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10/23/2019 PB Minutes

TOWN OF BETHLEHEM
Planning Board
October 23, 2019

BETHLEHEM TOWN HALL MEETING ROOM
Minutes
6:00 pm

Present: Chairman Johnathan Stevenson, Mike Bruno, Chris McGrath, Kevin Roy, Kim Koprowski and Chris Jensen
Alternates: Peter Roy was appointed voting member for the night
Excused absence: Marie Stevenson, Anthony Rodrigues and Nick Meachen
Chairman Johnathan Stevenson opened the meeting at 6:00 p.m. All stood for the Pledge of Allegiance.
Chairman Johnathan Stevenson appointed alternate Peter Roy as full voting member for the night.
Chairman Stevenson then read the agenda.
Officials from the White Mountain School presented their conceptual plan to the board. It is for additional faculty housing in a two-story building and a new dormitory to replace an existing dorm.
Both will be serviced with water from Bethlehem and sewer from Littleton.
A carriage house will also be torn down.
The dorm will be about 1,353 square feet with 30 beds and the faculty housing will total about 5,000 square feet.
They plan to use modular housing purchased from a firm in Claremont.
There will be no increase in either staff or the number of students. There will be no increase in traffic.
The timeline for the project is next fall.
It is expected work would begin at 7 a.m. and finish at 3:30 p.m. The only abutters are school students and employees.

Mr. Hanson asked if they could start working the property before the site plan was approved and Mike Bruno and Chairman Stevenson said that is allowed but they cannot pour concrete.
A White Mountain official said they were not requesting a waiver of the site plan approval. The formal site plan review is scheduled for November 13, 2019.
Closed conceptual for White Mountain
Minutes from October 9, 2019
Kim Koprowski made a motion to approve October 9, 2019 minutes and Chris Jensen seconded. It passed 5-2 with Mike Bruno and Kim Koprowski abstaining.
Rules of Procedure document
The public notice was read for the continued hearing for the change of Rules of Procedure.
There was a discussion about whether there should be something about board members who fail to attend meetings. Kevin Roy said that the board should not punish voluntary board members.
It was agreed that members must let the Planning Board Clerk know of their absence. Alternate Peter Roy noted there is already a section that addresses attendance.
Members felt there was no need to add anything else about attendance and if there is a serious problem the board could ask the select board to raise the issue with the planning board member.
Rita Farrell was the only person in the audience and Chairman Stevenson asked if she had any questions or comments.
Mrs. Farrell asked several questions including about the section saying the chairman could set time limits on speakers. It was explained that allows the chairman to give people time based on the size of the audience. If not many people are there, it would be okay to talk longer. But if there is a crowd everyone needs to get a chance to talk.
Mike Bruno motion to accept changes to the ROP, Kevin Roy seconded and it passed 7-0.

The hearing closed at 7:05.
Chris Jensen said planning consultant Tara Bamford did not have time to provide an estimate of the cost of reviewing the board’s application, rules of procedure and manufactured homes regulation.
He said the North Country Council has a special rate for members and he will find out what the rate when he gets estimates from Ms. Bamford for the November 13th hearing.
Debbie Bayley explained to the board about town of Carrol stopping their newspaper advertising. The board felt it was important to tell as many people as possible about things like public hearings.
Board Business
AIRBNB / home sharing discussion
There was a brief mention of what, if anything, should be done. These properties really change the atmosphere of neighborhoods Mr. Kevin Roy said.
Debbie Bayley told the board about a webinar about this on November 20 through NHMA that she plans to watch.
It was also decided that the budget and master plan yearly update will be discussed at the November meeting.
Mike Bruno made a motion to adjourn, Peter Roy seconded and it passed 7-0.

Respectfully submitted
Debbie Bayley
Planning/Zoning Clerk