Town Of Searsmont

Planning Board Minutes

May 15, 2007

1. Call To Order: 7:00 p.m.

2. Attendance: Vice Chair: Paul Leeper, Jack Degraff, Dave Marceau, Steve Porter,

and Wayne Thomas.

3. Review of applications and Requests: None

4. Minutes: Review of May 1, 2007 minutes. Motion made, seconded and passed

unanimously to accept.

5. Communications:

Unless a special town meeting will be called, next years Town meeting in March 2008

Will have the following items to be voted upon:

1. An updated Comprehensive Plan.

2. Shoreland Zoning as mandated by the State.

3. Timber Harvesting in Shoreland Zones as mandated by the state.

6. Old Business:

Ÿ Discussions took place on the Land Use Ordinance and ways in which in needs to be updated.

Ÿ Sub-division Ordinance updates discussed.

Ÿ Shoreland Zoning topics were discussed. They were focused around the States Mandated update, by July 2008 for the non residential Timber Harvesting. The three choices are:

A. Repeal the states proposal:

Ÿ The down fall of this is 252 of 336 municipalities need to adopt it to make it

accepted state wide.

B. Adopt the States proposal:

Ÿ The positive outcome of this is there will be no need for interpretation by

Forest Rangers.

Ÿ The States regulation for a setback is 75 feet from streams The towns as it is

Now, is at a 100 foot setback. Further discussions will take place on what if

Any, amendments to the States proposal are allowed under this section.

· The States definition of a dock is classified as it can be no wider than 6.

C. Make an equal or more restrictive regulation ourselves for the town of

Searsmont:

Ÿ The Planning Board felt this is very time consuming and rather unrealistic

approach for this issue.

7. New Business: None

8. Adjournment: 8:00 p.m.