Planning staff proposes tightening site plan rules and notes stormwater model from Durham, N.H.

At its March 2 meeting the Gilford Planning Board held a work session in which Planning Director John Ayer reviewed proposed edits to the town'9s Site Plan Regulations and discussed regional stormwater management.

Ayer recommended removing the term "plat" where it did not apply, clarifying the definition of "Approval, Conditional," narrowing the town'9s definition of "Development" to avoid overly broad application, and updating Section VII ("Developments Having Regional Impact") to include criteria such as the number of dwelling units relative to neighboring towns, proximity to municipal borders, impacts to transportation networks, potential nuisances (emissions, light, odors, noise), aquifer or shared water proximity, and impacts to solid-waste facilities and town services such as schools and emergency services.

Ayer also noted that Durham, New Hampshire recently updated its Stormwater Management Standards and suggested Gilford could adapt Durham'9s plan as a model. He said the Lakes Region Planning Commission is focusing on regional watershed management and the board discussed adding watershed protection language to the Master Plan.

The discussion was a work session; no formal amendments to the Site Plan Regulations were adopted at the March 2 meeting. Staff will refine proposed language for future consideration by the board.