OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Weathersfield Planning Commission Meeting - October 11, 2025

Planning Commission — Saturday, October 11, 2025
BodyWeathersfield, Vermont
SessionPlanning Commission
DateSaturday, October 11, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:15:09

Transcript — Verbatim
0:07

Well the time is 6 30.

0:09

We'll go ahead and call the meeting to order, but we want to wait for thank another minute or so or we could do it.

0:18

I'll go ahead and call me to order 6 30.

0:22

First item on the agenda is agenda review.

0:25

Is everybody happy with the way it's set up?

0:27

Don't see any need to move anything around.

0:30

Other board members.

0:34

All right.

0:35

Comments from Chair and Land use Administrator.

0:38

I don't have any comments at this time other than uh thank you, Brian, for caring meeting for me.

0:44

Last week I had some personal issues.

0:47

Uh kind of precedent over other things.

0:50

Uh Brian, do you have anything?

0:53

Any comments from citizens regarding items not on the agenda?

0:58

Everybody rush this at once.

1:00

We just have more online, Mr.

1:01

Sherman.

1:02

Uh, do you have any comments?

1:04

Uh DeForest from items not on the agenda.

1:07

I do not.

1:08

Thank you.

1:10

Okay, moving on to approval of meeting minutes for September 15th, 2025 and September 29th, 2025.

1:18

Uh, we'll do these in two separate uh motions for clarity on it.

1:23

Um, do I have a motion to approve the meeting minutes of September 15th, 2025 with corrections as necessary?

1:31

So moved second now.

1:33

Uh these minutes that are posted here were the actual minutes that we were supposed to have in the last packet.

1:39

Um Brian and I discussed that earlier, trying to figure out where the this um miscommunication was, and it was the August 18th minutes were uploaded into the last packet.

1:49

So these are the correct ones on here.

1:52

The um one thing I had for corrections, which was kind of mentioned in the previous meeting under section three, was to have uh just the wording from the attorney's letter uh placed into that section as well.

2:06

Uh that Mike had written out or read aloud for the record.

2:10

So Stephanie in the previous packet, I think there's two packets ago on that one.

2:16

There was a whole letter from the attorney in there.

2:19

You can just copy what you said we want there in the day.

2:21

Appreciate it.

2:23

I've got one that's important to conduct.

2:26

Yeah.

2:27

Um it was at this meeting.

2:30

Uh that a motion was made to have the special meeting on the 29th.

2:34

And that motion's not in these minutes either.

2:37

Okay, because that's not part of our scanning committee uh dates.

2:41

So I don't remember who did the second.

2:45

I I think I made the motion.

2:47

Who seconded it?

2:48

I think I seconded.

2:49

Okay.

2:50

Yeah, and then we did that, and there are any other bills to second it.

2:54

Yeah, and and that uh that motion was to um to have a special meeting on September the 29th, our morale hall.

3:03

Um at 6 30.

3:08

Uh that was the motion.

3:10

And are these meeting minutes the ones that yes?

3:13

Uh Michael, the scelbrum, isn't it?

3:15

Um yeah, still it's A EL.

3:20

And that's on line 11 of the 2015.

3:25

Oh, I'm not too upset about that kind of thing because there's other words you could write in there, the movie words.

3:36

But the bulk of everything I saw in here was good.

3:39

Um, any other uh discussion on the meeting minutes from the 15th.

3:45

All in favor of passing the meeting minutes because 15th of September with corrections think of 55 or saying aye.

3:52

Aye, aye.

3:53

Any opposed, 65 by saying nay, and any abstentions?

3:57

Motion is passed.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Education███████████████████19%
Utilities Management███████████████15%
Procedural██████████████14%
Land Use Planning████████████12%
Parks and Recreation███████████11%
Telecommunications Infrastructure███████7%
Economic Development██████6%
Engineering And Infrastructure████4%
Public Engagement███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Weathersfield Planning Commission Meeting - October 11, 2025

The Planning Commission met to continue work on the town plan readoption, focusing on the Education, Utilities & Facilities, and Economic Development chapters. Members reviewed staff drafts, debated specific language, and made several decisions to advance the plan.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of September 15, 2025 minutes: Approved with a correction to include the attorney's letter wording and the motion for the September 29 special meeting. (Motion passed unanimously.)
  • Approval of September 29, 2025 minutes: Approved with corrections to remove overly specific language (e.g., “Mr. Bosenberg said”) and to reinsert line numbers and recording length. (Motion passed unanimously.)

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No public comments were offered on items not on the agenda.

Discussion Items

  • Education Chapter: Commissioner Joe presented proposed changes. The board debated:
    • Adding language to support preschool and child care facilities (agreed to add).
    • Including sidewalk references near the school (rejected due to past voter rejection of sidewalks; a compromise using “could be” was not accepted).
    • Maintaining text about community career exposure (deferred pending school feedback).
    • Changing “public or independent” to “independent or public” high school choice (left as-is since meaning unchanged).
    • Adding context on how the SU (Supervisory Union) budget works (agreed to draft explanatory language for future inclusion).
  • Utilities & Facilities Chapter: Commissioner Brian reported on water/sewer issues and cell tower regulations. Key points:
    • A 250+ gpm well on fire district land is leased to Deep Meadow Farm; status of lease renewal unknown.
    • Agreed to change “shall be required” to “may be required” for developer-funded infrastructure extensions.
    • Cell tower height reduced from 140 ft to 110 ft per consultant recommendation.
    • Setbacks: debated raising residential setback to 1500 ft (similar to schools) for consistency; board asked Brian to confirm rationale with expert Annette.
    • Ridgeline protection: discussion on naming specific ridgelines vs. leaving general language; board suggested Brian identify prominent ridgelines using GIS and existing tower coverage maps.
  • Economic Development Chapter: Commissioner Ryan presented minor edits:
    • Added language supporting home-based businesses under “present economic conditions” and “rural economy”.
    • Clarified wording on mixed-use areas (industrial/commercial with residential) to focus on working with businesses rather than mediating.
    • Added statement that lack of water/wastewater infrastructure limits economic scale (agreed to insert).

Key Outcomes

  • Approved both sets of meeting minutes with noted corrections.
  • Agreed to incorporate preschool/child care language into Education chapter.
  • Deleted sidewalk reference from Education chapter.
  • Directed staff to contact the school about reasons for striking community career exposure section.
  • Directed Brian to draft SU budget context and consult with school on that language.
  • Reduced cell tower height to 110 ft and tasked Brian with confirming 1500 ft setback rationale.
  • Instructed Brian to develop a list of prominent ridgelines for cell tower siting.
  • Added home-based business references and infrastructure limitation statement to Economic Development chapter.
  • Next meeting will continue with Housing and Transportation chapters; no select board presentation planned until chapters are consolidated.

Meeting Transcript

Well the time is 6 30. We'll go ahead and call the meeting to order, but we want to wait for thank another minute or so or we could do it. I'll go ahead and call me to order 6 30. First item on the agenda is agenda review. Is everybody happy with the way it's set up? Don't see any need to move anything around. Other board members. All right. Comments from Chair and Land use Administrator. I don't have any comments at this time other than uh thank you, Brian, for caring meeting for me. Last week I had some personal issues. Uh kind of precedent over other things. Uh Brian, do you have anything? Any comments from citizens regarding items not on the agenda? Everybody rush this at once. We just have more online, Mr. Sherman. Uh, do you have any comments? Uh DeForest from items not on the agenda. I do not. Thank you. Okay, moving on to approval of meeting minutes for September 15th, 2025 and September 29th, 2025. Uh, we'll do these in two separate uh motions for clarity on it. Um, do I have a motion to approve the meeting minutes of September 15th, 2025 with corrections as necessary? So moved second now. Uh these minutes that are posted here were the actual minutes that we were supposed to have in the last packet. Um Brian and I discussed that earlier, trying to figure out where the this um miscommunication was, and it was the August 18th minutes were uploaded into the last packet. So these are the correct ones on here. The um one thing I had for corrections, which was kind of mentioned in the previous meeting under section three, was to have uh just the wording from the attorney's letter uh placed into that section as well. Uh that Mike had written out or read aloud for the record. So Stephanie in the previous packet, I think there's two packets ago on that one. There was a whole letter from the attorney in there. You can just copy what you said we want there in the day. Appreciate it. I've got one that's important to conduct. Yeah. Um it was at this meeting. Uh that a motion was made to have the special meeting on the 29th. And that motion's not in these minutes either. Okay, because that's not part of our scanning committee uh dates. So I don't remember who did the second. I I think I made the motion. Who seconded it? I think I seconded. Okay. Yeah, and then we did that, and there are any other bills to second it. Yeah, and and that uh that motion was to um to have a special meeting on September the 29th, our morale hall. Um at 6 30. Uh that was the motion. And are these meeting minutes the ones that yes?

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