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MARSHFIELD DEVELOPMENT
REVIEW BOARD
Approved Minutes of November 2, 2006
Board Members present: James Arisman, Paul Brierre, Tom
Daley, and Martin Johnson. Also attending: Mike Fritz,
Zoning Administrator Bob Light, Jay Southgate, Brad
Washburn, Tonya Morehouse, Kevin Morehouse, Colby
Morehouse, Tyler Morehouse, and Molly Johnson (canine
unit).
At 7:05 pm the Board held an initial meeting with
Jay Southgate,
who has applied to
subdivide
his property on Pike Road. He would like to create a
small lot of 2 acres or so for the existing home and ,
and leave the remaining lot — approximately 48 acres —
undeveloped. At one point the Board informed Jay that it
would not consider his application complete unless all
named owners of the property had signed it. He said he
would get the other landowner,
Kimberly Pierce,
to sign off on the plan. When this has been done, the
Board will consider the application complete and will
issue a Sketch Plan Determination letter.
At 7:15 pm the Board heard from
Tonya Morehouse,
who had some questions about the pending
Subdivision/PRD
application of
Wayne and Susan
Kowalski.
The DRB had issued a Sketch Plan Determination which
stated, among other things, that approval for their PRD
proposal “will probably follow only if we see it as
having a beneficial impact on the Town’s development
objectives.” Tonya wished to know more specifically how
the Kowalskis could establish this.
Tom explained that this passage in the
Sketch Plan letter was there for the purpose of warning
the Applicants early in the process of the general view
of the DRB with regard to PRD applications. Because PRDs
actually modify the established Zoning Regulations, the
DRB believes that it may grant them only in cases where
the proposed development would advance the objectives of
those Regulations and of the Town Plan in ways that
would not be possible without the modification. It is
not to be seen as a loophole through which individual
landowners can get around restrictions for personal
reasons. The Applicants are entitled to bring their
proposal to a Public Hearing, where they can demonstrate
that it meets this sort of “collective benefit”
objective. Alternatively, they may try to persuade the
DRB that its current view regarding PRD applications is
incorrect, and that they should be judged by another
standard.
Tonya also asked if the Board would be
making a visit to the site. Tom pointed out that they
have not yet set a hearing date for the application, but
Martin and Bob both thought a site visit should happen
soon, before the snow cover. The Board accordingly
scheduled a visit to the site for Friday, November 10,
2006 at 9:00 am.
At 7:35 pm Paul moved to approve the minutes of October
5, 2006 and October 19, 2006 as drafted. Seconded by
James, all approved. The Board then went into
deliberative session to discuss several aspects of the
pending application of Gruss and Company to create new
building lots along Laird Pond Road. Joining in this
session was Mike Fritz, who is serving as a designated
alternate on the DRB for that application.
At 8:45 pm Martin moved to adjourn the DRB meeting.
Seconded by James, all in favor.
Respectfully submitted,
Tom Daley
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