Planning Commission Minutes 01/14/20
PLANNING COMMISSION – MEETING MINUTES TUESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2020
SIMSBURY TOWN OFFICES – MAIN MEETING ROOM – 7:00 p.m.
933 HOPMEADOW STREET, SIMSBURY, CONNECTICUT
I. CALL TO ORDER - Chairman William Rice called the meeting to order at 7:03 P.M.
1. Pledge of Allegiance
II. ROLL CALL
1. Appointment of Alternates- Julie Eaton to sit for Craig MacCormack
Present: William Rice, Holly Beum, David Blume, Erin Leavitt-Smith, Alan Needham, Richard Cortes, Julie Eaton, Sean Fernand Glenn
Absent: Craig MacCormac
Staff Present: Michael Glidden, Director of Planning and Community Development Chairman Rice introduced and welcomed new Commissioner Sean Fernand Glenn.
III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES of the December 10, 2019 regular meeting-
MOTION: At 7:08 P.M., Erin Leavitt-Smith made a motion to approve the December 10, 2019 regular meeting minutes with the following amendments:
line 21 - correct Mr. to Ms.
line 45 - Correct spelling of Mr. Cortes
lines 79 & 80 - Reword to read “Mr. Needham noted that the Commission is constituted under the state statutes, and that the issue being discussed is not one of the Commission’s charges.”
Mr. Blume seconded the motion and the motion passed unanimously.
IV. NEW BUSINESS
1. Receipt of New Applications - None
2. Referrals - None
V. GENERAL COMMISSION BUSINESS
1. Correspondence - None
2. Plan of Conservation and Development Discussion Potential 2020 Update
Chairman Rice explained why the POCD is updated and the timeline of updating it, he encouraged alternates to participate in the discussion. The Commission discussed many topics and themes that they felt should be included in updating the POCD. A bullet list was compiled. Concept topics discussed were as follows:
● Sustainability - Integrating Concepts into Zoning Regulations, POCD, etc.
● Open Space
o Pollinator Paths & Management of Invasive Species
● Low Impact Development
o Incorporate into various land use regulations
● Parking Management
● Affordable Housing
● Dark Skies
● Economic Development
○ review and refine definition of “net fiscal impact”
● Review Tax Abatement
● Cost of Doing Business
○ develop recommendations that may help ease the process of help simplify
● Sense of Place
○ Define the community rural vs. suburban vs. semi-rural
○ Strengthen recommendations
○ Review impact of development’s scale and how community character is effected
● Open Space Policy
○ Possible change in policy from procurement to preservation
● Regionalization of services
○ Look at economic scale for shared services
● Infrastructure
● Recommendations that promote the expansion or improvement of Telecommunication service or fiber optics in Simsbury
Mr. Glidden to email the Commission the Open Spaces Preliminary Plan 2020 and the list compiled at this meeting of Plan of Conservation Development 2020 concepts.
Chairman Rice requests the Commission review, prioritize what they feel is most important, and bring list of priorities to next meeting for discussion.
VI. ADJOURNMENT
MOTION: At 8:22 P.M., Ms. Beum made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Mr. Blume seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.