Town of Warner – Planning Board and Master Plan Committee

Work Session Minutes

Monday, September 21, 2009     7:00 PM

Warner Town Hall , Lower Level

Members Present:      Barbara Annis, Paul Violette, Rick Davies, Ed Mical, David Hartman, Dan Watts

Members Excused:      None

Members Absent:       Hank Duhamel

Alternates Present:    Harold French

Alternates Excused:   None

Alternates Absent:     Peter Wyman

Presiding:                    Barbara Annis

Recording:                   Jean Lightfoot

Master Plan Committee Members Absent:  Jim McLaughlin, Hank Duhamel, Ted Young

Also in attendance:  Town of Warner Budget Committee and Board of Selectmen; and Vanessa Bittermann from Central NH Regional Planning Commission

Open Meeting at 7:00 PM

Roll Call  

Ms. Annis opened the meeting at 7:06 p.m.   The roll call was taken for the Planning Board and the Master Plan Committee.   

1.  CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM REPORT  

Ms. Annis recognized Mr. Mical and asked him to present the Capital Improvements Program Report to the Budget Committee and the Board of Selectmen.  Mr. Mical showed a PowerPoint presentation of the Capital Improvements Program report as approved by the Planning Board on September 14, 2009 .  There were short discussions about the Town Hall improvements, the Fire Station, the Water District and the Capital Reserve Amounts on hand.  The Budget Committee Chair, Marc Violette, thanked the Planning Board for their work and the Budget Committee and other observers departed.   

2.  MASTER PLAN COMMITTEE  

Ms. Annis recognized Paul Violette who asked Vanessa Bittermann from the Central NH Regional Planning Commission to present her work on workforce housing, including the regulatory audit.  Ms. Bittermann presented the following summary of the audit:  

Warner Workforce Housing Regulatory Audit Summary

September 21, 2009

Central NH Regional Planning Commission

Purpose:

         To identify aspects of Warner’s regulatory framework that may conflict with the Workforce Housing Law, either individually or collectively.  This regulatory audit constitutes the “facial test” called for in the Workforce Housing Law.  

Documents Examined

         1.  Zoning Ordinance

         2.  Subdivision Regulations

         3.  Site Pl an Regulations

         4.  Master Plan (Existing – 1999)

         5.  Building Code  

Major Findings:  

         1.      Need to redefine “multi-family housing” to allow at least 5 dwelling units per building.  Current zoning limits it to 4 units.  

         2.      Zoning Ordinance and Building Code have conflicting minimum floor area requirements for dwellings (500 sf in Building Code vs. 320 sf for manufactured housing in Zoning).  Need to make these consistent.  

         3.      Collective impact of frontage, lot size, setbacks, road standards, landscaping requirements, and application fees may inhibit workforce housing development.  Recommend using incentives via a Workforce Housing Overlay or Inclusionary Zoning ordinance to comply with the law.  

         4.      Accessory dwelling units are not currently allowed expressly in Warner’s zoning ordinance.  Recommend permitting them as a possible workforce housing type.  

         5.      Clarify difference between mobile and modular manufactured homes in Zoning Ordinance.  Consider allowing modular homes throughout all residential zones.  Consider reducing the minimum tract size for mobile home parks/subdivisions to less than the current 10 acres in proportion to the number of dwelling units constructed.  

         6.      New multi-family dwellings are currently permitted by right only in Zone R-2.  Consider allowing them by right in R-1, where public water and sewer exist, and reducing the minimum lot size for workforce housing developments.  

         7.      Updated Master Plan should include a discussion of workforce housing with definitions consistent with the new law.  The section should identify desired areas for future workforce housing development and incorporate a discussion of incentives offered through the planning process to provide reasonable and realistic opportunities for development.  

         8.      Subdivision and Site Pl an Regulations should be updated if a Workforce Housing Overlay/Ordinance is adopted, in order to be consistent.  This should be included in standards sections or in the waiver sections to specify that workforce housing developments are eligible for relaxed standards or waivers.  

There was some discussion on these items.  Ms. Bittermann recommended using incentives to comply with the law.  Ms. Annis suggested proposing the minimum necessary for this year and then doing more research and consideration for fleshing out the minimum proposal.  A discussion followed.  Ms. Bittermann said that the State is leaving it to the courts to decide how to interpret the law.  She added that it is in the Town’s interest to do something now.  After some further discussion, it was agreed to use the Draft ordinance of 9/2/09 prepared by Mr. Davies and commented on by the CNHRPC staff as a working document.   

There was also a discussion of the initial overlay draft map prepared by Mr. Davies and it was generally agreed to remove the C-1 areas from the draft workforce overlay district.  Ms. Bittermann said she would prepare a new map with various overlay possibilities and send to the Board members.   

This concluded the discussion and Ms. Bittermann departed at 9:45 p.m.  

3.  RULES OF PROCEDURE PROPOSED CHANGES  

The members reviewed and read the following current proposed changes which had been discussed at the last meeting:  

Add as paragraph 3 under OFFICERS A.:  

In the absence or unavailability of the Chair and Vice Chair, the members present shall select a Full Member to exercise the duties of the Chair.   

Include after the Officers section as follows:  

COMMITTEES  

The first regular meeting held in April or as soon as deemed appropriate by the Board will be the organizational meeting during which standing committees are appointed, representatives to particular organizations elected and the Planning Board goals and objectives are established for the coming year.  

Add paragraph H. to the MEETINGS section as follows:  

H.   The use of electronics shall be for Planning Board purposes only.   

Add the following Item G. under MEMBERS.   

G.   All members, including alternates, are required to attend all meetings of the Board.  More than three (3) unexcused absences in a twelve-month period may be cause for review of that individual’s ability to perform the duties assigned.  

There were no additional changes or del etions proposed.  It was agreed that these will be read one more time and voted on at the next regular meeting of the Planning Board on October 5, 2009 .  

4.  COMMUNICATIONS AND MISCELLANEOUS  

Mr. Davies asked about how to consider the various Zoning Ordinance proposals that have been studied this year.  It was agreed that he will prepare a list of the items for each member to rank in importance for adding to this year’s ballot for consideration at the next meeting on October 5, 2009 .  He will first e-mail the list to Ms. Annis and Mr. Violette for their comments and then it will be e-mailed to the entire Board.  There was also a short discussion about how to present the warrant articles on the ballot with a general agreement that it will need to be shorter than last year.  

There was no furth er business.  

Mr. Watts MOVED to adjourn.  Mr. Davies seconded.  The motion was PASSED unanimously.  The meeting was adjourned at 9:55 p.m.