The majority of the Marion Planning Board voted in favor of supporting the Residence E zoning bylaw on the floor at Fall Special Town Meeting on October 22.
No one from the public attended the public hearing for the zoning amendment proposed by town resident Sherman Briggs. The article, which will be on the warrant at the Fall Special Town Meeting, seeks to amend the Zoning Bylaw by reducing the minimum rear and side setback requirements from 20 feet to 10 feet in zoning District Residence E.
Members of the board took the opportunity to reiterate their positions on the proposed amendment.
Vice Chairman Stephen Kokkins reminded the board that he was in favor of the zoning change, citing that for the Briggs project, the reduction in setbacks allows the inclusionary housing required for the development to be co-located on the parcel.
“These reduced setbacks should take into account adjacent properties,” said Kokkins. “This is something the Planning Board can consider as they consider the special permit.”
Member Kristen Saint Don-Campbell expressed her concern that the Town was creating a bylaw for a specific project, adding that in the future if there were more Residence E properties, the owners may not have the Town’s aesthetic or other interests in mind.
Member Andrew Daniel spoke in favor, pointing out that the board will retain the opportunity to address any setback issues during the Special Permit negotiation process.
“This property is unique,” said member Eileen Marum.
All the members of the board but Saint Don-Campbell voted to support this article at Town Meeting.
The board voted to send a letter of support to the Community Preservation Committee for the Marion Open Space and Acquisition Commission’s (MOSAC) multi-use bike path proposal on Point Road.
Board member Chris Collings, who was calling in to the meeting remotely, suggested the board and MOSAC consider contacting Eversource and Verizon about moving utility poles on Point Road during the construction of the path. Collings noted that, “[The utility companies] are obligated if they are in the way to move them. [We] pay Eversource to move the lines. There’s a whole office at Verizon that does it. We must survey and locate the poles; they move the poles on their dime. [Let’s make sure] the group doing the bike path gets the best bike path they can get!”
Daniel asked if the Transportation and Circulation Task Force was aware of the opportunity, and Town Planner Gil Hilario said he would bring it up at its next meeting.
Chairman Will Saltonstall cautioned that Verizon may move the poles for free, but the cost of moving the lines is a big unknown.
In concluding the discussion of the letter of support, member Norm Hills underscored that the MOSAC proposal was no more important than other town applications, saying in the Planning Board’s letter that “the board supported the CPC funding [for the MOSAC proposal] commensurate with other town applications.”
Also during the meeting, the board authorized hiring a consulting engineer to review the application for the solar farm at 78 Wareham Street. The engineer will be selected from a list compiled by the board three years ago in response to a request for proposals. The board felt they should consider updating the list in 2019.
The board also discussed the Town Meeting logistics of the proposed kennel bylaw and determined that Marum will answer any questions that arise, with help from Hilario and other board members, on both the kennel and marijuana articles.
The next meeting of the Marion Planning Board is scheduled for November 5 at 7:00 pm in the Marion Town House.
Marion Planning Board
By Sarah French Storer