Planning Board Minutes

Litchfield Planning Board Minutes
February 19, 2007

1.0 Meeting convenes at 6:05 p.m. at Litchfield Town Office.
Guests attending: Glen Ridley

1.1 Members present: Eric Seaman (chair), Judy Rogers, John Hatch, and Mike
Seaman, secretary Lezley Sturtevant and CEO Steve Ochmanski. Member Robert
Gordon absent and alternate Marvin Allen is excused.

2.0 No minutes submitted for approval

3.0 Agenda Additions/Adjustments

5.1 Section 6C of Land Use Ordinance

4.0 Scheduled Business

5.1 Land Use Ordinance - page 11 Non-Conforming Structures, Section 6, C, 1,
(A). Eric would like the board to clarify whether this section was intended
to require a variance & and any variance for an expansion should not be
granted by the Board of Appeals. Items (1), (2), and (3) could be modified
to "or" instead of all 3 conditions. Judy would like the input of the
Comprehensive Plan Committee. The PB feels the actual intent is to allow
expansions but not making a lot more non-conforming. Mike and John suggest
removing #3 for the town meeting this year. Eric is going to hold the topic
for a later meeting. On that subject, the Board of Assessors is still
reviewing the last proposed change to permitting in the LUO. Eric would
like to have the board bring all proposed changes forward before April 2007.

4.1 Shoreland Zoning Ordinance - mapping - changes need to be made; Critical
Wildlife Habitat & Shoreland Zone. It does not appear there are any new
10-acre freshwater wetlands, and Litchfield doesn't currently have any
mapped. Current mapped areas are Loon Pond, Mill Stream, Carter Pond -
limited residential, and area west of Maxwell Road. Moderate or High Value
rated freshwater wetlands must be placed in Resource Protection unless it is
already developed. Board reviews areas depicted as moderate or high value
rated freshwater wetlands. A current full -size Litchfield Tax Map would
help the mapping process. John made a motion to request an updated, large,
full-size tax map 2006, and Judy 2nd the motion. Vote 4-0-0. The board
debates how best to define the boundary of the Resource Protection: property
lines, imaginary lines, or footage. One particular area of Little Purgatory
Pond, Map U22-Lot 12 has substantial Shore frontage with high to moderate
value, currently developed, but will come back to regarding Resource
Protection. The board wonders if there is a standard regarding "developed
lots". John and Mike feel if a lot has a home/building it should not be
placed into Resource Protection. Judy believes critical wildlife protection
should be utilized as much as possible, and would like to view the lots
being discussed. Eric feels the same, and with the board split there will
be no changes in Resource Protection Mapping.
The board moved on to the changes in the Shoreland Zoning Ordinance. On
page 1, Applicability there will be a bullet added to include Carter and
Knight Pond, and the removal of the NOTE. Numbers 4 & 5 of Section 9, A
need to be removed, (General Development I & II) and Stream Protection
renumbered 4. Page 4, Section C, 1 needs to be removed entirely, as well as
the NOTE on bottom of page 7. Section 13, D & E General Development I & II
need to be removed and F renumbered as D. Page 11 has General Development
that needs to be omitted. Footnote number 1 needs to be added to line 4 of
the Land Use Table on page 12, after CEO under Resource Protection. The
NOTE referencing Item 17 on page 13 also needs to be omitted. There are
some changes to be made on page 14, B, 1, (*and Carter Pond), and
seventy-five (75) feet... and 1, b replaced with 1, d. The last sentence of
C, 4 on page 17 is going to be removed, as well as the first sentence of E,
3 on page 18. Section G, 1 needs ...in Districts other than the General
Development I District... removed. The NOTE RELATING TO TIMBER HARVESTING
STANDARDS will be taken out beginning page 25 - 27. The board will pick up
changes on page 27 at next meeting.

5.0 Unscheduled Business

6.0 Correspondence - Discussion - Reports

7.0 Future Agenda Items

7.1 March 5th meeting - Shoreland Zoning Ordinance

7.2 PB Ordinance attendance

7.3 LUO - changes proposed

8.0 Adjournment

8.1 Mike made a motion to adjourn at 9:02 p.m., and Judy 2nd. Vote 4-0-0.

Respectfully submitted,

Lezley Sturtevant, Secretary