New
business construction, zone changes, additions and even changes in the specific
use of an existing building are subject to a process that often involves
several town commissions, hearings and often bitter controversy about how Canton
should look and grow. It often takes months.
As
part of an ongoing discussion about that land-use process, Neil Pade, town’s
director of planning and community development has proposed the town consider a
public process that would create very specific design standards, regulations
and codes, especially for Route 44 and perhaps a few other areas such as
Collinsville.
“It’s
basically taking that argument and that fight that happens on a case by case
basis night in and night out in our land use commissions meetings and having it
all up front and adopting regulations and then allowing them to be administered
by staff, in house,” Pade told the Board of Selectmen recently.
To
get there, the town would likely engage in an intensive public input process,
that might include a “charette,” in which a consultant would gather input from
residents, business owners, officials and others.
“That
process is not an easy process; It’s not a cheap process,” said Pade, who
estimated the cost at $80,000 to $150,000.
Selectman
Tom Sevigny has been an advocate of such a process.
“This
is essential,” selectman Tom Sevigny said. “I think it changes us from a
reactive land use process to a proactive process.”
The
Design Review Team brochure includes Design Guidelines but this
would go much further, Pade said.
“This
really forever changes the direction this town goes,” Pade said. “It’s an
entire change in culture on how we approach land use.”
It’s
one of the suggestions Pade made to selectmen last week after several
discussions on land use and the town’s Design Review Team, which advises the zoning
commission on applications. The team often meets with developers and makes
suggestions about architecture, landscaping, lighting and similar aspects before they go the Zoning Commission. Earlier this summer, the Chamber of Commerce advocated it be dissolved and after numerous discussions, Pade has made the following recommendations:
- “1. Establish threshold jurisdictional limits. Changes to approved
site plans that fall under certain thresholds would not be required to go to the Design
Review Team (DRT) or possibly Zoning. An example of a regulatory mechanism
that allows this is attached. (See “Technical and Minor Changes”). - 2. Engage in a public process to develop comprehensive standards
in the form of Design Standards, Village District Regulations, or Form Based
Codes (design standards/ regulations/ codes) for specified areas of Route 44,
and possibly Collinsville. - 3. Remove/ reduce the use of special permits to regulate the
commercial corridor (and Collinsville). Instead, streamline the process by allowing
administrative approvals for projects that meet adopted design standards/ regulations/
codes. - 4. Do not preclude development that is not foreseen. Provide
freedom for projects that wish to deviate from specific standards/ regulations/ codes.
(Applicants should have the option to go before the Commission/ DRT to seek
approval of developments that do not comply with adopted standards).”
Selectman
Lowell Humphrey said he felt the Design Review process has resulted in some good designs and while he said he does not oppose standards, he questioned whether such a process takes too many decision out of the public view when specific projects are proposed.
“If
a lot of this moved to staff, is there a risk of losing input from abutting
property owners?” Humphrey asked. “What kind of input does the neighbors have
before construction begins or remodeling?”
Pade
said it would be a huge change but would allow parties on all sides to know
what is expected and have those conversations ahead of time. Many changes in the current rewrite of the Zoning regulations
address what abutters have suggested in application after application, he
added.
Still
Humphrey said he still had concerns.
“My
experience has been that a lot of people don’t pay much attention until the dump
truck back up in the lot next door,” he said.
Humphrey
said the town should also help abutting owners not just businesses. Sevigny
said he felt that such a process is more helpful to citizens, who would know
exactly what the town’s plans are.
“Now
we have no idea and it causes a lot of conflict when developers come in with
their plan,” Sevigny said, adding that the town will now tell developers “what we
want.”
Whatever
the town decides in terms of the design process, it won’t be a quick one. Officials
said projects such as that Zoning Rewrite and the updated Plan of Conservation
and Development, while somewhat related, have to be finished first.
Another
change that could happen quicker is a proposal to combine the town’s Planning
and Zoning Commissions.
Selectmen
discussed the idea of brining that proposal to a town meeting but made no final
decision.
Chief
Administrative Officer Robert Skinner said the town would adopt an ordinance to
dissolve planning and zoning commissions and then create a singular one.
Skinner
is drafting proposed timelines for both ideas and bring it to selectmen in time
for their next meeting on Sept. 11.
See
documents related to the discussion here.
Hear
the entire conversation from the last Board of Selectmen at here.
The Design Review discussion begins approximate 12 minutes in and the Planning and Zoning Commission one about one hour, three minutes.
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