CHINA: More discussions take place on appeals board ordinance

by Mary Grow

China select board members spent the first hour and a half of their two-hour March 6 special meeting talking about the Board of Appeals Ordinance that they, planning board members, board of appeals members and other residents have been discussing since early January.

The result of their deliberations is a draft revised ordinance that they intend to present to voters at the June 13 town business meeting.

Board member Brent Chesley, whose initial amendments on Jan. 3 started the series of not always amicable public conversations, had divided proposed changes reacting to his proposed changes into three categories: those from town attorney Amanda Meader; those from the China planning board; and two from other sources.

[See related story: Planners vote unanimously to forward new version of appeals board ordinance, following another fight]

Attorney Meader’s recommendations were accepted unanimously and without discussion.

Planning board proposals were uniformly rejected, mostly with select board members Chesley, Blane Casey and chairman Wayne Chadwick opposing them and members Jeanne Marquis and Janet Preston favoring them.

A recommendation from an unnamed resident, supported by China Region Lakes Alliance executive director Scott Pierz, to have any variance that the Board of Appeals approves recorded in the county Registry of Deeds within 90 days was unanimously approved. (A variance is an exception to an ordinance requirement.)

Suggested language from the China Lake Association board of directors, via an email from vice-president Eric Lind, directing the Board of Appeals to make sure an approved variance would not harm nearby water bodies and authorizing the board to add conditions to a variance was rejected. Only Marquis and Preston voted to add it.

Board members asked Town Manager Rebecca Hapgood to have the ordinance in final form for planning board members to consider at their March 14 meeting.

There will be a public hearing on the proposed ordinance before it goes to voters, Chadwick told audience members. And, he said, on the June 13 town meeting warrant it will appear with a recommendation from the select board that voters approve it; he does not object to adding a recommendation from the planning board if that board chooses to make one.

The June 13 town business meeting will be by written ballot, Hapgood said; select board members so voted last fall.

The budget that select board members approved March 6 was slightly amended to incorporate their Feb. 27 decisions (see the March 2 issue of The Town Line, p. 2). It was to be forwarded to the budget committee for consideration at a March 7 meeting.

The next select board meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 13.