Planning Board Minutes - 2024-06-05

Town Of Durham Planning Board Minutes Fire Station Meeting Room, 6:30 pm June 5, 2024

1. Roll Call & Determination of a Quorum

In attendance: John Talbot (Chair), Juliet Caplinger (Vice Chair), Allan Purinton, Brian Lanoie, Marc Derr and George Thebarge (Town Planner).

Absent (excused): Tyler Hutchison and Anne Torregrossa

Guest(s): Jonthan Lobozzo and Charles Burnham

2. Set Date of the July Planning Board Meeting

Due to the July 4th Holiday week, the Board will meet on Wednesday, July 10, 2024 at 6:30pm.

3. Amendments to the Agenda: None

4. Acceptance of the Minutes of prior meeting(s) April 24, 2024 and May 1, 2024

John Talbot moved to accept the April 24, 2024 meeting minutes with the correction to page 14 to read “these approval conditions as amended” instead of to grant preliminary approval subject to these draft amendments as amended. Juliet Caplinger seconded; motion carried 5 – 0.

John Talbot made a new motion on the April 24, 2024 meeting minutes under section 6c – add “at the property line” next to the 55 DBA statement. Allan Purinton seconded; motion carried 5 – 0.

Allan Purinton moved to accept the May 1, 2024 meeting minutes as presented. Brian Lanoie seconded; motion carried 5 – 0.

5. Informational Exchange on Non-Agenda Items:

a) Town officials (George Thebarge, Town Planner)

• The Selectboard met on May 7th to discuss prioritization of projects.

• The Selectboard met on May 28th with the Town Planner and the Planning Director from the Greater Portland Council of Governments (GPCOG) to kick off the community facilities visioning process – idea of a Steering Committee, made up of members of the Fire Department, Eureka Center, Town Offices, Planning Board, Budget Committee, neighbors, etc.

• Codification Contract was approved – Should have it ready by April 2025 for Town Meeting.

b) Residents: None

c) Non-Residents: None

6. New Business:

a.) Sketch Plan Review for Proposed Phase 2 of Bowie Hill Subdivsion, Map 10, Lot 38

• Site Plan Scheduled for June 19, 2024 at 6pm

• After the applicant submits the Preliminary Plan, the Board will vote on whether or not it’s complete and do a deliberation on the preliminary plan.

• A Public Hearing will be held on July 10, 2024 Planning Board meeting.

Jonathan Lobozzo – Representing Bowie Hill Development LLC

• Submitted Sketch Plan for review

• The applicants are looking to extend Bowie Hill Subdivision, which is currently is an 11 lot subdivision – looking to extend the road approximately 1500 feet, to add 13 more lots

• Zero Wetland Impacts

• Plan A is to build a fire pond and remove the need for sprinkler systems

b.) Planning Board Discussion of Land Use Policy Issues for Next Town Meeting

• At the May meeting, the Planning Board reviewed the potential projects coming out of the joint leaders’ policy workshop held in early May.

• The Planning Board provided the Select Board with its views on the relative priorities for the potential projects.

• On May 14, the Select Board considered the input provided by the Planning Board and other boards and commissions and came up with its goals for policy projects for the coming year leading up to Town Meeting in 2025:

Planning Board

o   Resource Protection Map Update
o   Battery Energy Storage Systems
o   (Development Projects Permit Reviews)

Conservation Commission

o   Resource Protection Map Update
    Open Space Plan (if grant money is obtained)
o   Solar Energy Systems Part 2 (If no funding for Open Space Plan, coordinate with
    Agriculture Group)

Historic District Commission

o   Name Change
o   Land Use Ordinance Provisions Overhaul
o   (Develop Budget for Historic Buildings Survey)

Agricultural Working Group or Commission

o   Establishment of Official Town-Appointed Body

Durham Planning Board Meeting Minutes – June 5, 2024                                            Page 2

o   Land Use Ordinance Provisions Review (with Maine Farmland Trust assistance)

Other Projects:

o   Digital Code (Town Planner Coordination)
o   Community Facilities Vision Plan (GPCOG with Town Planner Coordination)

• The Select Board has requested that the Planning Board and Conservation Commission jointly address the needed update of the Resource Protection District boundaries based on new data provided to the Town by Beginning with Habitat.

• The Planning Board should discuss whether this coordination can be best accomplished by conducting joint meetings or creating a subcommittee of the two groups to work on the project.

• The Town Planner’s ability to manage this workload will be greatly enhanced or diminished by the level of cooperation (or lack thereof) of the various groups and the ability of the elected and appointed officials to reach consensus and stay on track with the adopted program. It will be equally affected by the level of development applications submitted for Planning Board processing and the nature of those applications.

• The Select Board has scheduled a workshop with the Historic District Commission to review and clarify the respective roles and responsibilities of the Code Officer, Historic District Commission, and Planning Board in the Town’s historic preservation Ordinance provisions.

• The Planning Board Chair met with Michael Friendly, member of the Conservation Commission to discuss resource protection and guidance on the issues with resource protection (map has changed, therefore changes to the ordinance to reflect the new maps would be necessary).

• The Board chose Allan Purinton and Juliet Caplinger to lead the task force on Resource Protection and they will meet with members of the Conservation Commission.

The Board will meet on Wednesday, July 24th for a workshop

7. Adjourn:

Allan Purinton motioned to adjourn the meeting. Marc Derr seconded; motion carried 5 – 0. Meeting adjourned at 8:10 pm.

Durham Planning Board Meeting Minutes – June 5, 2024                                              Page 3