PLANNING BOARD SITE WALK MINUTES – WILLIAM HESELTON (Map 9, Lot 45)
December 16, 2017
Site Walk Meeting commenced at 10:08 am
Members Present: Sonny Harris, Jim Bibbo (as acting Select Board alternate), Pam Bruss, Claire James, Carol Troy, Doug Troy (alternate)
Other parties present: William Heselton (owner), Bob Carey (attorney), Laura Hartz (attorney), Jennifer McCourt (engineer)
Items of Discussion:
- Site Plan update – Jennifer provided the board members with an updated site plan, which included a 20’ driveway. This would fulfill the NFPA’s fire protection requirement, which calls for a clear access of 20’.
- Visibility of site from County Rd. – Carol Troy initially raised this point as a concern, referring to residents’ overall preference for buffering. All members present walked from the driveway entrance to the approximate location of the planned building and storage area. Little could be seen of the road from that vantage point, though there was slight visibility through the trees given the (winter) season.
- Hazardous Materials (expected quantity) – Claire James asked about the expected quantity of hazardous materials, how these items would be stored and what the general process is as cars come in. William Heselton responded that referenced on the site plan are four (4), fifty five (55) gallon drums – storing gas, diesel, antifreeze and oil, transmission, break and power steering fluid, respectively. He also stated that in terms of hazardous materials, the top two concerns are: 1) Mercury Switches and 2) Coolant/Freon/Antifreeze. The mercury switches will be sent to an out of state company which pays for these parts – and additionally, supplies secure packaging in which to ship them. The coolant from vehicle air conditioning systems will be drained by a licensed third party/registered agent and removed from the site. However antifreeze may be stored on site.
- Inspections – Pam Bruss raised the issue of inspections, specifically how frequently they will take place. Bob responded that the DES conducts arbitrary inspections, so there is no expected “schedule” of inspections per se, and also informed all present that per a ZBA condition and by way of transparency, Mr. Hesleton will keep the town informed of any communications between him and the DES. Pam also asked William if he would be open to a planning board site walk through for at least the first year or two of operation. This was suggested as a means to assuage residents’ concerns, especially in light of recent difficulty the town had with another auto yard, which required much time and follow up to resolve. William responded that he was open to this. (Precise details to be ironed out at public hearing).
- Maximum Capacity and stacking – Claire James asked about the approximate maximum car capacity for the specified storage area. William responded that roughly 200 cars is the maximum, though it would be unlikely to reach this number. Pam Bruss asked if stacking could be kept fairly low (for instance 2-3 cars stacked, as opposed to 8). William was very amenable to this, citing considerations for his own safety factoring into the number of cars stacked.
- Date of Public Hearing – Expected date of public hearing is Tuesday, 12/19/17. Claire James advised that she would follow up to confirm that all of the proper postings and notifications were sent out. If they were, the hearing will proceed as originally scheduled on 12/19. If they were not, the current public hearing will have to be rescheduled, and a special meeting will be held to conduct the hearing (before the end of the year if at all possible). Claire will follow up with Bob Carey and the board members via email to advise regarding this.
Site walk through ended at 10:44 am