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10/12/2021 Planning Commission Minutes

Meeting date: 
Tuesday, October 12, 2021

PLANNING COMMISSION-MEETING MINUTES

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2021

The public hearing was web-based on Zoom at https://zoom.us/j/2574297243

Meeting ID: 257 429 7243

 

  1. CALL TO ORDER - Chairman Rice called the meeting to order at 7:04pm.

 

  1. ROLL CALL

 

  1. Appointment of Alternates: N/A

 

Present: Laura Barkowski, William Rice, Holly Beum, Craig MacCormac, Julie Eaton, Erin Leavitt-Smith

 

Absent: Richard Cortes, Dave Blume

 

Chairman Rice promoted Ms. Eaton to a regular member without objection making a quorum of 5 commissioners. 

 

  1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES of the TUESDAY September 28th, 2021 regular meetings

 

  • Chairman Rice led the review of the September 28th, 2021 regular meeting minutes. The commission found no revisions were needed. 

 

  • Chairman Rice requested a motion to accept the meeting minutes as submitted. Mr. MacCormac made a motion to accept the minutes. Ms. Leavitt-Smith seconded the motion.

 

Motion: All in favor, no opposed, no abstentions (5-0-0)

 

  1. PUBLIC HEARING
  1. Application

 

  • None

 

 

  1. NEW BUSINESS
  1. Application

 

  • None

 

  1. Referrals

 

  • Referral from Zoning Commission concerning text amendments/changes to the zoning regulations regarding cannabis establishment’s moratorium.

 

  • Chairman Rice read the zoning application aloud to the Commission. Laura Barkowski provided further clarification regarding the application; the Zoning Commission wants to hold off on the recreational component of the regulations to further evaluate how recreational marijuana facilities would impact the community. The commission was in agreement that the moratorium would allow for more time to outline what regulations would be necessary for recreational facilities to operate in the town using the Plan Of Conservation and Development as the guiding document. Clarification was provided on the current regulations for liquor stores and how that could be used as a template for recreational marijuana facilities. Currently the zoning regulations for liquor stores encompass state licensure and are regulated by districts in which the town allows there operation which classifies as retail space. The importance of the moratorium was reaffirmed because the commission felt having more time to discern whether or not recreational marijuana facilities should be allowed to occupy that same threshold was necessary to consider the impacts on current and newfound enterprises. Section 9.1 of the POCD was cited stating that the commission should evaluate the potential effects to net tax revenue and the moratorium could provide the appropriate time to reach a conclusion. The timing of the moratorium in terms of moratorium length and the timing for the proposal were discussed. Members felt as though the moratorium should have been proposed earlier than the state statue because it could have been discussed more proactively. Laura cited the reasoning behind the one year term of the moratorium was to allow consideration from not only the Zoning Commission, but the Board of Selectmen as well.  The existing marijuana facilities in the town were referenced warning against potentially inequitable process for new or expanding recreational facilities within the town.

 

  • Chairman Rice motioned that the planning commission return a positive referral to the application citing no inconsistencies with the 2017 POCD however, the one year moratorium seemed excessive from the standpoint of economic development. Mr. MacCornmac made a motion to amend Chairman Rice’s motion with the inclusion of ‘with the recommendation of lifting the moratorium if all prior considerations are given prior to October 18th, 2022’. Ms. Beum seconded the motion.

 

 

MOTION: All in favor, no opposed, no abstentions (5-0-0)

 

  1. OLD BUSINESS
  1. Application
    • None

 

  • Plan of Conservation and Development Update Workshop

 

  • Ms. Beum made the commission aware of a few notable spots in the POCD where photographs of new developments could be added

 

  • Chairman Rice proposed that the commission would like to have an election of officers noticed on both 10/26 and 11/9 with the election on 11/23. Mr. MacCormac advised that waiting until the election cycle in November was completed before holding elections for commission officers. The election timing was discussed and the commission decided to wait until December to start the election process.

 

 

  1. ADJOURNMENT: Ms. Beum made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Ms. Eaton seconded the motion. The meeting adjourned at 7:47pm.

 

 

MOTION: All in favor, no opposed, no abstentions. (5-0-0)

 

 

Respectfully Submitted,

 

 

 

Joseph Hollis

Acting Commission Clerk