Planning Board Meeting

DURHAM PLANNING BOARD

Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Town Council Chambers, Durham Town Hall

7:00 p.m.

AGENDA

I.          Call to Order

II.        Roll Call and Seating of Alternates

III.       Approval of Agenda

IV.       Town Planner’s Report

V.        Reports from Board Members who serve on Other Committees

VI.       Public Comments

VII.     Review of Minutes (old):  

VIII.    Freestanding Solar Array for St. George’s Church.  Site plan application for a freestanding solar array as an accessory use to provide electricity for St. George’s Church.  The 16.8 kilowatt array would be located in the side lawn of the rectory.  1 Park Court.  Nathan Bourne, Rector, and Scott Righini, Facility Manager, St. George’s Church.  Map 108, Lot 31.  Recommended action:  Acceptance if determined to be complete and setting a public hearing date.

IX.       Public Hearing – Zoning Amendment - Posting and Mailing of Public Notices – Proposed Zoning Amendments.  The amendment would change the process for noticing public hearings for zoning amendments, conditional uses, historic district reviews, and UNH projects from publishing notices in a local newspaper to posting notices on the Town’s website.  Notices for conditional use hearings would be sent by verified mail rather than by certified mail.  Recommended action:  Vote to initiate amendments.

X.        Public Hearing - Workforce Housing – Proposed Zoning Amendment and Rezoning of Parcel.  Consideration of a set of proposed amendments to the Zoning Ordinance pertaining to workforce housing including adding a definition, adding a line to the Table of Uses, adding a section providing the standards for workforce housing, making several other text changes, and rezoning a 117-acre lot of land owned by the Leda M. Keefe Rev. Trust, c/o Daniel Keefe, at 59 Piscataqua Road, Tax Map 209, Lot 39, from Residential Coastal (RC) to Office Research (OR).  The amendments have been endorsed by the Durham Housing Task Force.  Recommended action:  Discuss and continue public hearing to March 13.

XI.       Other Business

• Lot Line Adjustment – 33 Back River Road and Lot in Madbury.  Application for Extension to Record Documents submitted by Lisa Beaudoin.

XII.     Review of Minutes (new):  

XIII.    Adjournment

*ZOOM ACCESS

The Town of Durham offers access to meetings with Zoom and Durham Cable Access Television (DCAT) as a convenience to the public. Zoom is generally reliable for watching meetings and offering comments when allowed. However, due to factors outside our control, occasionally access on Zoom does not work properly.  We cannot guarantee that Zoom will always be available seamlessly and suggest that people who want to ensure being able to watch and participate attend the meeting in person.

To access any LIVE Zoom Public Meeting, you must be Registered.  This link will take you to the registration page for all public meetings: https://www.ci.durham.nh.us/boc_dcatgovernance/zoom-video-meeting-schedule

If you have difficulty logging in, contact DCAT: 603-590-1383.

*OTHER INFORMATION

1)       Role of the Planning Board.  The role of the Planning Board is to oversee and plan for the harmonious and functional physical development of the town of Durham by preparation of the Master Plan, adoption of Site Plan and Subdivision Regulations, making recommendations about the Zoning Ordinance and the Zoning Map, reviewing development proposals, providing comments on the Capital Improvements Program and generally advocating for smart growth principles.

2)       Public hearings and public comments.  The public is welcome to speak at all public hearings and during the Public Comments time.  Comments on all matters, except those for which a public hearing is on the agenda, should be made during the Public Comments time (including comments on agenda items this evening).  The public may speak and submit written/email comments on any subject germane to the business of the Planning Board except active matters where the public hearing has been closed.   When a public hearing will be scheduled soon for a specific item the board may require that comments at the meeting be made at the hearing.

3)       Submission of comments in writing.  Emails and letters should be sent to Michael Behrendt, Town Planner, at mbehrendt@ci.durham.nh.us or at the address above. Correspondence pertaining to current Planning Board matters, except where the public hearing has been closed, will be a) emailed to the Planning Board; b) mailed to the board members if received by the Thursday prior to the meeting or distributed to members at the meeting if received later; and c) posted on the Town’s website.   

Any email, letter, document, or other information that is pertinent to a decision which the Planning Board is expected to make at the upcoming Wednesday meeting, must be received in the Planning Office by the prior Monday at 5:00 p.m. or the board will consider the submitted material only at its discretion (This limitation does not apply to comments made at the actual public hearing).

4)       Other information.  Files on the agenda items above are available for review on the Town website https://www.ci.durham.nh.us/.  Agendas marked as “Preliminary Agenda,” are subject to change.  The final agenda will be posted on the Town’s website on the Friday prior to the meeting. To see background documents related to specific agenda items, see the agenda on the website and click on any green highlighted items.

5)       Contacting us.  Contact the Planning Department with questions or comments about any planning-related matters.  Call (603) 868-8064 or email Michael Behrendt, above, or Tracey Cutler, Administrative Assistant, at tcutler@ci.durham.nh.us.

6)       Recommended actions.   Actions recommended by the Town Planner are shown at the end of most items.  The Planning Board may or may not take these actions and may take other actions not stated.

7)       New items of business.  Unless approved by a 2/3 vote of members present, no new item of business shown on the agenda will be taken up after 10:00 p.m.

8)       Communication aids.  Please provide the Town 48-hours notice if communication aids are needed.

9)       Next meeting.  The next board meeting will be on March 13, 2024.