The Planning Board reviewed the last of its warrant articles for the upcoming election at its Jan. 24 meeting, removing the article that would limit residents from storing too many unregistered vehicles.
First one for public hearing was “Warrant Article 34 (Formerly Article 3) Are you in favor of the adoption of Amendment No. 2 as proposed by the Planning Board for the Town Zoning Ordinance as follows? Amend Article III, General Regulations, by amending 334-15.B.1, Parking prohibited, to add the words “and uninspected” to the following sentence: Outdoor parking or storage of more than one unregistered and uninspected motor vehicle per residential unit.” As stated in the distributed packet.
According to Chairman, Tim Malley, the words “and uninspected” were added for the sake of clarity to Article 34. If passed, the law would prohibit anyone from parking or storing more than one unregistered and inspected vehicle in a housing unit. The Board of Selectmen passed the amendment hoping to keep what they called “junk” vehicles off town streets.
“In reading through the notes from Chris Sullivan, he’s trying to avoid having people take a junk vehicle simply registering it and making it allowable,” explained Board member, Ed Van der Veen, who was not entirely pleased with the new wording. “By registering a car, you could still have it on the street, I don’t think it accomplishes what it’s looking to do. I think it’d be better to say ‘one registered and/or uninspected vehicle.'”
It was unclear whether the wording would be sufficient to achieve the goals of the warrant article.
“It doesn’t seem like this really does anything. Does it change anything currently already in our town ordinances if you say and/or? Is it really needed at all?” asked Selectman, Bob Guessferd.
The board eventually voted to table the motion, effectively delaying it to next year’s ballot over concerns it would be “unenforceable” if passed.
Several of the remaining warrant articles also spurred some debate among the Planning Board. Article 45, designed to change the zoning designation of a single parcel on 48-50 Friars Drive received criticism from Board member, James Crowley.
“I do not agree with the methods used to change the zoning for this property, they should be the ones requesting a zoning change through the standard petition method to the Zoning Board,” argued Crowley.
Despite the concern, Article 45 was approved by the board. Crowley expressed the same objection to every warrant article related to rezoning.
Article 46 was similar, with a broader scope across several plots of land on West Road to be rezoned from business to industrial.
“We had extensive discussion on West Road activity, planning, and the development of it right now,” said Vice Chair, Jordan Ulery. “Current property owners made their feelings known, and all they said was ‘approved the plan please.'”
The board voted to move Article 46 to the ballot while adding specific addresses of affected properties to the wording.
Article 47 would rezone land near Lowell Road from a general to a business designation.
“I’m not sure why we would be moving Fox Hollow in business,” said David Schaller of 213 Fox Hollow Drive. “If we could move to have Fox Hollow stay at general, then it would be in line with other condo associations in town.”
Schaller also complained about a lack of proper notification.
The Chairman reiterated that existing townhouses would continue to be allowed on Fox Hollow regardless of the business designation and that all property owners received notification.
The board voted to move Article 47 to the ballot.
The Hudon Planning Board is scheduled to meet again on Wednesday, Feb. 14, at 7 p.m. in the Buxton Room of Town Hall.
