Planning Board Minutes
Wellfleet Planning Board
Minutes of Meeting on Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Wellfleet Senior Center, 7:00 p.m.
Present: Janet Morrissey, R. Dennis O’Connell, Alfred Pickard, Janet Reinhart; Assistant Town Administrator/Planner Brian Carlson
Regrets: Gerald Parent, Andrew Freeman, Eric Larsen
Vice-Chair Jan Morrissey called the meeting to order at 7:02 p.m.
Minutes
O’Connell moved to approve the amended minutes of January 21, 2015. Reinhart seconded, and the motion carried 4-0.
Proposed Bylaw Changes for Town Meeting1
Town Counsel Elizabeth Lane had e-mailed her comments2 on the bylaws regarding Floodplain, Individual Storage Units and the definition of “Dwelling.”
Floodplain
The floodplain bylaw needed some renumbering but was otherwise ready to advance to the public hearing.
O’Connell moved to approve the draft Floodplain bylaw changes to be advertised for a public hearing for Warrant Articles to be presented at Annual Town Meeting 2015. Reinhart seconded, and the motion carried 4-0.
Individual Storage Units
Planning Board discussed Ms. Lane’s comments and changes for Individual Storage Units. They amended the bylaw based on their discussion and her suggestions.
Pickard moved to approve the draft Individual Storage Units definition to be advertised for a public hearing for Warrant Articles to be presented at Annual Town Meeting 2015. O’Connell seconded, and the motion carried 4-0.
Definition of Dwelling
The Board considered dropping the proposal to add a definition of “Dwelling” to the Zoning Bylaws.
Pickard moved to remove the draft definition of “Dwelling” from consideration at Annual Town Meeting 2015. O’Connell seconded, and the motion carried 4-0.
Home Occupations
PB members reviewed the Home Occupations and Service Trade Home Business (STHB) draft bylaw revisions and made corrections. The Board removed the provision for deliveries in Service Trade Home Business in the effort to mirror allowances in Home Occupations and in consideration of other language that restricts traffic. O’Connell said that Home Occupations and STHBs should hold a business licenses from the Town. The Board also discussed some grammatical choices in the bylaw.
O’Connell moved to approve the draft Home Occupations bylaws with the changes as made to be advertised for a public hearing for Warrant Articles to be presented at Annual Town Meeting 2015. Pickard seconded, and the motion carried 4-0.
Service Trade Home Business
Service Trade Home Business had some grammatical, formatting and numbering corrections that the Board considered and made as needed.
O’Connell moved to approve the amended Service Trade Home Business bylaw to be advertised for a public hearing for Warrant Articles to be presented at Annual Town Meeting 2015. Reinhart seconded, and the motion carried 4-0.
Signs
Brian Carlson said that the Section VII Signs and the other bylaws had been sent to the Building Inspector and the Zoning Board of Appeals for their comments. He had also sent Signs to Town Counsel but had not yet received a reply from her. The Board discussed and modified the definition of “Sign, Area of.” They made other changes in 7.3.4 and 7.5.3.
Janet Reinhart moved to change 7.3.3’s allowance to a sign of 80 square feet; there was no second, but the Board discussed aggregate total for signs on one lot. O’Connell had concerns about 7.3.2 and 7.3.3 because they were not focused on the premises or lot. The Board discussed preparing an alternative bylaw that just adds Service Trade Home Business to the Section VII Signs in case the Signs bylaw fails to go forward or fails at Town Meeting.
Reinhart moved to approve the Section VII Sign bylaw revision and an alternate Sign bylaw revision with the addition of Service Trade Home Business to be advertised for a public hearing for Warrant Articles to be presented at Annual Town Meeting 2015. Pickard seconded, and the motion carried 4-0.
Home Industry
Town Counsel had given an opinion on the repeal or amendment of the Home Industry bylaw. Planning Board members noted that there does not appear to be anyone falling into the Home Industry category in recent years.
Reinhart moved to approve the repeal of the Home Industry bylaw to be advertised for a public hearing for Warrant Articles to be presented at Annual Town Meeting 2015. Pickard seconded, and the motion carried 4-0.
Future Concerns - Fees
There was a preliminary discussion of increasing Planning Board fees. The Board will review fees from the other Cape towns.
Agenda for Next Meeting
Agenda for the February 18, 2015 includes: Habitat for Humanity’s Affordable Housing Special Permit hearing (cont.), Planning Board Fees, Recap of Proposed Bylaw changes, Minutes and Mail.
Adjournment
Morrissey moved to adjourn. Reinhart seconded, and the motion carried 4-0.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:41 p.m.
____________________________ ____________________________
Mary Rogers, Committee Secretary Gerald Parent, Chair
Planning Board approved these minutes at the meeting held 3/4/15.
Public Records Material of February 4, 2015
1.) Bylaw revisions of 2/4/15
2.) Town Counsel’s opinion on bylaw revisions in email of 2/3/15