Planning Board - July 28, 2026

All right, I'd like to open the Tuesday, July 28th, planning board meeting.

Please join me in the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Okay. Uh, first up for 6:00 is the key action items. The first one is Cory Ridge Estates file number 23-035C endorse homeowners association document.

Sure. So, we had a bit of back back and forth with the applicant and town council. Changes from the applicant that town council approved include identification of the three trustees. um identifying that an action must be taken by twothirds of the three law owners instead of 75% of the three law owners, a stipulation for an annual meeting between the trustees and law owners and removed a requirement of reporting

financial statements to the planning board um and changes to the trustees to the planning board. So, we would like endorsement from the homeowners association from the board tonight. Um let me know if you have any comments and before we dive into the discussion um the status of the development is there are ongoing inspections between Derek Melo and Rich Sisson regarding road prep

and grading. So happy to hear what you think.

Okay. I have skimmed through this document uh and uh I have a problem with how it's written that um the the owners the the owners of the subdivision retain control until 100% of the lots are sold, which means there's only three lots. So, it's not a big deal, but it means that if two lots sell and the owners keep the third, they still control 100%.

And I don't think that is is a good idea.

I think once two are sold, I think the responsibility goes to the homeowners association for the document.

So that release of control should be updated to when two of the lots are sold, not 100%.

Right.

Once once once there majority of other owners, then I think they should control.

Understood.

I have one uh question.

Mhm. I I think you said Dia that they notify us of the three trustees but they don't they're not required to notify us when trustees are changed right because um the documentation would be in the registry of deeds.

So the owner um wanted to avoid continuing correspondence with the planning board on topics that might not be fully necessary. So, we'll get notified and then we've got to look at the registry if we want to know who the current trustees are as opposed to ones that may be out of date.

How do you feel about that?

I think if we had more employees to track all these things, it'd be nice to have been kept up with all these things.

But if we get notified, I don't know what we do with the information, right?

Yeah. So, it's just going to go in a a file.

Paper file.

Yep. Y and why make them do that?

Sure.

So, especially as it's already documented the right registry work. Yeah. That's how it already works. So, then it's really a private issue with all the three homeowners.

[clears throat] It's not if it's not working right, it's their responsibility to fix it.

Not ours at all.

Right. So, yeah, I would agree.

So, do you want a motion to approve the homeowners uh association document with the change you recommended, Mr. Chair?

Yes. Okay.

Um, I would move to endorse the homeowners association document for Cory Ridge Estates case 235C um as submitted and modified by um the chair's um um requirement that uh when two of the owners when two of the lots are sold they control finding that it meets endorsement requirements under the planning board rules and regulations.

I second that.

Any more comments?

All those in favor?

I.

And opposed? There is none. Okay. Next is uh 493 American Legion Highway file number 26-4586 SPA-minor modification.

The applicant is seeking approval to enlarge the previously approved garage by an additional 450 square ft.

So, I don't believe the applicant has representation here tonight, but um they did receive approval for a 35x 50 ft garage on existing impervious surface on August 12th, 2025. So, now they're coming before the board requesting a minor modification to that approved site plan for an increase of about 450 ft. Um the dimensions of the proposed garage are now um 40 ft x 55. And I'll just zoom in on that here. Um, nothing

changed much from the initial staff report besides the delineated setbacks which do meet the regulations. Um, and two conditions of approval were carried over that um, all proposed lighting shall be downcast and any changes to the site plan requires a hearing before the planning board. Um, so I'd love to hear if you have any comments or um, so on the plan, where is the additional 450 ft?

It's caught up in the building dimensions. So, it used to be just slightly smaller and they've increased both the length and the width by uh 5T.

So, the width looks similar to the existing garage now, but it's a little longer.

Little bit longer. Yep.

And still has setback.

Still meets setback requirements, meets the parking space regulations, and it's on existing impervious as well.

for you all to reference. This dark line is the outline of the building. That's the envelope. And this is the fence that they're going to what's causing some confusion. So they're it's just moving the structure a little bit further out to the lot to the west.

Oh, it's the bed.

Go over that again, Michael. Which is the building? And this is to be removed with these circles. This is a fence and this is going to be the new Oh, so the building is wider than the existing.

Yes, they've added it was wider before and then they added 5 ft in each dimension.

Yeah. Okay.

But I don't I I think the all of the issues that we looked at before of access and how we manage the trucks and everything, I think all of those are virtually unchanged.

Want a motion, Mr. Chair? Sir, I I move to approve the minor modification for 493 American Legion Highway case 26-4586 SPA minor mod allowing enlargement of the previously approved garage by an additional 450 square ft as the modification does not alter site circulation, drainage, or zoning compliance.

Second comments?

No questions. All those in favor?

I so efficient.

Next, uh, pre-application consultation file number 26-6 PAC request by Matthew Height of South Coast Engineering to discuss building a single dwelling unit at 0 Street, map 7, lot 210.

Hi, good evening. uh Matt Pike with South Coast Engineering on behalf of the applicant uh Railroad Park realy trust.

So before the board with a for a pre-application consultation for a proposed site plan located at Early Uklid Street um also known as map 7 block 10. Uh so Uklid Street's located off of uh Rock Street which is along Route 6 about a quarter mile east of Gford and Davis Road.

Um so the applicant's proposal to extend the existing street uh by approximately 160 ft.

Um see there 60 ft.

Um so it's an existing parcel. The proposed extension is going to consist or we're proposing it to consist of 18 foot wide roadway which is made up of 16 foot wide twoft gravel shoulders. Uh this is going to be an armored swale with check dams along the road that's designed to mitigate the storm water. And there's also proposing modified hammerhead with 50 foot lengths and 25 ft radi

that will located at the terminus of the road. that's going to accommodate emergency and service vehicles.

Uh upon completion of the road, a single family dwelling uh private well septic will be constructed. So this house approximate location house well um roof drywall septic with 100t 200t um 200t radi.

I'll check that. whatever the wide setback is 200 under 50 foot those radi for the the existing wells are showing that to show that the the septic systems outside of that um so this kind of uh preliminary plan would require it's show two waiverss at least that I see is for the width of the road I think the requirement is 20 ft I'm showing 18 and for the uh approval

of the um uh outsloped road in the middle of a crowd. Um the road's essentially a driveway. Any every lot around this area already has been developed and has frontage um from another existing road. And then um at a later stage a complete drainage analysis will be provided to show the designs in compliance with Westport and um storm water standards is shown here. a nonstructural approach with a swale that

turns into an armored swale with check dams. I believe this size to um to mitigate uh in excess of what the requirements of that's been generated from the proposed um roadway.

And that's my introduction. I'll turn it over to the board for any comments.

So uh so Uklid is this unpaved street unconstructed street pavement ends approximately here.

Sorry I'm trying to pull it up on Y.

Here we go.

So here's the lot here and the pavement ends around here somewhere.

It goes from paved to a short gravel road.

So the the pavement in this picture, it looks like the road right away is split in two. Is that So where's the road? on this on the survey plan. I have it marked where we can see the um you can see the existing paveway there's an edge of paveway edge of gravel way and I believe this is an access to the 79 pulling off approximately but this end of the paveway and that end of the

gravel way.

So, this is um a continuation of a dead end road, correct?

That was created when I mean this is going to be pre 60s.

This is Railroad Park.

This is Railro 1900s.

Early 1900s, right?

Um,

and I see how you're you're extending a small portion of the pavement to the first part of the lot.

But where's the driveway for the house?

So here the driveway is shown here which also acts as the 50 foot for the h for the modified hammerhead. So you have 50 foot from the center line to the edge of the drive 50t from the center line to the edge of the road with the 25 ft radi.

Oh, I think I see it. It's it's the dotted line. It's the red line.

And how wide is that driveway part?

So the driveway part is 16 ft wide.

And also the paved part of the road is 16 ft wide with 1t gravel shoulders. The head of a detail of the road that'll show the actual little portion of it.

Um, might be the page up.

And have you been to the fire department to see if No, I haven't, but I but I I could stop by and talk to them about it. So, this um this, as far as I know, meets all the the the five protection regs with the radi width of the roadway, but I definitely can go by and talk to them as well.

And how how deep is it from the the roadway to the house?

I'm showing 50 ft from the center line of the road to the house. So it's um is is that a garage there or is that just a or do you know what's going to be there?

That's just for preliminary. So it would be leading to a garage. I'm just showing I think a 40 by 30 or just kind of a footprint for a proposed house. So there's not really an architectural plan for the house yet. Yeah. So the I think one concern they may have is if there's a parked vehicle there if they can't turn around.

Sure. I mean that's I Yep. We could show a separate, you know, also a couple parking spots off to the side of gravel that they could fall off of.

Planners. What do you think?

Sure. Just a couple comments. Um, as the applicant stated, this is the purpose is to extend this existing paved portion of Uklide by approximately 160 ft to provide access to the parcel in question. Um, the Uklide layout was accepted by the town in book 98, page 42. And the date on that layout plan, I believe, was 1975 or 73. Um, the accepted road does not service the parcel as it exists. Um, the applicant

could upgrade the road to rural residential lane standards or residential street standards, but they would need a waiver for the traveled way, but I think the applicant mentioned that he would increase the road width because RRL asked for 10 ft and a residential street asks for 11 ft, which he's currently at nine. Um, that's a little bit of the background.

Um, I think upon completion of the roadway, a single family residence, private well, and on-site septic will be constructed.

Additionally, the proposed road would have to remain private, have to be upgraded to town standards should it's um requested at a town meeting that the town accepted.

It it's basically a driveway, not a road. Um, and uh I mean it has legal frontage on this paper street.

So that isn't an issue. And do we have to hold hold them to requiring them to to extend the road with the town requirements even though it's just a driveway cuz it already has frontage on the paper street which still exists no matter what we do.

Yeah. There's no real access from where the gravel area they had talked about where that terminates and leading to the uh to the subject property. So, I would not recommend finding that that provides adequate access to that lot, which is why we had recommended to them that they need to extend the roadway at least to do a turnaround to pick up that, you know, access to that lot. The

the frontage, yes, point taken. It is legal frontage in front of the lot. But it's more about whether or not that way as it exists to have safe and adequate access. Right.

Exactly.

So the question is uh if we jog Uclid from I don't know what size Uklid is now, but if it was accepted by the town, it must be at least 20 ft wide.

um to jog it to the left like that and make it hug that boundary instead of go down the center like most roads. So, I don't know what everybody else thinks.

Michael, could you put this uh or this map up?

So, yeah, that one.

So, as I'm looking at this, there are houses on both sides of Uclid Street, but the houses to the south, I guess, get their access from Mount Pleasant Street. Is that correct?

Mhm. And the house behind that's on Uklid Street gets its access from uh President Street.

So even though they look like they're served by Uklid Street, they're really not. So this I'm just trying to get at.

Yes. Uklid Street really is just a glorified driveway.

Yeah. I think it's just this lot and this lot pull off.

Yeah.

Yeah. And they and they can't it wouldn't serve any other lot because they're all the rest of them are developed.

And to the east of of the lot that's a paper street.

It looks like it connects president to Is that Pine Street? Pine Street.

Pine Street. It's Pine Street not built in the old railroad. Yeah. Yep.

And I just wanted to say to you my thought of why I'm showing the road um not offset from the center. If we could just show the um the crosssection.

The reason is um so I'm trying to show the at least a 10 foot separation from a property line to the to the swale. Um and then a a shallower grass swale that's not so deep. So that's what's kind of pushing it over. But I can definitely look at the plan and see if I can feather that in as well as possible so it's not a a jog in the street um or

the driveway cuz really the only I guess in the end the only people let go past the jog the So the if you go down one street to Pleasant Street is Pleasant Street built all the way to the east cuz there's there it looks like there's a lot back there that would have frontage on Uclid as well as Pleasant.

the L-shaped one or hockey stick shaped one.

I just wondered if if at a later time somebody's going to come and want to continue again to get back here.

I think these lots are all served by this turn around here. This one. This one. And then this one as well. Yeah, but he's talking about right below that one.

Yeah. Yes, I suppose they could that they could the least resistance would be down Mount Pleasant. It looks like they already have kind of frontage on it. I mean, they could they could extend it, but it's But the the curly part of Pleasant looks like it's a driveway.

Surprisingly, this lot gets is has front engine already from Mount Pleasant. Is this the lot we're talking about? Yeah.

Yeah. So they have I mean like they could they could extend it. They could extend time but they already have access

but I can look further into that of what the status of all these slots are and how they're accessing them.

uh with a change in state law about uh old lots like Redwater Park um that basically if they're over 5,000 square ft they're all legal again and so I think we have to be careful about what we're what we're contemplating if there are others that are going to require action access to these lots on paper streets.

Um,

I don't know if anybody knows if the extension of Mount Pleasant and Uklid and President and H Jigs Street uh all are really paved all the way where it shows blue last.

I'm not sure. And I just want to say too, so as you go down Uclid, somebody could potent, you know, but the terrain gets very challenging towards the end.

Yeah.

Which is part of the reason why, you know, this this lot could get access through Pine and Ult, but it's challenging to have a slow down.

It does it does look like Mount Pleasant is paid.

Yeah, I I I would say but but for the fact that it's surrounded by existing developed homes, I think when we're in railroad plaque, if we're extending any of these things, they should be extended as of rural residential standards.

But, you know, I you know, but if there's no if this is the last lot that could be possibly used by it, I I feel less strong about that. And and u and then perhaps it can be this 18t driveway is, you know, I'd grant a waiver for the two feet from 20 feet to 18.

And and I think I mean I would I would guess and missed it. We're probably going to get a pretty good rainfall during the night tonight.

That that thing you're talking about extending it look like a waterfall in there 8:00 tomorrow morning.

And you know it's it's the grade you're proposing meets the our standards 8%.

But it's it's it's steep. It drops 12 ft in across this driveway extension.

12 ft and 100 ft is 8%.

Those those check dams will be I mean there will be there'll be a significant puddle in the bottom of that hill before you do all this. Uh do you have a perk test on this lot? It it is uh we are planning to do one and I believe there was one done way in the past but that's no longer valid as we're told that we have our test done as well.

Yeah.

I have any major concerns with that the subdivision process for the road review of the road and the drainage but aside from that it seems straightforward.

Okay.

What is everybody's desire?

We don't need a motion on this. This is a pre-application.

Oh, it's Yeah.

Okay.

Great. Thanks.

Thank you for coming in.

Yeah. Thanks for having me. Appreciate it.

[snorts]

Okay. Uh not too late. It's a 6:15 public hearing for dome surf file number 26- 3662 SBA continued from June 2nd, 2026.

The applicant proposes to construct a surf therapy camp for children and young adults, including an education center, a two-story office and instructional building, outdoor program space, and five campsite style cottages with a shared bathroom facility.

Good evening to the board. Attorney M.

Long on behalf of the applicant. Uh we were before the board back on June 2nd, as Mr. Chair pointed out. Um, essentially we haven't made a ton of changes to the plan. The big issue that we were up against was uh waiting to do the soil testing and the soil testing was completed like 2 weeks ago I think just about. Um, and so all of the plan redesign and uh any changes are

obviously happening in congruent with the uh results of the soil test. The water table was relatively high. was about 2 ft below the surface. Um so that's going to change the shape of the drainage swale. While that was ongoing, um I met with various boards. I met or departments. I met with highway department. I met with Michael and I met with um the fire department and as well as Ralph over at the building

department. So kind of want to share a little bit about where we're at and then kind of where we're going from here and then get some more feedback from the board. Um the access driveway fire department pointed out that the driveway coming off of main road uh has to be 20 ft wide. They don't have a problem with this coming in off of main road, but it's got to be 20 ft wide. We don't see

an issue with that plan to show that on the updated plan. Um I'll kind of stay department by department as to what the feedback was from the various departments and we go from there. Um, fire department said 20 ft wide on the gravel driveway, but then also requested some form of uh access to at least this portion of the building if they could get to an engine or EMS something to the

side. Uh, which obviously makes a whole lot of sense for EMS most especially.

Uh, so the intention is to show and continue the gravel driveway right to the end here so that an ambulance or something like that could access um if there was ever an issue or if there were ever to be some sort of a fire or something in the back at the cabin cottages that we're talking about. Um, that's another thing that we're working on with them is we're kind of going

through the building code right now as to what we need to define these as. For all intents and purposes, they're essentially wooden tents. There's no insulation, there's no warning water, there's no bathroom, there's nothing other than beds. Um, so cabin or cottage may be a over share or you know over description of what they are. So we're working with them as to what the definition is and then therefore where

it falls within the fire code. Um, they also asked or requested that we do an impervious surface to access uh concrete. So, we're kind of leaning on doing a 4 foot wide concrete um sidewalk or walkway to get to the back because of the fact that these are often times special needs children. Um they could be in wheelchairs and if something were to happen and they needed to get back there with a stretcher, it would pose

difficult to get over gravel. Um so, we do intend to show that. Something that came up at the last meeting was, you know, children wandering away from these. So, we did add a 4 foot 4 foot tall chain link fence. Um, that runs from the corner of the property down all the way out to the container shown here.

So, this entire area would be fenced in and there would only be one point of access um from here and then through the building. So it kind of makes it easier to keep track of what's going on and ensure you know extra safety as that was pointed out at the last meeting. Um that was kind of the gist from the fire department. Yeah. And then defining what the sensory dome again building code

what what that's going to qualify as for fire fighting and you know for building department um requirements from Ralph.

But overall, they were in support and just kind of were looking for a little bit of clarity, but didn't see any major problems or issues with this. They did echo that accessing from main road is going to be most effective for the fire trucks um and larger vehicles trying to come through the primacare parking lot would be very difficult. Um and also I know we had talked about re reaching out

to the sellers primary care about getting an easement to access across as potential um and they shot that down. So we are kind of pigeonholed in coming off of main road as discussed which brings me to the highway department. I met with Chris Gonolves um and sat down and talked about you know what what some concerns that he had. He said he has no concerns coming off of main road, just

that, you know, the first 15 to 20 feet he would want pavement or some form of an impervious surface to prevent wash out onto the roadway, any gravel, things like that. And also requested um Dia, does this go over to the main roadside all the way? Thank you. also requested that nothing uh no trees, no rocks, no stones, nothing large be placed within that 20 foot just so that and the fire

department echoed the same so that if they had to come in and make a wide swing, they'd be able to do so. Um and highway said, you know, keep it open for vis visual access pulling back out on the main road so that your line of sight was relatively clear, you know, in both directions pulling in and out. Um, how much frontage do you have on main road?

Is that 69.86?

Yes. 69 almost 70 ft.

Yeah.

And then our narrowest point is here, which he's supposed Christian is going to be adding a tank there to show exactly how much is between.

Uh yeah, that's the majority of what we talked about with the different different um departments, but again, you know, everybody seems to be in support and just kind of wants a little bit of clarity on what's going on. The building shape is being changed from this kind of odd, you know, multi-layered thing we have going on here to a 40x 80 pole barn style building. easier to construct, easier to um show on the

plan, and also just easier all the way around to do what the intended purpose is here. And like I mentioned, we will be showing the driveway coming up, and there will be some changes to the drainage pond as a result of the res the uh the soil soil tests in the market.

Uh, with that, I would just close my opening in saying that we will be requesting to be put on for the August 25th meeting and the hope would be to address any and all concerns and potentially get an approval um, at that meeting. C, can I ask a question? Yes.

I think you explained this last time, but I've forgotten.

It shows five cabins, yurts, whatever.

Um, four on here.

Four. And the other building has uh bathrooms. So which building has the bathrooms?

This is the bathroom building here that would also be able to serve as a sensory dome if people are outside. We did drop one of the cabin and cottage.

So now it's only four plus utility building which would serve as bathrooms.

Okay.

And again that concrete walkway would come all the way down to each one. Yeah.

Whether or not it stems off to each one ending, that's to be seen. But at least if we can get it uh stretcher all the way down, it's a 10 or 15t offset major at that point.

and and um it's really not part of our deal. But why the cabins uh have to have an outdoor facility just cuz you don't want to Well, I think one it proves, you know, construction costs. Now you're adding running water, plumbing, underground services to each unit. And the purposes of them are are essentially to be just a rugged tent, you know, so that these students and their families can get a

chance to spend time in nature. So, we're trying to keep it as rural and rugged as possible. Um, but also, I do think it comes down to the construction portion of it. Having a common bathroom within a 50ft walk of each building, it just easier to service, easier to keep track of, easier to keep clean. And then you know in the off season you're winterizing a single building as opposed to the entire you know setup.

[clears throat] And can you describe what this concrete dome is?

So the dome itself is not concrete. The dome itself essentially like a tent material, right?

Like a like a tent style material inflated. Um, but the concrete, it's going to sit on a concrete slab is the plan to pour a concrete slab 44 ft in each direction and then set the dome on that slab because to be balanced, it's like a geodessic dome. It's a company out of Oregon, I believe, Pacific Dome. Uh, they're actually one of the strongest structures uh known to man. the way it's constructed, it just

kind of has a layer over it, uh, which potentially would be like either the color of the actual forest or the white.

And is there plumbing, uh, facilities in the dome?

No, that's why the bathroom would be right there. Okay.

I think the dome might will probably have an electrical service into it for lighting.

Yeah. And cuz there's going to be some of the uh equipment, sensory equipment inside of it, but outside of that no line and the dome comes down to the all the way to the slab. It's not just Yeah. No, all the way down.

Good to have Buckminister, Fuller, and Westport. Yeah.

So, um, do you want to go over Sure.

your responses?

So, just as a quick review, um the applicant came before us on June 2nd of this past year. Um the plan's been revised to show a reduction in the cottages by one structure and the dome structure. Um at this point, the storm water design is still in revision. We haven't received revised storm water design. Um so, because we received this um plan set on July 23rd, it hasn't been reviewed by our peer reviewer MBL. Um,

but I'm going to send it over to her after tonight with um the updated staff review and when the storm water comes in. So, at August 25th, I think we'll have a more robust review to share. Um, so I prepared a document based off the first staff review. A couple of you have a copy. Um, I'm just going to read out the department comments, the history, and the staff findings. Um, like Max

said, they're requesting a continuence to August 25th, which planning staff recommends. I just want to encourage the applicant to fully review um all documents as they work through the revisions. Um and I'm going to pass that along to you guys. So, right, a little bit about the history. Um MBL provided a site inspection of the property on April 9th, 2026. Those findings were included

in the first staff report. And then MBL was also able to witness test pits on site on June 15th and July 13th. Those findings are included in the respective site inspection reports from MBL which I've shared with you previously.

Um now skipping over to the technical review committee which are department comments.

Um the applicant has stated that he's met with the fire department, highway, etc. So I believe my comments might be a little outdated based on that information. So I'll connect with the departments um after this review and Emiel to get an updated uh committee comment. The board of health would like to review the proposed septic system plan. So, we're pending full comment there. Um, highway department, they

requested that a sufficient sighteline is cleared, which is in alignment with what Max said. The police department also requests that emergency vehicles be provided direct access to the barnaminium, the cottages, and the bathroom, and also the domed structure.

And they request proper external lighting for safety reasons. Um, the fire department would like an engineered code synopsis and maybe a more specific narrative letter describing the use of the barnominium, the cottages, the dome.

Um, then they'll be able to pro provide a more robust review of the fire safety for those structures. Um, they have they did report concerns about the road design and access to the buildings and cottages and like police request direct access. We also reached out to the commission on disability. Um, in terms of planning board review, um, the commission requests ADA compliant access aisles for each parking space and

careful review of the gravel material to ensure compliance with ADA stabilization requirements. So, I do see that the applicant has considered upgrade or revising the gravel roadway to be concrete. I would encourage you to look at the parking area as well to maybe consider concrete instead of gravel. Um they also requested ADA ramps for slopes greater than 5% and like police requested adequate lighting for all

parking areas, accessible routes, outdoor spaces and building ent entrances that specifically reduce glare, shadows and light trespasses.

Lastly, the uh commission would like an emergency evacuation plan to be submitted.

And then when we come to staff findings, these are kind of a summary of everything in the review. Continuence recommended. Um, let's see. I have 24 here, so I'll try and be brief. Contact information is not fully included on the plan set. The wells on the subject and abu and budding properties need to be delineated on the plan. Um, the electric utilities are not specified to be overhead or underground.

Of course, we'd like to see underground.

The septic plans must be submitted to the board of health for review. Um the plan set calls out an NHSP priority habitat of rare species area and the full area of this um priority habitat is not defined on the plan set. This consulting engineer had concerns about drainage to main road. It seems that maybe the concrete or asphalt might mitigate some of those concerns, but she hasn't seen the revised plans. Um

police, fire, and highway initially had concerns about the sighteline distance. Um it seems like some of those might have been mitigated through um the applicant's conversations, but it is to be noted that the curb cut is greater than the required um maximum width of 24 ft and it doesn't have adequate separation between the existing access connections which there are eight within the um

limit based on the table. Um the plan must indicate painted lines to designate the parking spaces. Um, the commission does of disability does recommend that all 14 of those parking spaces be ADA compliant, meaning they would be complete with a five- foot access aisle.

The number of employees must be listed on the plan as well, so we can accurately determine the amount of parking spaces required. Um, parking lot maintenance is not included on the plans, nor is a landscape island proposed on the plans within the parking area. Based on the parking area dimensions, some landscaped landscaping is recommended. Um, emergency vehicles are not able to directly access the

structures. The way is not constructed to be the required 20 foot in width per fire code. Um, the plan does not propose sidewalks for pedestrian circulation on site. There's no landscape buffer proposed on the plan. A planting plan for the site, including that bio retention area to the north of the access, the parking area, and for screening is not included. So, we would like to see a planting plan for some of

these elements.

Um the operations and maintenance note for storm water doesn't reflect by annual maintenance which is recommended by staff. It cites just annual maintenance. Um the soil erosion and sediment control notes don't specify the materials used for control nor do they include a stipulation regarding permanent stabilization within 6 months of occupancy. Per regulations, those are required. Um the materials screening the

dumpster pad and container on the parking lot are not specified. Project materials for the wall and the roof are not specified.

um from the consulting engineer. The plan does not result in a 20% reduction in storm water rate for the 100red-year storm, but like I said, revised plans are in the works. Hopefully, that'll be addressed. We need a lighting plan. Um we need a nifties and a SWIP or the applicant needs to submit a nifty and a SWIP. Um fire recommends uh a proposed fire system. Um, a building signage

plan, if you're going to have a sign, should be submitted. And the front yard width does require a variance from the ZBA.

Thank you for sitting through that.

Yes, sir. Uh, you mentioned, DIA, that there's a requirement or recommendation for 14 parking spaces that they all be ADA compliant. And I'm trying to see from the plan you've got up here. It looks like there's like 12 spaces and only two of them I think are ADA compliant. So where where are these 14 going to go?

I do think there is 14. It's 2 4 6 8 10 12 13 maybe. I don't know if they count in front of the only ADA shown here is the two ADA right out in front with the access.

That's what we show that I I don't know if we have that or not. Maybe we do, but um obviously we're going to go back to the drawing board with that. I don't know how feasible it will be to um Yeah, there's I don't think there's anything on that.

I mean, it doesn't look like there's room uh to expand. I don't we can hit all 14 spaces with an ADA access, you know, the 8 foot in between. I don't I don't think it's physically possible with the site dimension.

So then the question becomes to me, sorry to interrupt you, that no do we want fewer parking spaces that are all ADA or do we want more parking spaces where two of them or some smaller number are ADA comp? which is the better way to serve the constituents.

Yeah, I think you know we can definitely speak with Gnome more directly and and kind of get into the gist of it, but I I do think that a good portion of their students are able-bodied. I mean, they are surfing and things like that. Some of them do require wheelchairs and things like that. Um but, you know, I think that more than less are, you know, able-bodied and capable of walking

around. I do think that maybe we could designate this entire side as ADA parking with spaces in between um and maybe try to stretch a little bit more here, but um we'll have to play around with, you know, setbacks and and those sorts of things. Um I did catch the lighting and landscape plan. We don't show that here, but obviously that's to be added for the August 25th meeting. Um the variance

are we saying because of the because it narrows here or yes because the narrowing yes but the reason that I so I just it's the road frontage and the road it's the road frontage a very but it's a pre-existing non-conforming law and so when we when we before this project even started I went to talk with Ralph about this because it's pre-existing non-conforming and this law existed on an endor endorsed plan.

Mhm.

Those shouldn't apply here. We're not dealing with buildability or anything at this point. We're beyond that and we have a form A law that is buildable. And so if the variance would have been required, it would have been required at that time that the form A was put through, which I believe was like 2007, 2010. um prior to primacare even purchasing cuz primacare bought the whole thing I believe at one point

from both and so because it's a pre-existing non-conforming I was under the impression that we didn't need the variance it's not if we were doing a form a subdivision then yes because it doesn't meet the requirements under frontage and setbacks but it's pre-existing non-conforming so I figured we were outside of that if it's pre-existing nonconforming because it was an ANR doesn't make it

buildable. It doesn't get it out of the the requirements. Um, so if it were I don't know what year it was created. You say 200.

I'd have to go back. I don't remember off the top of my head.

It was Dr. Kalen I think who did it here.

And uh the other thing I'd like to talk about is with the ADA compliance for the whole place. Uh maybe you ought to talk to the uh dis commissioner of disabilities at Westport.

Bring them into it because I think that would be helpful.

Hopeful.

Certainly. No, I I definitely agree with that.

And and secondly, on the site uh site lines off of Main Road, uh it's not a zoning bylaw, but there is a town bylaw for a sight triangle. So you can look that up. Okay.

It has requirements for uh how you how you see up the road. It's like 80 ft from the center of the road into the property.

80 ft each way and it's a triangle.

Okay.

So that you can see safely what's going on. Um, I want to go back to the parking area. Um, because I think you given the people you serve, you're going to be uh more ADA compliant than if it was a different constituency.

And and so I'm interested in what the real needs are because it would I get having concrete paths so a wheelchair or a stretcher or something else can negotiate the path.

But to get to the parking area, I think it's going to be a vehicle that gets you to the parking area. So, I'm not so wild about the idea that the parking area should be concrete. It's also over the septic.

We weren't talking about making this concrete.

Just just the walkways.

Oh, okay. I misunders keeping this gravel. I believe that this may and I have to clarify with Christian. I'm not sure if this specific section of ADA parking is a pad, a concrete pad just for that. Not the whole thing.

Not the whole thing.

And not the driveway except Exactly. This main road. Exactly. The only portion that we were talking about doing pavement or gravel would be on that 15 to 20 foot, you know, swale coming off a main road to help mitigate, you know, washing up and things like that.

Yeah.

Good. and and this the size of the parking spots that are not ADA compliant at the top of the plan there. Uh you got to look next door at Primate Care's parking lot. They made those spaces extra wide and uh even though even if you can't fit ADA compliant ones uh you might consider making wider parking lots. Yeah, definitely.

[clears throat] Uh, do you want to continue to the 11th or the 25th?

25th?

25th.

Okay.

Huh?

Um, I I had uh I I had your sheet from before and I'm glad that uh I was I I'm in agreement with the fire department.

you know, when you have kids involved, you know, if you if you ever see an emergency, um, don't think it's an ambulance that shows up. It's a cruiser. It's an ambulance. It's it's it's whatever fire truck comes up and and and that's what shows up. and, you know, having the the 20ft driveway and and having, you know, I I marked up the drawing showing a fire lane that runs right right beside the building.

Yeah.

And and and I the the site the site is the site essentially consumes the entire upland area. Well, that's that's not true. that if you're buying the whole piece, then it it leaves a lot of it in a natural state, which is a good thing.

But but you're working when you when you figure out the grading here and the I think this detention basin is going to run around to the back.

Yes.

Okay. So, it it will run around the back. Essentially, you're working right up against the wetland line. Yeah, I mean we're maximizing that northeast upland. I know what you're saying. That southwest portion is large. We're not doing anything there.

Right. Well, that you know that that's a you know, and the nice thing about not doing anything down there is it backs up against the conservation land.

Um but but having said that, you're going to make this piece really work. Um, I I think you you you may be able to when I worked out firet truck roundings and stuff, you may be able to make the fire lane 12 or 14 ft wide depending, you know, you know, just to have an ambulance have a place to land or the fire truck have a place to land the,

you know, they as long as they can back into the parking lot. I don't think that has to be 20 ft wide because when you when you do this lane, I think you're going to find the grading that you're showing there that comes off there into the parking lot here.

And that grading that grading is have is going to have to fall down the that that the the fire lane is going to have to be like the level of the parking lot.

Yeah. And right here we show a retaining wall which in in essence is going to have to bend a bit to give us space to get in. But there that is fully intended. I'm not sure 12 or 14 but at least 12 to be able to get here and access. And then I mean the way that we show the concrete walkway is from here all the way up. So if the ambulance

were to back in, they're right there.

Yeah. But but that needs to be at the grade of the sidewalk. Not No. Yeah. below.

Yeah. Yeah.

Absolutely.

So when you when you what what I'm saying is that that line of grading that you see is going to shift down to the property line.

Yes.

And I think the detention basin shifts around the back. But if you if you can make it work, I'm not troubled by the fact that you're essentially consuming this portion of the site.

And and I know you know Gnome has lived with a bumpy parking lot, gravel parking lot full of holes for for years and we we we all sort of you know as long as you can get to breakfast it all seems to work right you know but but u with a two foot high water table they they may find that maintaining this driveway as a gravel driveway is is going to get to be a pain

in the neck.

But I'm not I'm not opposed to it setting it as as a gravel drive and bring from that.

But the butane improvement, shifting those things around, that's all to the good.

So, uh, do we need clarity on the, uh, do we need to get with town council or to get clarity around the requirement for variance as part of that? Some clarity around that, I would think is something I think it would be beneficial. So, because what we want to do here is get this to a point where we're ready to go and then you need a variance and then who goes first.

Yeah. because I know that they're meeting schedule because those are all I know right now if if it was an absolute requirement that we need a variance, we'll be into September at the absolute.

Absolutely.

I have another one on for another variance now. So I know where they're at. Um so yeah, I just I think intelligence on both of our ends should be we should get clarification on that so that you know we can progress this in a in a timely manner so it doesn't just continue and continue.

What exactly is the various for that? Yeah, that would be the other piece. What's the uh what is required?

What is required? You know, go back through the history, figure that out and then go from there.

Definitely.

What what what is what is the nature of the It isn't the the question is the frontage and the way the lot narrows. But my argument for not being but the front the the frontage is 150 ft 70 70 ft 70 ft of frontage and then the roadway when we narrow here it's it's not a clean straight square lot. So that's what happens here. But the argument is So I see

if it's pre-existing, I know that it doesn't necessarily make it buildable, but we got to go through we have to go through it and figure it out what we fall in.

There's pre-existing before zoning.

Yes.

And there's pre-existing after zoning.

Yes.

And they're not the same thing.

No, I understand.

And this was not this was well after zoning. I know that.

So So So this this was a lot that was cut.

will after zoning.

It was connected with the medical center when Dr. Kalan bought all the land and when I don't know why he cut it off, but I think he he's the one that decided to Yeah. Now was back 20 I want to say it's 2010. I have to do the back end on that. I I know I looked at the plan when we originally started this but so we'll Yeah, we'll have to work with

town council to figure out exactly what we're going to fall under for that. So what does Ralph say?

Ralph was under the opinion that we were good but you know bending bearing that in mind I mean we might need a formal opinion from town council to to go forward if I would think that would be on everyone's best interest to get a formal opinion from town council on I don't on that. That way there's no confusion and there's no interpretation.

No because the last thing we want to do is is start playing ping pong back and forth.

Yeah. I don't think we want to be back and forth in this having these conversations for months on end because that's what will happen if it's we don't have a zoning a ruling on zoning if it's 2007 it could be compliant with the frontage. No, ANR doesn't have to be compliant, but if you do compliant with the front, yes, you can make it a parcel, but yeah, I don't I don't think we ever had

70 if there was 70 foot front doors. It was a very long time ago.

I know.

So, that would be my big thing right now is making sure we get out clarified because I don't want to, you know, until we get that rectified, you really you don't want to find that out when you go for a mortgage, right?

Yeah.

Well, you wouldn't the honest it' be a permanent problem.

Exactly. You don't want to come back and then Ralph looks at it again goes, "Oh, I thought it was 700 instead of 70 now.

We got a problem, right? You missed the zero."

You mean those things happen on drawings.

Absolutely.

So, but no, I think that that you don't want to continue spending development pre-development money.

Yeah. without having a definitive answer.

Absolutely.

So, we'll be in contact with Michael India and hopefully have an answer on that later.

So, um motion to continue.

No, no.

He hearing. So, anybody have any questions out in the audience? Any comments?

Motion.

I can just introduce myself.

I assisted uh Leah and my regards to the commission on disability as to look into obviously the parking gave them quite extensive you know some guidance that that followed us for so um anything that we can do in the future to help you with regards to compiance okay thank Okay. Want a motion?

Motion, please.

Uh, Mr. Chair, I move that we continue the public hearing for Gnome Surf uh to August 25th at 6:30.

Second.

All those in favor?

I I I thank you. Have a good night.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thanks for coming, Lisa.

Bye, Lisa. Thank you.

Yes. Thank you.

Okay, next is the planners report.

I just have two quick updates. Um, at our last meeting, I didn't know what the full grant request was going to come in at for the aquatic organism passage funding request. Um, that came in at 5,76,000.

That's the for full engineering and replacement of the culverts at uh on drift road for Kirby Lions and Snow crossings and then the Anjon Brook crossing at Cornell Road. And then our route six corridor plan. I've been making some pretty extensive revisions to that plan over the last couple of weeks and I'm hoping to make that available um kind of as like a working final draft to the planning board as

well as various town committees and um other boards that would like to comment on it.

And then I would anticipate coming back to the board for their for your endorsement in uh it'll probably end up being early September.

Probably the first meeting in September.

Okay.

And the aquatic organism passage grants, when would they be submitted?

It was submitted two weeks ago. Okay.

Um, so now it's just waiting to see when they make decisions on funding.

Okay, good. Assistant planners report.

Sure. So, first up are five updates from Francis Estates. I'll I'll scroll through on the screen through the photos and just kind of read off. They're pretty much the same. Um it covers a lot of the installation of drainage backfill and witnessed installation of the catch basins, installation of piping between drain manholes and other catch basins. I believe Brian Dunn from MBL will be out

there twice more this week to provide more updates. So uh yeah, there's a lot going on with Francis in terms of just this drainage installation, which is great. We've been receiving really consistent updates from MBL and it seems like everything's going great. So feel free to scroll through the photos.

Tracy's attached a lot. And as we do that, I'll wrap up with 222 State Road.

Um, basically Tracy just witnessed the test pits for storm water design as well. As a reminder, that development is on the agenda for August 11th, 2026.

Will where we will review um revised plans and storm water management. So, this is just a quick update on that as well. Thank you.

Okay.

Uh minutes from July 14th.

Mr. Chair, I uh read the minutes. Uh not a long meeting, not long minutes. Uh and uh I think they're accurate and complete and well written. So I move approval of uh minutes of July 14th, 2026.

I second that.

All those in favor?

I abstain. It wasn't here.

Uh other business.

That's why it went much quicker.

I know.

So uh planning board scheduled meeting time.

Um, I'd like to discuss this because, uh, as the day is getting shorter, um, if my eyes stay the way they they are currently, I have trouble driving at night. Mhm.

So, um it's either during those months, um I can participate remotely or we could have an earlier meeting or whatever. What is anybody do other there are other boards that meet at 5, don't they? Is that would that be early enough, Jim?

Not in the winter.

For part of the winter, for part of the year. Yeah.

So for the fall and part of the spring, I think the board of health meets at 3:00.

Really?

Yeah.

My home meets at 4.

Oh, they meet at 4.

Board of Health is 4.

I I wouldn't mind, right? I can I have I'm working, but I can move my schedule around with some flexibility. As long as we set a schedule, and I'll just set my work schedule around it.

That is not a problem.

I could I could meet at 4.

Okay.

My wife would be very happy.

Yes.

And then at 4 and these two might be happier cuz Yeah, they might be happy.

So, if everyone's going to be happy, then it's going to be a bad idea.

Yeah. That's the only problem.

So, but it it also makes it so that if people want to come to a hearing, it's they could be working and it could be Yeah.

impossible. But we'd have to find that.

We don't have that many.

Well, I think it's very important that you're here in person because you run a very good meeting and your knowledge is unsurpassed. It's just harder to do it remotely. Uh so if you want a motion to move the the meetings, when do you want to begin?

Next meeting.

No, we've got it has to be in September.

We don't have any meet any hearings scheduled in September yet.

Yeah. So let's beginning in September.

Um because we've advertised public hearings at 6:30 and stuff like that. So yeah, beginning in September, I we start the meetings at 4.

Okay. Climate resilience committee meeting debrief.

Oh.

Do we have a motion for that?

Oh, you want to move? Yes. Yes. I I move that we move it to 4:00 starting in September. But I I didn't know that if anyone seconded that.

I have a second that.

Second. All those in favor?

I I thank you.

So it with with I don't need to go into details but last year um after the summer and I think it has to do with the amount of UV radiation you get during the day.

My problem went away. I was fine in the winter. But that doesn't mean that'll happen again. So we'll see. Oh, we could cancel all the winter meetings. Let's meet in the summer. It' be another option.

See how long?

I don't think so.

They will be very long meetings.

Okay. Climate resilience committee meeting debrief.

You want me to?

I don't know.

All right. So, I'll do it.

And then then others uh you were at the meeting, Michael and Dia were at the meeting. Uh Bob could not make the last meeting we had last week, I think it was.

Uh but uh we keep getting closer and closer to the finish line. Not that there is a finish line but in terms of having a report that can be submitted to the select board uh it's the finish line is in sight uh in that we have uh virtually a complete draft report. Uh we have undergone uh incremental um reviews of all the chapters and uh have given people an opportunity to look and

review and edit the entire report. So you're not just looking at one chapter, but you're looking at how does this get presented as a whole. Um and we have collected a bunch of comments uh which Jeff and Dia deserve medals after this for what they've done uh in bringing all these uh disperate um reports together into a single uh entity that looks like it was written by a single committee. Um, and we haven't got

illustrations yet. We haven't got uh tables or charts. We have some, but we don't have uh what we need to complete it. Um, but um we set uh a next meeting.

I can't remember the date. Uh 27th August.

27th of August. And it depends. Uh the criteria was that we wanted the next draft of the complete report to go out to the members of the committee 2 weeks in advance. So they don't have to read 70 pages or whatever it is in a day.

And if Jeff and Dia think that we're not going to be able to give people two weeks notice and meet on August 27th, then we'll delay it. Uh so the the next task is for people to have two weeks to look at what will be very close to the final draft and then what I have asked uh members of the committee who were present is uh in order to to resolve issues um

we don't really need general comments Now, we need specific motions with amendments so that if someone says, you know, I move to delete the second paragraph on page 30, that's specific and we know what's entailed in that and they can say why they want to do that and then we can have a vote. And I explained in the committee that um I think it's naive to think that every vote will be unanimous.

uh there will be some differences of opinion and will operate by Robert's rules of order. Um and if someone says I want to change 8 point RCP 8.5 to 4.5, you know, they can make it as a motion and it'll either pass or it'll be amended or it'll fail. Uh but it'll be resolved one way or another. And I I think that's the only way we can avoid endless discussions. Uh we've got to say

here's the issue, whatever it is, vote on it, and now we've settled it. Let's not reargue it. Uh cuz we do have to get to a point where uh we can submit this to the uh to the select board. So, I think we're getting close and uh I think the report is going to be both ve very helpful to Westport and it's going to be copied by a number of other towns

because there's still not a lot of towns doing this and obviously the issues that confront Westport are very similar. you know, whether you're talking Little Compton or other towns in Rhode Island or whether you're going east to Dartmouth, Matapoison, etc., etc. So, I think uh it's been a lot of work over 5 years or whatever it is. Uh but it really is coming to It's not 10.

It seems like 10. I I mentioned early on when I was working for the uh president's council on sustainable development, we had a meeting in Chattanooga and there was a a guy worked at the time for IBM now then became a city councelor named Dave Crockett and yes he's related to the guy with a curry hat and Dave said someone asked him well how long does this take and who needs to

get involved and he said it takes for all of us and it takes forever. So I think you know the issue is that it takes us all and it takes forever but at we're going to submit a report and that'll be a milestone.

So I I'm probably twothirds of the way reading it word by word by word. And what I would find helpful, [snorts] Dia, is the the the the pictures of Westport that show all these little dots of something where they're in the middle.

You can't because it's so small. You need to blow it up so that where that is happening it's right there. Mhm.

And there are I think Joseph Englesby did the best job in terms of recommendations where when he had a recommendation such as no till.

He showed pictures of farms in Westport doing that.

So it was yes, this is local and it's not impossible cuz somebody's already doing it. Um and and so it becomes like a best practices thing. And so if uh if we can find examples when as we go through the recommendations of uh where this is is being done maybe in Westport, maybe nearby, then it it gives encouragement that hey this is not an unscalable mountain.

So, I I just got somebody sent me today some um conservation bylaws and zoning bylaws that Chadam has done as in a response to climate resilience. And I'll for you she can forward it to everybody.

It's interesting. So, Chadam's an interesting place because you got barrier beaches that move significantly, disappear, which is what they're supposed to do.

They're supposed to move, but when you put houses and other things on them, it makes it hard for them, more expensive for them to move. But if you don't have houses and stuff like Monamoy and stuff, it's just fun to watch how they move.

You want a motion to adjurnn, please?

I move we adjourn to August 11th.

Second.

All those in favor?

I