Zoning Board – Meeting Minutes

Thursday December 3, 2020 - 5:30 p.m.

(Pursuant to Governor Gina M. Raimondo Executive Order 20-100 updated November 30, 2020, this meeting was held via Zoom as all public meetings shall be held virtually, and no members of the public body should be convening in person.)

 

 

A.  CALL TO ORDER

Mr. Pawelkiewicz called the workshop meeting to order at 5:34 p.m.

 

 

B.  PLEDGE OF ALLEGIENCE

Mr. Brockway lead the Board and meeting attendees in the Pledge of Allegiance.

 

 

C. ROLL CALL AND REVIEW OF STAFF ATTENDANCE

 

Members Present:     Chairman Walter Pawelkiewicz, and Members Larry Cioppa, Doug Brockway, Jeffrey Russo, Alternate Member James Torres, and Alternate Member Dawn Robinson

 

Members Absent:      None

 

Staff Present:             Zoning Official Nathan Reichert, Minute Taker Stephanie LaSota, Assistant Solicitor for Planning & Zoning Todd J. Romano, Esq., Director of Information Technology Marc Tate

 

Ms. Robinson introduced herself and said she was looking forward to serving on the Zoning Board. Mr. Pawelkiewicz shared that Vice Chairman John Ornberg has resigned for personal reasons and will be missed.

 

D. WORKSHOP

 

1.   Discuss update on Zoning Ordinance changes.

 

Mr. Reichert reviewed that last month the Zoning Board adopted and changed the timeline for filing Zoning applications and that there would be no in-person preapplication hearings anymore. He also reviewed that the Zoning Board will receive meeting packets a month in advance and have four weeks to digest application information. There was discussion on the process for granting waivers in the preapplication phase of an application. Atty. Romano reminded the Zoning Board that they could require an applicant to submit additional information at any time whether it was previously waived or not. He suggested Zoning Board members contact the Zoning Official immediately if they have an objection to a waiver being granted by the Zoning Official. Mr. Reichert explained the future plans for an online Zoning portal and said the ultimate goal will be to electronically provide meeting packets to the Board.

Zoning staff and the Board discussed changes to various areas of the Zoning Ordinance, including the height requirements in flood zones and the Shore Commercial Watch Hill Zone, and solar energy in Industrial Zones. Atty. Romano asked the Board members to review the Special Use Permit criteria.

Mr. Reichert reviewed that the Zoning Board election will be held in January and a new Vice Chairman will be nominated them.

 

2. Board Rules – update due to ordinance changes discuss changes. – There was no discussion on this agenda item.

 

3. Zoning concept discussion – Hardship.

 

The Board agreed to table the discussion of hardship to a January workshop meeting to allow for more time to review the subject. Atty. Romano suggested the Board also discuss mass at the workshop. Mr. Torres said he would be interested in further discussing development in the Misquamicut district, as well as land clearing.

 

4. Transparency issues in Planning and Zoning – There was no discussion on this agenda item.

 

E. ADJOURNMENT

Mr. Russo made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 6:50 p.m. Mr. Brockway seconded the motion. The motion CARRIED by unanimous vote with no abstentions.

 

 

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Stephanie J. LaSota

Minute Taker

 

 

 

 

Approved by vote of the Board on January 14, 2021