The Rochester Planning Board approved the main pylon sign for the Rochester Crossroads commercial development on Cranberry Highway, as expected.
Planning Board Chairman Arnold Johnson during the January 13 meeting ordered a draft decision drawn up for approval during the February 10 meeting when the public hearing was closed and the decision ratified.
The 26-foot LED lit sign with be visible from Interstate 495, the first of several other signs slated for the project that were withdrawn without prejudice during the previous meeting.
The Rochester Zoning Board of Appeals had already granted a special permit for the signage, but the Planning Board ordered the developer to come to the Planning Board for a proper site plan review.
The project also required several waivers, for example, to display a sign that is no more than 9 square-feet in size.
There was a slight pause after Johnson called for a motion to approve, but once made, the motion passed swiftly.
Also during the meeting, Kevin Forgue of G.A.F. Engineering explained an application for an Approval Not Required on behalf of applicants Dennis and Karen Clemishaw of 99 Perry’s Lane.
The Clemishaws were seeking the removal of lot lines separating property straddling the town line between Rochester and Marion in order to create frontage on Perry’s Lane to access one of the lots with no direct access to the road.
With no significant concerns, after a brief discussion, the application was approved.
In other matters, the board approved two separate site plans pertaining to The Pines at Hathaway Pond.
Representatives from The Pines had previously engaged the board in discussion over the addition of several bulkheads to some of the units at the development, but the board requested that plans reflecting the bulkhead additions be submitted.
The board issued four conditions on the plans before approval.
Also discussed, a public forum to review the Limited Commercial District strategy is still in the works, with sickness and snow interfering with previously scheduled dates. A February 21 date has been canceled, and the forum will now be held later in March.
The Planning Board will meet with the Board of Selectmen on February 23 after their meeting to go over the strategy with them before moving forward with the public forum.
“It would be nice if we could get together and discuss things before we went anywhere,” said Johnson. “It’d be nice if the selectmen agreed with us before … or suggested some alternatives.”
The selectmen withdrew any support they had for two articles the Planning Board had on the warrant during the Fall Special Town Meeting, and Johnson alluded to avoiding a similar situation at the Annual Town Meeting in May.
Johnson intends to present the selectmen with the draft bylaw at this stage in its development before moving forward any further.
“And hopefully we’ll have a cohesive document that we can bring to a [public] forum,” said Johnson.
The Planning Board is looking at proposing two articles for the Town Meeting warrant – one that addresses the Limited Commercial District, which is roughly land surrounding the center of town, and the second will serve to add a definition of “mixed use” to the bylaw just in case the first article fails on Town Meeting floor. Johnson called it a ‘failsafe.’
Johnson also updated the board on the progress of hiring a consultant to assist the Town in codifying its zoning and general bylaws.
The chairman told board members that Town Administrator Michael McCue presented him with one estimate for the work, totaling $12,000.
“Which I can’t support right now,” said Johnson. “It seemed like a lot of words in there to justify a big price tag.”
Johnson pointed out that it was only one single estimate and he would keep the board updated as other estimates come in.
The next meeting of the Rochester Planning Board is scheduled for February 24 at 7:00 pm at the Rochester Town Hall.
By Jean Perry
