The Planning Board met on December 10th and discussed but did not limit conversation to the following:

• The board confirmed that there will be two days for public hearings on the zoning overlay article that will appear in the Warrant for Special Town Meeting on 2/21. They discussed the following guidelines. Bill Clark, Planning Director will post final guidelines to the Planning Board’s town web site prior to the first hearing. They agreed to:

1. allow each attorney (Corcoran for Coffman Realty and Upton for Neighbors Against Commercial Development) to speak for 10 minutes
2. Selectmen and state officials will also be given up to 10 minutes for their remarks
3. Citizens, including town meeting members will be given up to 5 minutes for remarks
4. comments will end at 10:00pm on December 21rst and continue on January 4th.

Their will be flexibility and discretion exercised. Jackson said “We won’t cut anyone off in mid-sentence.” To this observer there was some confusion as to whether 1) they would allow citizens to speak more than once 2) allow any attorney up to 10 minutes to speak 3) entertain rebuttals from Corcoran and Upton at the close of citizen remarks and 4) the Planning Board would address questions during the hearings. These issues may be addressed when Clark posts the guidelines online.

• The Warrant Committee will hear arguments at their December 16th meeting regarding the zoning overlay. The respective attorneys will each speak for 10 minutes as will two citizens. The Warrant Committee is not expected to give an opinion until after the public hearings. The meeting will be at 6:30pm at the Council on Aging. Peter Jackson and Emily Innes of the board will be present. Jackson invited other members of the Planning Board to attend also.
• Gene Sullivan from the Milton Landing Condominium Association appeared before the board to discuss the DCR project to connect a path on the Dorchester side with the walkway on the Milton side at Wharf street. THe DCR requires an easement from the condo association which they have not granted. Mr. Sullivan said that they were waiting for a feasibility study in which they were to be included to be done. The study would inlcude analysis of safety issues among other things. Mr. Sullivan is waiting to hear from the DCR on this. “We are not being obstructionist.” Mr Sullivan said.
• The Hendries building is still waiting on a site plan proposal. Mr. Clark noted that there will be more parking available based on what he say. Mr. Whiteside noted “That’s hardly what the problem was,” with the original plan which he said, “stunk.”