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Planning Board approves draft ordinance changes to definitions and prohibited uses, removes 'propane' from underground‑storage prohibition
Summary
The board reviewed and recommended changes to zoning definitions and prohibitions, approving a draft amendment that adds definitions (including floating residences and houseboats), clarifies gambling‑facility language, and removes the proposal to ban buried propane tanks from the list of prohibited underground storage items.
The Planning Board on May 14 reviewed a draft zoning amendment that defines a number of previously undefined terms and updates the list of prohibited uses. After discussion the board voted to approve the draft changes with one modification: removing the word "propane" from a proposed prohibition on certain types of underground storage.
What the draft does: The ordinance amendment updates Article 1 (general prohibitions) and Article 2 (definitions) by adding definitions for terms that were previously undefined in the zoning code — including floating businesses, floating residences, houseboats, tents and several commercial/industrial uses — and reorganizes the prohibited‑use list into alphabetical order. The draft also clarified the definition for gambling facilities to avoid unintended limits on otherwise permitted fundraising games of chance.
Public and staff input: Planning staff, the town manager (who provided a written comment), and the board discussed several items line‑by‑line. The town manager and staff consulted with the Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) on floating residence definitions; the board accepted CRMC‑aligned language. A public speaker asked why underground propane storage would be banned; board members agreed on the record to remove propane from the prohibition after discussion about safety and common practice of burying large propane tanks.
Board action: The board moved and seconded a motion to approve the draft ordinance amendments and to send its recommendation to the town council with the explicit edit removing the propane prohibition. The motion carried on a voice vote.
Why it matters: The package clarifies several ambiguous terms in the zoning ordinance and resolves potential conflicts with state and CRMC definitions. Removing propane from the underground‑storage prohibition preserves an option commonly used for large residential and commercial heating systems while keeping the town’s authority to restrict other underground storage substances.
Next steps: The board’s recommendation will be forwarded to the Town Council for public hearings and final action. Staff will provide the board’s redlined language and the transcript record to the council.
