The Warrant Committee is in agreement with Planning Board on articles 2 and 3 of the warrant for Special Town Meeting to be held on September 20th.

The Warrant Committee was challenged by time frame imposed by this meeting. The scheduled hearings relative to certain articles, information gathering, and deliberations could not be completed in time to meet the print deadline and mailing to residents. Consequently, the articles in the warrant that arrived in the mail earlier this week did not contain recommendations from the Warrant Committee.

There are four articles in the warrant: 1) Adoption of the stretch energy code 2) Amend the zoning bylaws-height restriction on accessory structures 3) amend the zoning bylaws – as of right siting and 4) a home rule petition for a liquor license at Ichiro Sushi.

The committee’s work is extensive and their recommendations factor strongly in town meeting deliberations. Since the initial warrant went to press the committee has amended their comments regarding Articles 2 and 3. They concur with the Planning Board’s positions on these 2 articles.
Regarding article 2, passage of which would amend the zoning bylaw to limit accessory structures to 14 feet, the committee comment reads (note: height recommended in 20′ not 14′ as specified in article):

COMMENT: The Warrant Committee concurs with the Planning Board in recommending a height restriction of 20 feet for accessory structures within 30 feet of the rear lot line. The Committee shared a number of the concerns expressed by the Planning Board in selecting a number but feels that the height of 20 feet provides for the appropriate aesthetics in design while preventing the abuse of the current zoning where homeowners add a second story at a later time to an existing one-story structure. The Warrant Committee understands from the Planning Board that they will be reviewing this section of the Zoning Bylaws in detail with the view to presenting an entirely revised Section at the May 2011 Annual Town Meeting. The Planning Board feels that inserting a height restriction now will mitigate or ameliorate the current loophole until a more thorough review can be accomplished.

Regarding article 3, passage of which would substitute language in Chapter 10 of General Bylaws regarding zoning and permit as of right siting, the committee reads:

COMMENT: The Warrant Committee concurs with the Planning Board in recommending that the Town vote to amend the Zoning bylaws by striking the existing Section IV. D. and replacing it with the new language providing for as-of-right zoning for wind turbines. As noted in the report of the Warrant Committee, the driving force for this article are the requirements laid out by the State in the Green Communities Act. At the time of the May 2009 Annual Town Meeting, when the original zoning was created, it was not clear what the benefits would be to the Town, nor was the Town in a place to move forward with an application to be a Green Community. There is now greater clarity as to the process and benefits available to the Town that changing the zoning language to meet the provisions of the Green Community Act makes sense and provides the Town substantial benefit.

You can find the full text of the articles and the Warrant Committee’s recommendations here.