Planning Board Meeting

DURHAM PLANNING BOARD

Wednesday, September 13, 2023

Town Council Chambers, Durham Town Hall

7:00 p.m.

AGENDA

I.          Call to Order

II.         Roll Call and Seating of Alternates

III.        Approval of Agenda

IV.       Town Planner’s Report

V.        Reports from Board Members who serve on Other Committees

VI.       Public Comments

VII.      Review of Minutes (old):  

VIII.     Technology Drive – WCOD Conditional Use.  121 Technology Drive.  Conditional use for new gas line in the Wetland Conservation Overlay District (WCOD) to serve existing office, research, and light industrial building.  R. J. Kelly/121 Technology LLC, property owner.  Christal Ripley, Unitil, applicant.  Stephen Herzog, VHB, engineer.  Map 204, Lot 2.  Office Research Light Industry District.  Recommended action:  Discuss and set public hearing date.

IX.       Public Hearings – Amendments about Procedures. 

1. Site Plan Regulations - Section 1.6.1 and Subdivision Regulations - Section 5.05A.  Amendments to provide for notices to be sent by verified mail rather than certified mail.
2. Site Plan Regulations - Section 1.6.2 and Subdivision Regulations - Section 5.05B.  Amendments to provide for notices to be posted on the Town website rather than in a local newspaper.
3. Planning Board Rules of Procedure - Section 5.5b).  Amendment to provide that the Town Planner sets the date for public hearings for site plan and subdivision applications.

Recommended action:  Adoption of amendments

X.        Capital Improvements Program.  Review of proposed Capital Improvements Program (CIP) with Todd Selig, Town Administrator, and Gail Jablonski, Business Manager.  Recommended action:  Offer nonbinding comments and recommendations.

XI.       Review of Definitions in Zoning Ordinance.  Review of the Zoning Ordinance as part of the zoning rewrite.  Recommended action:  Continued review.

XII.      Other Business

XIII.     Review of Minutes (new):  August 23, 2023

XIV.    Adjournment

*ZOOM ACCESS

The Town of Durham offers access to meetings with Zoom and Durham Cable Access Television (DCAT) as a convenience to the public. Zoom is generally reliable for watching meetings and offering comments when permitted.  However, due to a variety of factors outside of our control, occasionally access on Zoom does not work properly.  We cannot guarantee that Zoom will always be available seamlessly and suggest that people who want to ensure being able to watch and participate attend the meeting in person.

To access any LIVE Zoom Public Meeting, you must be Registered.  This link will take you to the registration page for all public meetings: https://www.ci.durham.nh.us/boc_dcatgovernance/zoom-video-meeting-schedule

If you have difficulty logging in, contact DCAT: 603-590-1383.

*PUBLIC INPUT

Members of the public may provide input to the Planning Board in one of three ways:

1. Email.  Send an email to Michael Behrendt, Town Planner, at mbehrendt@ci.durham.nh.us.  See 2) Submission of Comments under OTHER INFORMATION, below.    
2. Zoom.  Participate in the meeting via Zoom.  See the instructions below.
3. Speaking at the meeting itself.                                                                                                      

*OTHER INFORMATION

1)      Public hearings and public comments.  The public is welcome to speak at all public hearings and during Public Comments time.  Comments on all matters, except those for which a public hearing is on the agenda, should be made during Public Comments time (including comments on agenda items this evening).  The public may speak and submit written/email comments on any subject except for active matters where the public hearing has been closed.   

2)      Submission of comments in writing.  Emails and letters should be sent to Michael Behrendt, Town Planner, at mbehrendt@ci.durham.nh.us or at the address above. Correspondence that pertains to current Planning Board matters, except where the public hearing has been closed, will be: a) emailed to the Planning Board; b) mailed to the board members if received by the Thursday prior to the meeting or distributed to members at the meeting if received later; and c) posted on the Town’s website.   

Any email, letter, document, or other information that is pertinent to a decision which the Planning Board is expected to make at the upcoming Wednesday meeting, must be received in the Planning Office by the prior Monday at 5:00 p.m. or the board will consider the submitted material only at its discretion (This limitation does not apply to comments made at the actual public hearing).

3)      Other information.  Files on the agenda items above are available for review on the Town website https://www.ci.durham.nh.us/.  Agendas marked as “Preliminary Agenda,” are subject to change.  The final agenda will be posted on the Town’s website on the Friday prior to the meeting at. To see background documents related to specific agenda items, see the agenda on the website and click on any green highlighted items.

4)      Contacting us.  Contact the Planning Department with questions or comments about any planning-related matters.  Call (603) 868-8064 or email Michael Behrendt, above, or Tracey Cutler, Administrative Assistant, at tcutler@ci.durham.nh.us

5)      Recommended actions.   Actions recommended by the staff are shown at the end of most items.  The Planning Board may or may not take these actions and may take other actions not stated.

6)      New items of business.  Unless approved by a 2/3 vote of members present, no new item of business shown on the agenda will be taken up after 10:00 p.m.

7)      Communication aids.  Please provide the Town 48-hours notice if communication aids are needed.

8)      Next meeting.  The next regular board meeting will be on September 27, 2023.