TOWN OF SHARON

PLANNING BOARD

 

Minutes of a Meeting of the Planning Board held on December 28, 2005, at 7:30 p.m., in the Town Offices.

 

                             PRESENT:   REGINA MANISCALCO, CHAIR

                                                ELI HAUSER, VICE CHAIR

                                                WAYNE BRADLEY, CLERK

                                                ARNOLD COHEN

                                                PETER O’CAIN, ASST. TOWN ENGINEER

 

Business Transacted:

 

I.                Meeting called to order.

 

FORM A PLANS

None.

 

SIGN REVIEW

None.

 

II.            DISCUSSION RE: TOWN MEETING ARTICLES

 

The Board had decided not to go forward with any zoning articles for the Spring Town Meeting.  Instead, any proposed articles relating to the CSD would be brought to Fall Town Meeting to give the Board adequate time to prepare the articles.  The article regarding rezoning of South Main Street/Old Post Road  will be tabled at this time.  Mr. Bradley did say that if there is anything we can do about that area, that article also should be brought to Fall Town Meeting.  However, Mr. Cohen said that the Board should first find out if in fact Mr. Intoccia is really interested in rezoning that area.  If he is not, the Board would be wasting its time trying to rezone.

 

 

                                                                   ___________________________

                                                                               Administrative Assistant

 

 

 

Planning Board Minutes                              Page Two                                December 28, 2005

 

Mr. Hauser reported that he had spoken with Mr. Intoccia’s attorney, Mr. Shelmerdine.  Mr. Shelmerdine indicated that the Town would have to come up with a business rationale for what it would like.  Mr. Shelmerdine did not seem too positive about the mix the Town would like to see, but said that he would speak with Mr. Intoccia about the Town’s suggestions. 

 

Mr. Bradley said that if the Board was looking to plan five or ten years down the road, then it should go forward with this rezoning.  You have to be ready for what may happen if Intoccia doesn’t build or sells the property to someone else.  Mr. Cohen agreed and said it would be to the Town’s advantage to rezone this area.  Mr. Hauser added that as long as 40B’s are viable, you can build a 40B in a commercial zone.  He said that the Board needed to stress size restrictions for the rezoned areas, which was something that wasn’t clear the last go round.  Ms. Cheyer, a Town resident, suggested the Board needed to hire a planner who would be able to paint a clear picture of what the Town is looking for.  She said that if the Board was going to bring the rezoning of that area to Town Meeting again, it needed to come up with new ideas and not just regurgitate the same arguments as last time.

 

Mr. Cohen said that the last time the residents of that area just didn’t want any rezoning period.  They were the ones that came to Town Meeting and voted it down.  If you could get a real cross section of Town residents to come to Town Meetings, you may have a better chance of getting something like this passed.  But residents do not come to Town Meetings unless it is for something that affects them.  The best argument for rezoning may just be that if the rezoning is not passed, you could just get a huge housing development in your backyard.

 

Mr. Hauser said that there were three points the Board needs to look at:

  1. What does the Board want to rezone.
  2. Does the Board need a big master plan or does it have one implied or implicit;
  3. Revisit the discussions of the last go round and see what worked and what didn’t.

 

Mr. Cohen added that this is a good parcel for commercial development as it is near Route 95 and is on the outskirts of Town.  If you can’t put it here, where would you put it?  Mr. Hauser added that this Town has an implied philosophy that the residents don’t want any land developed and would like to see all undeveloped land become conservation land.  That is the main obstacle to getting any rezoning passed in the Town. 

Planning Board Minutes                                 Page Three                            December 28, 2005

 

Ms. Maniscalco asked Mr. O’Cain to provide the Board with an updated map of developable land in Sharon.

 

III.       There being no further business before the Board, the meeting was adjourned at 9 p.m.