Planning: November 8, 2006

November 8, 2006

NELSON COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION
MEETING MINUTES
November 8, 2006
Continued Meeting

Present: Chair Philippa Proulx, Commissioners Linda Russell, Emily Hunt, Michael Harman, Dolores Truesdale

Absent: Supervisor Tommy Bruguiere

Staff Present: Planning Director Fred Boger and Secretary Betty Fortune

Call to Order: Chair Proulx reopened the continued meeting at 7:00 P. M. in the Board of Supervisors meeting room of the County Courthouse. The purpose of the meeting is to review the proposed zoning ordinance amendments.

Chair Proulx said that a letter has been prepared for the Board of Supervisors to review at their November 21 meeting which requests an extension from 60 days to 100 days for the Commission to review the proposed amendments, make recommendations, schedule a public hearing, etc., as discussed at the October 25 Planning Commission meeting.

Mr. Boger stated that the subdivision ordinance also needs to be amended. Division rights and State code changes are the major items to be considered.

Zoning Ordinance Amendments Reviewed:

Mr. Boger prepared a list of amendments that are required by the State or that have been suggested or approved by the Board of Supervisors. They are described briefly below:
1)   Added definitions for antique motor vehicle, horticulture, inoperative motor vehicle, motor vehicle, nursery, parcel, residue, subdivision, and vegetative rubbish recycling facility.
2)   Changed definitions for automobile graveyard, class A & B, dwelling, multiple-family apartment, and frontage.
3)   Added cluster housing development to zoning districts C-1 (Conservation district), R-1 (Residential district),
4)   Added to C-1 district lot area, lot size, and setback regulations.
5)   Added hotels, conference center, banquet hall, and vegetative rubbish recycling facility as uses by Conditional Use Permit in A-1 zoning district.
6)   Added corporate training facility as a use by Special Use Permit in A-1 zoning district.
7)   Added division rights and area regulations to A-1 zoning district.

No. of Acres
No. of lots allowed
0-5
2
>5-10
3
>10-15
4
>15-20
5
>20-25
6
>25-35
7
>35-45
8
>45-55
9
>55-65
10
>65-75
11
>75
Unlimited 20-acre lots
(> = greater than)

8)   Added minimum lot area and changed setback requirements for A-1 zoning district. Discussion was held regarding whether the new division rights chart in A-1 satisfies the new State clustering requirements. Mr. Boger will verify this. Further discussion focused on whether setback requirements in A-1 are too large to apply to family subdivisions. Mr. Boger will re-examine the entire setback numbers in A-1.
9)   Revised temporary events regulations in A-1 zoning district.
10)   Changed minimum lot area and added setback regulations to R-1 zoning district.
11)   Added single, two, and multi-family dwelling units and group homes as uses by Conditional Use Permit in B-1 zoning district.
12)   Added multi-family dwelling as use by Special Use Permit in SE-1 zoning district.
13)   Added vegetative rubbish recycling facility as a by right use in M-2 zoning district.
14)   Removed reference to posting of property (Article 12-13).
15)   Added to Article 14 (Board of Zoning Appeals) a Special Use Permit to erect an accessory building prior to the construction of the primary building on the same lot or parcel.

Chair Proulx initiated discussion on Article 13-5, Approval procedures, and asked that clarification be given on “date of application” as it applies to approval or disapproval of the site plan within sixty (60) days, i.e., is this the date the site plan is received in the office, the date of first review by the Planning Director and/or Site Plan Review Committee, the date of the Planning Commission meeting, etc.?

Commissioners discussed Mr. Carter’s letter of October 18, 2006 and the request by the Board of Supervisors to remove the requirement for the Board to review and approve preliminary and/or final subdivision plats, remove the requirement(s) for public hearings for approval of subdivision plats and site plans, and establishment of a provision enabling the BOS to have the discretion to review any and all subdivision plats that the Board wishes to consider.

Commissioner Russell suggested putting the Cluster Housing Development material into a new article and then referring to it when appropriate.

A public hearing date of January 16, 2007 (January 18 snow date) was set for proposed amendments to the zoning ordinance and subdivision ordinance.

Adjournment

At 9:10 P. M., Commissioners agreed by consensus to continue this meeting until November 15, 2006 at 7:30 P. M. in the Board of Supervisor meeting room, County courthouse.
Respectfully submitted,

Betty M. Fortune
Planning Secretary