Planning Board Minutes
DATE:
September 3, 2014
Members Present: David Killian, John Field, and Sheila McCarthy, Not
Present-Pam Marquis and Jenna Elmore
Convened: 7:10pm
REVIEW OF MINUTES:
Review August minutes- Add 7:20pm for the time
that Jenna and Pam left. Dave motions to accept the minutes as amended. John
Seconded, all in Favor and none opposed.
PAYROLL:
Reviewed and sign Payroll for Board Members and Clerk-
Payroll was signed by members present for first quarter payroll. The clerk’s
payroll was discussed as the Board of Selectman wants the payroll filled out for an
hourly rate.
Other ANR/Site Plan reviewOLD BUSINESS:
Site Plan for Solar Project on Apple Road. Review the
comments, concerns and suggestions of the other Town Boards that we have
received.
Conservation CommissionHighway DepartmentFire Department-
Discuss Engineer for Planning BoardBertin Engineering- suggest that we consider NE Environmental, as they are
currently reviewing on behalf of Conservation. Can we piggy back with them and
instead of doing it twice? Dave and John state that decommissioning is a concern,
Planning Board is also more concerned with safety and not just environment
issues. Our requirements will be focused on safety and decommissioning. Tighe
and Bond, is a big outfit. Need to generate a request for proposal to companies.
Graves Engineering, reviews a lot of projects, they do decommissioning (Charlton
and Oxford). Reviewed 5 of Bertin Engineering. He thinks Tighe and Bond is
pricey. Dave suggests we send out a request for proposal to the following
companies: New England Environmental, Tighe and Bond, GPI, Graves
Engineering, Pioneer Environmental, Vanasse Hangan Brustlin, Inc. The proposal
should include the following:
-Safety
- Neighborhood impact and protection
- Plantings and screen
-decommissioning of facility and bonding
Dave, is questioning if the Zoning Board of Appeals, needs to be a party to the
decision.
Schedule a hearing, and find out if ZBA is requiring their own hearing.
Commercial operation in a residential district, the building inspector is the zoning
officer, if it is a zoning issue we need to get ZBA involved. Siting Solar Power, if
your zoning bylaws do not say you can’t have a solar farm, then you can. The
Clerk will call the following publications: Southbridge Evening news and Telegram
Gazette to get price to run the public hearing information and find out which
publication is circulated most through the town.
Schedule the Public Hearing for 7:30pm on October 7, 2014. Moving the meeting
and hearing to the 7th. May have to have a meeting to review proposal and get
the check from Bertin Engineering, prior to the Public Hearing. The Planning
Board may need to have a meeting to review the proposals. Bertin already
opened a dialect with the abutters at the conservation Public Hearing. A lot of
issues seemed planning related. Abutters seemed concerned. Judy asked if we
can put out letters to the owners of the land, as soon as possible. The Board said
that we will get the notices out in the timeframe required, by letter and in the
newspaper. Bertin Engineering, asked if the clerk could forward all
letters/comments from other boards to Lesley. The solar project consists of a .66
megawatts dc, which is about 6 acres in the middle of a 39 acre parcel.
NEW BUSINESS:
2015 Bylaw Changes for October Meeting
-Table of Contents
-Both Solar and Wind Bylaws- only a page or two.
Dave motions to adjourn: 7:58pm.
Dave Seconded.