Planning Board
Town of Princeton, Mass.-- PLANNING BOARD meeting w/ remote participation
Public Hearing & Meeting Minutes --– January 13, 2021 7:30 PM
Present online were: Planning Board members John Mirick, chair; Tom Sullivan, Rud Mason, Ann Neuburg; Ian Catlow and alternate members Corey Burnham-Howard and Lisa Drexhage. No one was absent. Roger Brooks also attended.
7:35 PM Chair John M. opened the meeting and considered an ANR plan for Marianne Johnson at 120 Mirick Road. The plan will cut off a building lot from her much larger houselot. A PDF of the plan had been emailed along with the Form A to members but the actual Mylar and $100 fee have not yet been delivered to Town Hall. Group discussed possibility of wetlands at rear of proposed lot, which has 2.174 acres and 225’ frontage. The plan indicated a brook at the farthest boundary line corner. Members familiar with the land were certain that at least one acre was upland.
Board voted all in favor to endorse the plan and authorize the chair to sign the Mylar after it’s received with payment.
Zoning discussion – John outlined the list of proposed zoning changes and noted the latest addition would clarify uses allowed on a single lot. The text would say that only one principal use is allowed on a lot in any zoning district, as that requirement was historically assumed to be in place but was never actually specified.
Board voted all in favor to submit the additional text in the zoning bylaw as an article for the May 2021 ATM warrant.
A proposal that would exempt municipal uses or services from (most) zoning requirements was addressed. Numerous variables sprang up during discussion so John offered to research it more and decide on actual text at a future meeting.
There was much discussion on a proposed clarification of non-conforming structures as listed in Bylaws Section VII 2. Corey has pointed out that the reference to a “finding” may be an important addition to the text, which is contained in a warrant article that was vetted last year but was passed over at the 2020 ATM for brevity during the scaled-down, in person, town meeting. The current issue involves the fact that the building inspector—rather than the ZBA using a Special Permit-- is essentially making a “finding” under Sect. VII 2. when he issues a building permit. John agreed to pull together the details of any changes in the wording from last year. The group can consider any changes at the next meeting.
Board agreed to schedule the Public Hearing for the zoning articles on March 3.
8:45 PM Group voted to approve the minutes of January 6, 2021
8:50 PM Adjourned. The next PB meeting is Wednesday, February 3, 2020.
Respectfully submitted: Marie Auger, land use coordinator
Referenced documents – Form A and ANR plan for 120 Mirick Road; draft text of zoning amendments.