Planning Board Minutes
Wellfleet Planning Board
Minutes of Meeting on Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Wellfleet Fire Station, 7:00 PM
Members Present: Gerald Parent, Chair; Andrew Freeman, Janet V. Morrissey, R. Dennis O’Connell, Alfred Pickard
Members Absent: Eric Larsen, Janet Reinhart
Others Present: Assistant Town Administrator/Planner Brian Carlson, Attorneys Elizabeth Thompson and Francis Parisi
Chair Parent opened the meeting at 7:02 PM
Minutes of 4/1/15 & 4/15/15
O’Connell moved to approve the April 1, 2015 meeting minutes as amended. Pickard seconded, and the motion carried 5-0.
Pickard moved to approve the April 15, 2015 meeting minutes as amended. Freeman seconded, and the motion carried 5-0.
Howard Court – There was no representative in attendance so the issue was tabled until the next meeting.
Telecommunications Tower Pre-application Consultation
O’Connell stated that he has filed a Disclosure of Appearance of Conflict of Interest, and that he feels he can vote without prejudice on this case.
Attorney Thompson stated that slight changes to the plan have been made. The tower height will be lessened, the structure will be moved, and, in doing so, the 100’ fall zone will be accommodated and the variance dropped. It was noted that a lightening rod would still fall outside of the fall zone.
The purpose of this meeting is to provide feedback on the application in regards to clarity and the adequacy of supporting material to allow Board members and the public to understand the case. Attorney Thompson made it very clear that the content of the material presented would not be discussed as this is not a public hearing.
The Board questioned whether there was enough information on alternate sites for the placement of the tower, and Chair Parent also clarified that the Landing strip parcel was owned by the town of Wellfleet, not the National Seashore. The applicant said that they would look into it. At that point Pickard informed the applicant that Wellfleet-By-The-Sea area was also town owned land. O’Connell wanted to know why the applicant only tested the National Seashore tank at 75 feet, but not at a higher elevation. The applicant stated that the National Seashore water tank had been carefully considered and ruled out. Several exhibits in the pre-application packet speak to the process of testing and ruling out the use of the water tower. The radio frequency engineer will be able to answer questions and clarify the data.
Attorney Parisi pointed out that the proposal will first need to go before the consultant for the Cape Cod Commission, who will discuss the data with the applicant’s consultant.
Verizon Wireless is the only tenant currently, so it is their data and their coverage gap that is being addressed. The suggestion was made that the data needs to show that the proposal will improve coverage, despite the lessened height of the tower.
Chair Parent pointed out that the data needs to be presented in such a way that a lay person will be able to understand it. Attorney Thompson stated that the applicant is required to present the data as it appears in the application. The engineer will explain technical aspects of the proposal and answer questions.
The Cape Cod Commission is required to hold at least one public hearing in Wellfleet.
The question was raised as to whether an array of lower towers had been considered. The applicant said that it had been considered but a location that could both accommodate multiple towers and fill the coverage gap could not be found.
The suggestion was made to make map legends more clear. Also, the focus of the tower should be marked on the site.
The balloon test will take place on Saturday, April 25 from 9 AM to 1 PM, with a rain date of April 26. The test was posted by the applicant in the Cape Cod Times. Photos will be taken to ascertain visibility of the proposed tower from various locations. Suggestions were made for visibility testing views. The test will be postponed if conditions are not deemed acceptable.
The applicant plans to file the complete application during the first week in May, in order to hold the pre-application hearing on June 3rd meeting.
Planning Board Information Packet Filing Deadline
For the website: All information relative to discussions at a Planning Board meeting must be submitted to the Planning Board Secretary by noon on the Thursday prior to the meeting. Any materials received thereafter will be heard at a later meeting.
Correspondence:
Nothing to report
Future Concerns:
Medical Marijuana
Cluster Bylaw
Agenda for May 6 (@ COA): to
- Discussion of ZBL changes suggested for Lot Area definition and flood plain inclusion (§ 6.14.2)
- Medical Marijuana Discussion
- Howard Court Road Maintenance Trust
- Planning Board Packet Deadline and Website Revisions
Agenda for June 3rd (@ Wellfleet Fire Station):
- Habitat for Humanity Subdivision, Special Permit, and Scenic Roads Hearings
Adjournment
Member Morrissey moved to adjourn. Member Freeman seconded, and the motion carried 5-0.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:26 PM.
Public Records of April 22, 2015:
1. Disclosure of Appearance of Conflict of Interest, submitted by R.D. O’Connell