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Planning board flags zoning-map fixes, joint-meeting procedure change and temporary-sign enforcement
Summary
At the June 11 meeting, members reviewed issues from a recent zoning-audit joint meeting (who should preside), committed to correct GIS zoning-map errors and missing parcels, and discussed tightening enforcement of temporary signs on town and state property after DOT removed roundabout signs.
The Swansea Planning Board used part of its June 11 meeting to follow up on a zoning-audit joint meeting and to review how zoning information is published to the public.
Members said the joint meeting with the select board and other committees felt awkward because selectboard rules state that the selectboard chairman presides over joint meetings. Several planning-board members asked the selectboard to consider amending that rules-of-procedure language so future zoning-audit joint sessions are chaired by the planning board when zoning is the subject. The discussion was framed as procedural clarity rather than a substantive dispute.
On content and public access, members reviewed plans to make the ordinance easier to use by linking the ordinance text to the town GIS zoning map, adding a one-page navigation guide and a short instructional video. Staff reported three current problems with the public zoning map: incorrect color coding on some areas, subdivisions recorded in 2022 not yet showing up in the public view, and split-zoning parcels not rendering correctly; staff said these will be corrected in the next map iteration.
Finally, the board discussed temporary signs after the state removed temporary signs from roundabout property. Members reviewed the town’s existing temporary-sign rules in the zoning ordinance (two-week maximum, only one temporary sign per lot at a time, a limit per calendar year) and discussed pursuing clearer enforcement on town and state right-of-way locations. DPW and the garden club’s maintenance of roundabouts was noted positively; members said a selectboard ordinance might be the quicker route for enforcement on town property, while zoning amendments would require town-meeting action.
What this means: the board is pushing for clearer public-facing zoning materials (map, instructions, video), seeking procedural clarity on who chairs joint meetings, and weighing enforcement tools for temporary signs that affect public spaces and aesthetics.
Next steps: staff will fix the GIS display errors, add clearer email labeling for meeting packets, and include a posted-date stamp on web meeting notices. The board may bring a procedural request to the selectboard about presiding over joint meetings and will coordinate with the selectboard on options for sign enforcement.
