Commission: brook naming
Houghtonville or Fisher Hill brooks.
L. Kissel, J. Miller
(Kissel) Houghtonville – have more names and Jim Wilson still working on more
information
Bring to meetings and present – no deadline noted
Have been using WRC Map and map sent by RCC
Process for public input – topo map with names PC has found
Dam on border of Iva Fisher’s property – site of factory – now waterfall
snowmobile map (Fisher)
ask for fresh map from WRC – larger
Adjournment
MSP 9:02 PM
Eric,
I have quickly reviewed the document. Comment: I and others have found on certain sites the
ANR Atlas SFHA overlay is not the same as the FIRM. Provided the FIRM is the controlling
document I have no issue.
The document mentions amendments and the process. We need to have the FIRMs for Grafton
majorly amended. This is a project that the NFIP alone would have the dollars for. It seems to
me that amendments of the FIRMs upstream and downstream of the all the culverts and
bridges we replaced after Irene should be amended. Because the Town followed H&H
requirements in replacement after TS Irene there will be less impounding above and more flow
below each of these than the calculations made prior to TS Irene showed. As I recall this would
include the areas above and below the 3 replaced Hinkley Brook culverts (above 300 Hinkley
Brook Rd., at Middletown Rd. and at Rte 121 West), Taylor Bridge off Rte 121 West, the culvert
on Eastman Road, the Bridge on Richards Rd., and possibly Howland Mills Bridge, as I think
Grafton changed the width of the opening when it repaired the near side abutment. Those, as I
recall, are the major changes. We also upgraded culverts all over town, going, for instance,
from 18” to 2 ft, or 2 ft to 3 ft, etc. and, if remapping were done these should be included, but
this would be a huge, expensive undertaking.
Bill
The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has released a draft of the
Flood Hazard Area and River Corridor Protection Procedures for public comment. This draft
Procedure (attached) explains how the DEC will use the “no adverse impact” standards set for
state facilities and utilities to provide technical assistance and regulatory recommendations to
municipalities, Act 250, and other regulatory agencies. The Procedure also explains how
delineations are made, how maps are amended, how waivers are used to encourage land use
planning, and how best practices may be used. The Public Transmittal of FHARCPP Procedure
(attached) provides a more in depth overview of the Procedure.
The deadline for comment is November 3. Submissions may be sent to
ANR.WSMDRivers@state.vt.us or DEC Rivers Program, Watershed Management Division, 1
National Life Drive, Main 2, Montpelier, VT 05620-3522. We ask that you please cc the WRC
on any comments that you submit to ANR.