Planning Board Meeting

*Please see section on Public Input, Zoom
Instructions, and Other Information
at the end of this agenda

DURHAM PLANNING BOARD
Wednesday, May 13, 2020
Town Council Chambers, Durham Town Hall
7:00 p.m.
AGENDA
*Please see the notes at the end*

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):  March 11, 2020

VIII.     Public Hearing - Durham Business Park – Zoning Amendment.  Proposal to change density standard for Durham Business Park Zoning District from 35,000 square feet of land per dwelling unit to 20,000 square feet.  This zone includes three parcels of land.  Recommended by Christine Soutter, Durham Economic Development Director.  Recommended action:  Initiate amendment

IX.       Public Hearing - 253 Durham Point Road – Solar Array.  Conditional use for freestanding solar array serving a single family house located in the Wetland Conservation Overlay District.  Bonnie Brown and Arthur Butt, property owners.  Erik Pickhardt, Go Solar, contractor.  Map 12, Lot 15.  Residence Coastal District.  Recommended action:  Final action

X.        Public Hearing - Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity.  18 Garrison Avenue (formerly UNH’s Elizabeth DeMeritt House).  Site plan and conditional use application to establish fraternity, expand building, and further develop the site including additional parking.  Richmond Property Group, c/o Sarah Layton, owner.  Bruce Scamman, Emanuel Engineering.  Isaac Schlosser, Krittenbrink Architecture. Map 2, Lot 12-12.  Central Business District.  Recommended action:   Final action or continue to May 27.

XI.       Public Hearing - Mill Plaza Redevelopment. 7 Mill Road.  Discussion about fiscal impact study prepared by Mark Fougere, consultant.  Continued review of application for site plan and conditional use for mixed use redevelopment project and activity within the wetland and shoreland overlay districts.  Colonial Durham Associates, property owner. Sean McCauley, agent. Joe Persechino, Tighe & Bond, engineer. Ari Pollack, attorney.  (Rick Taintor is serving as the Town’s Contract Planner.)  Central Business District.  Map 5, Lot 1-1.  Recommended action:   Review and continue public hearing.

XII.      Public Hearing - 74 Main Street – Mixed-Use Building.  Design review site plan application for new 31,000 square foot five-story mixed use building (at corner of Main Street and Pettee Brook Lane).  Douglas Clark, c/o Clark Properties, LLC, owner.  Zachary Smith, c/o Bergmeyer, architect.   Map 2, Lot 14-1.  Central Business District.  Recommended action.  Provide comments and close design review.

XIII.     Subdivision off Gerrish Drive.  Parcel at 91 Bagdad Road (address).  Preliminary design review application for conservation subdivision for houses on 16-acre lot off Gerrish Drive.  Marti and Michael Mulhern, property owners.  Mike Sievert, engineer.  Robbi Woodburn, Landscape Architect.  Map 10, Lot 8-6.  Residence B District.  Recommended action:   Schedule site walk and set public hearing for May 27.

XIV.    Other Business

XV.    Review of Minutes (new):  April 15, 2020

XVI.   Adjournment

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This meeting of the Planning Board is a hybrid meeting.  Several board members will be physically present in Council Chambers and the other board members will participate live via Zoom teleconference.

*PUBLIC INPUT

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

1)   Email.  Send an email or letter to Michael Behrendt, Town Planner, at mbehrendt@ci.durham.nh.us.  See 2) Submission of Information under OTHER INFORMATION, below.

2)   Zoom.  Participate in the meeting via Zoom.  See the instructions below.

3)   Speaking at the meeting itself.   Members of the public are encouraged to send an email or participate via Zoom rather than attending in person, but at this time it is still acceptable to attend the meeting provided that all proper health precautions are taken.  There may be no more than 10 people in Council Chambers at any time and social distance must be maintained.

*ZOOM – INSTRUCTIONS FOR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

To Participate by Audio

AUDIO ONLY CALL-IN INSTRUCTIONS: In order to access any live Zoom Public Meeting by telephone, you may call: 1-929-436-2866 then type in the Meeting ID.  All Zoom Meeting ID's and Passwords are posted on the homepage of the Town website at www.ci.durham.nh.us under “Latest News” on the left side.

To Participate by Video

Video only instructions:  In order to access any LIVE Zoom Public Meeting.  All Zoom Meeting ID's and Passwords are posted on the homepage of the Town website at www.ci.durham.nh.us under “Latest News” on the left side.

Go to: Zoom.us
Click: Join A Meeting
Enter Meeting ID#
Enter Meeting Password#                                                                                                            

IMPORTANT!

1.    Please be sure your full name is viewable, and you are identifiable when using Zoom.

2.    You will be muted until the Public portion of the meeting opens.

3.    If you are watching on Channel 22 or DCAT LiveStream, be sure to mute when using Zoom.

Please remember that these are LIVE meetings and you will be muted when you enter the room.  You will not be able to communicate directly with anyone at the meeting at this time.

If you should have difficulty accessing this number at 7:00 PM, you can send us an email to dcat@ci.durham.nh.us or by calling 603-590-1383. 

PUBLIC INPUT INSTRUCTIONS: Due to the ongoing situation with COVID-19, the Town of Durham will be taking extra steps to allow for public input during public meetings while still ensuring participant safety and social distancing. Per Executive Order by Governor Sununu, scheduled gatherings of 10 or more people will be prohibited.

For Zoom Meeting ID's and Passwords go to the homepage of the Town website at www.ci.durham.nh.us under “Latest News” on the left side.

*OTHER INFORMATION

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

2)         Submission of information.  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; 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 http://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 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 communication aids are needed.

8)         Next meeting.  The next regular Planning Board meeting will be on May 27, 2020.