CHARLOTTE PLANNING COMMISSION

7:00 P.M., THURSDAY, AUGUST 5, 1999

TOWN OFFICES, 425-3533 



Members
Present:

Chairman Al
Moraska

Josie Leavitt

Dave Brown 

David Woolf




Members
Absent:

Jeff McDonald 

Ed Melby

Jim Donovan




Guests Signed
in:

Raven Davis

Michael Rubin

Jane Kirby

Margaret Titus
(not signed in)

Connie Markle

Sylvia Sprigg

Marty Illick

Charles Brush
(not signed in)




1. Site Visit, 6:00 p.m. Four Planning Commission members visited the property of Gary Wulfson
relative to his 3-lot subdivision application. 

2. Minutes: Postponed until next meeting, as they were running late.

3. Huntington "Skip" Sheldon / Jane Kirby, Lake Road, Final Plat hearing for a 10.1 acre
subdivision: (7:15) Jane Kirby and Skip Sheldon introduced themselves and brought updated
plans before the commissioners along with a report on septic from Civil Engineering Design, and a
review from Spencer Harris who okayed the plan as long as it is only for a one-bedroom residence.
Mr. Sheldon described location of the barns and other buildings, and told some of the property's
history.

Al Moraska move to approve 10.1 acre lot on Lake Road at the corner, with the condition
that septic review by Spencer Harris is adequate for a one-bedroom house. Dave Brown
seconded the motion and it was approved, 4-0 with 3 members absent.

4. Review the Stearns / Masterson decision: Al Moraska noted that during the last meeting they
had made the open space area on the southern boundary 650'; but it was discovered that would
encroach on the building envelope. The distance has been changed to read "550' north of the rear
property line."

Dean Bloch noted on the septic design sheets (by J. H. Stuart), that the distance from the neighbor's
well was over 300', and he said when Spencer Harris was at the site, he indicated that the septic is
about 300' from the well.

Chairman Al Moraska signed the decision so that Dean can issue a building permit, now that all the
rest of the concerns expressed in the approval have been addressed.

5. Charlotte Central School / Margaret Titus, easement for Recreational Field: Charles
Brush represented the applicants in asking for the recreation easement from Margaret Titus. He
described all the details on the plans which are to build a soccer field behind the school, partially on
land owned by Margaret. He showed where the drainage will occur and catch basin, etc. 

Dave asked if this would cause any problems with the school's septic; but that is at the other end of
the property.

Connie Markle, a neighbor from 190 Hinesburg Road, downhill from the school, asked a question
that was suggested to her by some other neighbors: Will there be issues with drainage, due to the
fact that she is downhill from the school? The answer is apparently that with all the catch basins and
the current flow into the fire pond on the other side of the road, it does not appear that there will be
any water going that far away from the opposite side of the school, down to her property. Margaret
said she is satisfied that the drainage won't go on her property.

Jim Donovan had asked whether there should be an inlet so the water won't "pond up." That is why
they put in a catch basin. Mr. Brush said the other concern of Jim's is that they maintain the hedges;
they would like the option of changing the number and variety of the trees than the 5-to-6' pines in
the schedule. If Margaret wants bigger trees or a different variety, he wants the option to change
that with her approval. 

Al said there had been a concern about the plantings, but Mr. Brush said they've moved the location
of the trees so they are on her property, outside the drawing lines. There would be the (proposed)
fence, and then the trees which would be outside of the drainage lines. Al asked how high the fence
would be, and (when they can afford it) the height may be 5'; he expects they may be getting the
balls out of the bushes, or even Margaret's back yard, several times.

Al also voiced concern about any dug wells that may be disturbed by the construction equipment,
such as if there are any that are less than 20' away from the soccer field. There was a discussion
with Margaret about this.

Al Moraska moved to approve the Site Plan application for the expansion of the recreation
fields at Charlotte Central School with the following conditions:

1) The plantings on the Margaret Titus property be overseen by, and subject to approval
by Margaret Titus.

2) The hedge on the eastern border will be maintained to the extent that it's on school
property.

3) A catch basin shall be installed as presented on the plat even though it may be of a
different brand. (The size will be the same.)

Dave Brown seconded the motion and it was approved, 4-0 with 3 members absent.

Asked about funding, Mr. Brush said he believes the Land Trust would provide the funds to
purchase the easement and the school funds would provide the rest.

6. Discussion of proposed soccer field on Ferry Road near railroad: Skip Sheldon, acting on
behalf of Dave Wulfson, said he wanted to ask the Planning Commission to understand why he
wants to have the soccer field. This farm field has been in existence for 40 years, he said, and it is
his intention that it will be under charter as a newly formed non-profit facility that is available to
people in the town who want to play games other than on school property. As part of the town they
have property by the lake but that's really to play tennis and baseball. A year ago they went to the
previous Zoning Administrator and said they wanted to see if the land would grow grass for this
purpose; if it did not, they would give up on the idea. He said he is here tonight with a check and will
apply for a permit if that is what the Planning Commission wants him to do. He brought a sketch of
his proposal and invited people to go down and see it.

First he wanted grade the section, sod and plant it with grass to see if it would grow. That is a
permitted use for an agricultural or industrial experiment. He said it has withstood the drought, and
for this part Mr. Cox said he didn't need a permit. The parking lot he proposes is the one used for
the Darling Boat Yard although he has not asked them yet. Josie asked if this is where the
production company is now, and she said they may have issues with parking although they may not
object to having the children disembark from - say - a bus from the school.

Dave Brown said his concern was to make it safe for the children, and he would like to see the
parking lot for the railroad be the same parking lot the soccer field will use, not two separate
parking lots. Skip agreed, but there needs to be adequate parking space and until the railroad does
come in they need to be able to go somewhere. Dave said since this is close to the road the concern
is that kids will be chasing the ball out into the road and that should be dealt with. Skip agreed, and
he wanted to see what issues could be addressed for, now.

Dave asked if the soccer field could be built the other side of the brook, use the same parking lot
and the same driveway as the railroad will be using.

Skip replied that the State has agreed - in principle at least - to the full 40 acres, and they will take
out of the 40 acres the amount that is specific to the railroad and the parking lot, and they will give
back the remaining 32 acres. They ask that they can take out 6 acres that they deem to be natural
wildlife habitat (he described the area as furthest away from Ferry Road). In exchange, they give
back the remaining 32 acres and the money to make a proper field and a proper parking lot.

Dave asked if they had thought about some kind of fencing. Skip said fencing would be offensive to
some folks and he is leaving the 30-to-40' of Queen Ann's Lace (wildflowers) there to stop some of
the balls. But Dave said he feels with his one vote on the Planning Commission he must keep in mind
the safety of the children who will be using it. Skip said one of the technical aspects of this, is that
because they are generally young children they are playing half-fields and are using the field in an
opposite direction rather than towards the road. This is in effect, two fields. At Charlotte Central
School they play on a half-field.

Al Moraska, looking at the town's bylaws, said this appears to be a conditional use - that of a
recreational use in a rural district. Dean said he and Louis Cox looked at it as: the Rural District is
on the north side of Ferry Road, and public or non-profit outdoor recreation is how they looked at
it. But Al said it is also a conditional use in a commercial / industrial zone. Dean said they are looking
at that as the rural district and it would be operated as a nonprofit outdoor facility. Skip said it is a
nonprofit and showed the registration. (It should be noted that this is only a discussion and
certain permits have not been filed; also the actual hearing will not happen until the first
Thursday of September.)

Josie asked if there is any temporary fencing, and Skip said he would do as the Planning
Commission asked. Dave Woolf said the kids may want to decide they want to play the full field;
and Josie added the supposition that an adult soccer league may want to play the full field. Skip
protested that this is only for - say - August 31st to October 31st and he doesn't want to think there
isn't enough time to prepare for this temporary use.

Selectboard Chair Marty Illick asked if they couldn't use the fence, and when they are done with it
donate it to the school. Skip agreed that is an option. Dave Brown said he doesn't have a problem
with using it this year as a temporary field as long as it is safe for the children. However he would
like the permanent field to be across the brook and the permanent parking lot the same as the one
for the railroad. He said people shouldn't be offended by the fence if it is only for a couple of
months. Al suggested that a roll of chicken wire might do the trick. Dave Woolf said there would be
few balls going the 150' distance to the road. Josie said not many folks would object to chicken
wire.

Sylvia Sprigg asked if there were plans to pay tournaments there, in which case a fence would be
mandatory. Al asked about a crosswalk. Skip said the Larsons had offered their field, but that
would be un-playable if it's wet.

Al Moraska said there is still the problem of traffic especially when the ferries are disembarking and
loading, so they have to consider folks crossing the road. Dave Brown said he would personally like
to see, instead of people parking and coming up out of there, that they park across the road, with a
caution light for them to cross the road. The reason is this: there is a slight knoll where the tracks
are, and when anyone tries to pull out of a driveway nearby it is a sudden surprise to anyone driving
along the road to suddenly see someone coming out in front of them. (He said he lives on the
Limerick Acres road and encounters these problems every day.)

There is a portable unit with the orange lights blinking commonly used for construction that could be
use for this. Skip said the fields would be used every afternoon from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. To Marty
Illick's question, Dave said that is safer than trying to come up out of the field which has brush next
to the road. Skip agreed that it is hard for the tractors to come out of there as well.

Josie was concerned that the production company that has moved in across the road may object.
Even though there is a large parking lot those things need to be worked out.

Al said both of these are safety issues, and are things to consider at the Site Plan Review which
Dean scheduled for the meeting of September 16, 1999 in order to allow time for the Warning.

7. Livable Communities Grant: Marty Illick came in to discuss the EPA Community Grant
applications. Dean Bloch wrote an outline of what is needed to apply for this. She said Kate Bortz
has offered to help with it. Dana Farley, who normally would help has time restrictions right now and
there is only a short time before the application deadline.

Al asked Marty if she felt they should skip the Municipal Grant and just go for the EPA Community
Grant. Marty said they should go for both of them, because this is such an important point in time:
they have the Town Plan, they need to have the Village Master Plan ready to go, and the water plan
for the village and these have to be in place. 

The deadline on the EPA Municipal application is the end of September; Al suggested that some of
the information on the Livable Communities grant would be applicable to the EPA grant as well.
Marty asked Dean if he looked at staggering the time in which they were to use each of the
allocated monies is they are approved for the grant. Al said they should take Kate Bortz up on her
offer to help with the details.

Dean agreed to do the application but said there may be with things such as the criteria. Marty said
Kate will not be writing the grant, but can lend valuable advice and may help speed this up. Dean
said sometimes there are folks who are willing to donate some of the services. Josie asked if there is
an engineer in Charlotte who would provide a certain amount of the septic study "pro-bono." (Not
the whole thing, but say, $5,000 of it.) Al said they would work with the EPA grant first and they
would call Kate. Marty offered to bring in a copy of the Vergennes Master Plan, and she said they
would try to see what it would cost to have the wastewater study done. Josie asked if there was an
engineering school around here that might have an intern willing to help as they did with
Conservation.

8. Other Business: Al Moraska signed the mylar for Charlotte Fire & Rescue.

Al reported that the Selectboard has requested that one member each from the Zoning Board of
Adjustment and the Planning Commission meet a couple of times a year to talk about personnel
issues, and to talk about job performance which will translate, in review, to salary. It's an attempt,
Marty said, to start a review process. This is required anyway; it's an attempt to continue with the
update of the job descriptions. Marty said the Selectboard will be doing the same thing.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:00 p.m.

Submitted by Nancy Lane





APPROVED BY THE CHARLOTTE PLANNING COMMISSION