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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-10-28 ad Hoc - Zoning Advisory Committee MinutesTown of Reading Meeting Minutes r y' a Board - Committee - Commission - Council: Zoning Advisory Committee Date: 2013 -10 -28 Building: Reading Town Hall Address: 16 Lowell Street Purpose: General Business Attendees: Members - Present: David Tuttle David Traniello Marsie West George Katsoufis Eric Bergstom Members - Not Present: Jeff Hansen Others Present: Jean Delios- Town Planner Jessie Wilson - Staff Planner Erin Calvo -Bacci Ralph Willmer - VHB Consultant Time: 7:30 PM Location: Board of Selectmen Room Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Jessie Wilson, Staff Planner Topics of Discussion: There being a quorum the meeting was called to order at 7:35 PM. Ms. Delios welcomed Mr. Ralph Willmer, the Zoning Consultant from VHB to the meeting. She said that the agenda for the meeting will cover some of the items he has been working on, including the public outreach plan. She noted that public participation is very important in this project and the goal is to hear from as many stakeholders as possible. Stakeholder interviews have begun and a list of those individuals /groups has been developed. In addition the Public Outreach Plan, Mr. Willmer will be providing a Zoning Diagnostic which will identify holes in the bylaw and also identify areas for improvements. Mr. Willmer told the ZAC that he developed a plan outlining the goals for public participation. He hopes to gain input from 5 major groups including the ZAC, Stakeholder Interviews, Public Workshops, the Project Website, and Town Meeting. A schedule has been developed for the ZAC, although some meetings may not be required, we did want to keep a placeholder on some of these dates. Within that schedule, there are four (4) public forums, an update to the Board of Selectmen and then a final presentation to Town Meeting. Mr. Willmer said that during the regular ZAC meetings, he will have a specific agenda relating to the deliverables. He will usually begin with a presentation of his work and then open up for discussion by the ZAC. Page 1 1 2013 -09 -03 Town of Reading - Meeting Minutes Mr. Willmer provided an update on the status of the stakeholder interviews. He reported that he has developed a questionnaire for the interviewees so that there is consistency between interviews. So far he feels there are some common themes and that new issues have been identified. In regards to public outreach, he plans on using a variety of tools including media outlets and flyers. He also described the live -work map which he uses at the meetings to help identify where the attendees live or work in Reading. Not only does this provide a good idea on who is in the room, but it also identifies what areas are under - represented. Mr. Willmer added that they use an electronic polling tool. This is a tool which can be used to ask specific questions in which some may not be willing to personally answer. After each public forum, VHB will provide a summary report including notes of comments and questions. Proiect Website Mr. Willmer said one of the other items VHB will provide is a project website. However, it needs to be determined whether to host from VHB's website or from the Town's. Ms. Delios recommends the project website be held on the VHB website. The ZAC agreed that would be the best solution for the project website. Mr. Willmer said they can begin working on the website and he will coordinate with staff in regards to providing graphics. In addition, Mr. Willmer presented the ZAC with an outline of what the project website content would consist of. The ZAC had a discussion regarding Town Meeting updates. It was agreed that a summary of changes need to be tracked so that when the material is presented at Town Meeting, members can quickly understand what has changed. Mr. Tuttle asked if there will be an update at the upcoming Town Meeting. Ms. Delios replied that the warrant closed and it was difficult to get a presentation /update prepared for Town Meeting. However, a number of zoning warrant articles will be presented and it would be possible to put a verbal plug about the project and the upcoming public forum. Mr. Traniello suggested providing a flyer at Town Meeting regarding the public forum. Ms. Delios also said that the Town has a good database of emails from the Town Clerks Office as well as some email lists within the Community Services Department in which the information can be pushed out. In regards to the public forums, Mr. Katsoufis suggested the material be posted on the project website in advance so that attendees would be prepared for the meeting. Progress Update on Stakeholder Interviews and Zoning Diagnostic Mr. Willmer said that he has been working on the definitions. He will touch base with staff regarding a few questions he has. In addition, he has been working with Edith Netter, Attorney, on generating recommendations. He has begun the stakeholder interviews. He will continue to reach out to individuals on the list. Public Forum The ZAC discussed various alternatives for a meeting location. It was agreed to consider the Senior Center and the Library for a meeting at 7:30PM on November 18, 2013. Mr. Willmer said the agenda would include an introduction presentation about zoning, an update on the project, and the steps moving forward. He will also present the key findings of the zoning diagnostic and then open up for questions. He also intends to use the electronic polling tool. Ms. Delios said the key is to keep people engaged. She suggested to being with explaining the role of zoning and how it plays into what property owners can or cannot do. Page 1 2 Town of Reading - Meeting Minutes Ms. Erin Calvo -Bacci suggested reaching out to the Patch to get people involved. Mr. Katsoufis suggested that a graphic be prepared which outlines the existing bylaw, similar to the Table of Contents, but broken out to the next level. This way, attendees of the forum will have something to reference during discussion if they are not yet familiar with the zoning bylaw. He also asked if the Board of Selectmen would need to get involved because they are the Roadway Commissioners. Ms. Delios replied that they can address that as it comes along. Ms. Wilson reminded the ZAC that the next meeting will be on November 6th which is a Wednesday. ApRroval of ZAC Minutes Mr. Traniello moved to approve the October 16, 2013 ZAC Minutes. Motion was seconded by Mr. Tuttle and carried 5 -0 -0. Adiournment On a motion by Mr. Tuttle, seconded by Mr. Traniello, the ZAC moved to adjourn at 9:OO113M. Motion carried 5 -0 -0. Page 1 3 2013 -09 -03