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Denmark committee to consolidate nonconformance into single chapter, adopt hybrid numbering
Summary
The Ordinance Review Committee voted to approve the Dec. 3 minutes and agreed to reorganize the draft ordinance by creating a standalone chapter for nonconformance and switching to a hybrid chapter/letter numbering system to improve readability and reviewability.
The Denmark Ordinance Review Committee met Jan. 7 and agreed to reorganize its draft ordinance so that nonconformance rules are consolidated into a single chapter rather than scattered across multiple chapters.
Committee Chair opened the meeting and a member moved to approve the Dec. 3 minutes; the motion passed by voice vote. Members then reviewed a draft table of contents prepared by Lindsay and discussed separating ‘‘nonconformance’’ into its own chapter so that all rules affecting nonconforming structures and uses appear in one place rather than being repeated across the code.
Supporters said a consolidated nonconformance chapter will make it easier for planning board reviewers and applicants to find requirements. One member noted they had prepared a handout showing recommended revisions, with recommendations shown in black and explanatory notes in blue, and agreed to post revised versions to the committee’s Google folder for review.
The committee also endorsed a hybrid formatting approach used by nearby towns: keep numeric chapter headings but convert long paragraph provisions into lettered subsections (for example, 1.2A, 1.2B). Members said that change would improve referenceability during permitting and planning-board review.
The committee discussed where to place the new nonconformance chapter in the overall table of contents and generally agreed it should appear after ‘‘administration’’ and before the land‑use chapters so nonconforming rules are available early in the code. Members asked the presenter to reprint the table of contents with the new placement for the next meeting.
Chair said Meredith, the town’s legal reviewer, could not attend the meeting but would be invited to the Feb. 4 session; the committee asked members to submit legal questions in advance so Meredith would have time to prepare. The group set a follow-up agenda item to review the nonconforming chapter and Meredith’s legal notes.
The meeting concluded with a motion to adjourn.
