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New Bill's Pizza Plan Approved Town Manager reorg plan given green light
by Heather Kelley September 29, 2009 — At last night’s Planning Board meeting, Baypath Plaza came back to the Board with a revised plan to tear down and rebuild Bill’s Pizza. Stating that “it’s a much simpler approach,” architect Scott Richardson presented a straightforward project to replace the existing building, eschewing earlier plans to construct a second building in the back of the parking lot.
Plans for the new building include an outdoor deck adjacent to the front entrance, which met with approval from the Board. Member Mark Abate suggested that the 10x20 foot deck could even be enlarged, “in the spirit of downtown revitalization.”
According to Baypath, beer would be served on the deck along with their menu items.
Stating that the new plan “has a lot more character to it … a lot better than that first plan,” member Sandy Altamura agreed that the proposed building would be in keeping with the character of downtown.
The board also considered a shared and offsite parking special permit. Under an agreement with the town, Bill’s shares its parking spaces for the use of those visiting Town Hall, and in return, the town maintains upkeep of the parking lot, including plowing and striping. Under the new plans, the parking lot will not be improved upon. Deciding that the proposed project would not be making anything worse in terms of storm water drainage, Mark Abate urged that the Board move forward with the approval process.
The Board unanimously approved the plans. While Bill’s would be closed during the project, they left open the possibility of selling pizza from a temporary facility during construction.
In a joint session with the Board of Selectmen, both Boards
unanimously appointed John Mosher to the Planning Board.
Citing his 14 years of residency in town, Mosher also presented to those
in attendance his prior work with town committees and boards. Planning Board member Claire Wright queried Mosher as to his Monday night availability for meetings, stating that prior absences of some Board members had held up decisions on various projects. Assured that Mosher planned to make attending the meetings a priority, Wright declared that she “had good experience working with John” and would welcome his appointment.
Member Mark Abate moved “with enthusiasm” to appoint Mosher to the Planning Board. With the Selectmen abstaining from any further questioning of the candidate, the Boards voted their approval of the appointment, which will expire with the next election on May 17, 2010. READ MORE...
The current position of Planning Director, held by Elaine Lazarus, would be transformed into this new directorship. When the Board asked Lazarus for her take on the proposal, she replied that while it would mean “change and more responsibilities” for her position, she felt that it would be “better for the town.”
Vice-Chairman Joe Markey expressed his belief that the many concerned town boards were all waiting for each other to weigh in on Khumalo’s idea before voicing their own opinions. “That’s not a very efficient way to respond to a financial crisis,” he stated.
Member Mark Abate proffered a motion to approve Khumalo’s reorganization, with a caveat that the Board have the chance for a review of the final plan. With member Carol DeVeuve expressing the sole opposition, the Board stamped their approval on the Town Manager’s measure.
The Board unanimously approved Peloquin Estates, a proposed 9-lot subdivision off Front Street on what would be a new dead-end road to be named, according to Lazarus, Magnolia Lane. Much discussion surrounding the application for the subdivision centered on the creation of a $6000 fund for detention basin maintenance until road acceptance by the town, at which point dry well maintenance responsibilities would fall to the individual homeowners.
Stating that “philosophically, I don’t think that’s right” for homeowners to be paying for such maintenance, member Ken Weismantel expressed concern over precedent for individual residents to be paying for upkeep that he felt should be shouldered by the town.
The Board voted to approve the proposal, including a Conservation Restriction that would prevent future homeowners from cutting down live trees or other vegetation with calipers greater than two inches in a no-cut easement.
Vice Chairman Markey postponed a scheduled discussion of the proposed expansion of Golden Pond due to lack of time. |
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A second applicant’s inability to attend a previously scheduled joint
interview had postponed the session with Mosher until last night.
According to Vice Chairman Joe Markey, that applicant had since
rescinded an expression of interest in the position, and the Boards
focused their attention on Mosher.
Town
Manager Norman Khumalo returned to the Board to further explain the
job description, organizational chart, and cost savings of his proposed
consolidation of some Town Hall departments under a new Director of Land
Use, Licensing and Permitting. Stating that “we are creating consolidated work forces” with
this restructuring, Khumalo explained that 3 administrative assistants,
dealing respectively with permits, finance and inspections, would assist
the Director, performing tasks currently undertaken by 7 separate
positions. The Finance Assistant position would be 25 hours but budgeted
at 40.