Planning Board Meeting

DURHAM PLANNING BOARD
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
Town Council Chambers
7:00 p.m.
AGENDA
*Please see the notes at the end*

I.         Call to Order

II.        Roll Call

III.       Seating of Alternates

IV.       Approval of Agenda

V.        Town Planner’s Report

VI.       Reports from Board Members who serve on Other Committees

VII.      Public Comments

VIII.     Review of Minutes (old): 

IX.       Selection of a new secretary for the Planning Board

X.        Public Hearing - 6 Ellison Lane – Conditional Use.  Conditional use for construction of a driveway and water and electric utilities for a new single family house within the Wetland Conservation Overlay District.  Russell Couture Revocable Trust, property owner. David Newhall, prospective lot buyer.  Joseph Nichols, Project Manager, Beals Associates, engineer.  Rural District.  Map 18, Lot 18-38.  Recommended action:  Final action.

XI.      2 Brook Way – Conversion to Sorority.  Conceptual Review (preliminary application) for conversion of an existing multi-unit dwelling with 24 beds to sorority with 32+ beds.  Site plan for change of use and conditional use/adaptive reuse for sorority.  Paul Berton, Fall Line Properties, LLC, property owner.  Sandy Grossman, representative of Phi Sigma Sigma. Chris Wyskiel, attorney. Professional Office District.  Map 2, Lot 9-4.  Recommended action:  Discuss and close conceptual review.

XII.    Public Hearing - Mill Plaza Redevelopment – 7 Mill Road.  Design Review (preliminary application).  Updated design for site plan and conditional use for the redevelopment of this 10-acre site.  The project involves demolition of the rear commercial building; construction of 2 new mixed-use buildings, 1 with commercial on ground level and 3 floors of residential and 1 with commercial on ground level and 4 floors of residential; construction of 1 retail outbuilding;  370 parking spaces, including 42 garage spaces; a total of 80,000 square feet of commercial;  residential space for 330 occupants; new public spaces; and other site changes. Colonial Durham Associates, LP, property owner; Sean McCauley, agent; Joe Persechino, Tighe & Bond, engineer; Steve Cecil and Emily Innes, The Cecil Group, site planner; Lisa DeStefano, DeStefano Architects, architect.  Central Business District.  Map 5, Lot 1-1.  Recommended action:  Discuss and continue design review and public hearing.

XIII.   Zoning Amendments – Elderly and Multi-Unit.  Consideration of Town Council-initiated zoning amendments.  Recommended action:  Set public hearing for both amendments on November 9.

         A.  Mixed Use with Residential.  Change Mixed Use with Residential (office/retail down, multiunit residential up) from conditional use to not permitted in the Central Business District.

         B.  Mixed Use with Elderly Housing.  Add a new definition for Mixed Use with Elderly Housing (office/retail down, elderly housing up), allow as a conditional use in the Central Business District, and add references to this use in Section 175-41 Central Business District and Section 175-53 B. General Use Regulations.

XIV.  Determination of dates for 2017 calendar of Planning Board meetings.  Recommended action:  Approve calendar

XV.   Zoning Ordinance – General Amendments.  Numerous miscellaneous amendments are being proposed to the Zoning Ordinance based upon earlier discussions by the Planning Board, issues that have been raised in recent years, and a review of the ordinance by the Town Planner.  Recommended action:  Continue discussion.

XVI.    Other Business

XVII.  Review of Minutes (new):  August 24, 2016

XVIII. Adjournment                                                                                                                       

Please note:

1)        Public hearings and public comments.  The public is welcome to speak at all public hearings and during the Public Comments time. However, the Planning Board will not accept comments on agenda items that are not public hearings (except at its discretion on a case-by-case basis) nor on matters for which the public hearing has been closed.  Written or emailed comments should be sent to Michael Behrendt, Town Planner, at mbehrendt@ci.durham.nh.us or at the address above.

2)            Submission of information.  Emails and letters received from the public that pertain to current Planning Board matters (except when the public hearing has been closed) are: a) emailed to the Planning Board; b) mailed to the board members if received by the Thursday prior to the meeting, or placed on the table the evening of 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 items above are available for review in the Planning Office from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.  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 - http://www.ci.durham.nh.us/. To see background documents related to specific agenda items, look at the agenda on the website and then 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 Karen Edwards, Administrative Assistant, at kedwards@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 the 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 special communication aids are needed.

8)            Next meeting.  The next regular Planning Board meeting will be on November 9, 2016.