Commission weighs regulation rewrite, staffing and use of expert reviewers; backs written follow-up on impervious surfaces

Land Use Director Abby Conroy told the Salisbury Planning and Zoning Commission on Jan. 6 that a regulation rewrite will require careful planning and additional capacity. Conroy outlined necessities and obstacles for proceeding with a rewrite of the town's land-use regulations, and Commission members discussed possible approaches and logistics.

Conroy also summarized staffing concerns in the Land Use Office and tied those capacity issues to the timing of long-term projects, including the rewrite. To address technical review needs, Conroy proposed recruiting additional expert consulting reviewers to be used in a manner similar to the Town Consulting Engineer, Tom Grimaldi. The Commission discussed that suggestion as a way to supplement in-house review and technical expertise.

Vice Chair Allen Cockerline raised concerns about how impervious surfaces are handled under current regulation language and asked whether the Commission would support him discussing the issue with Town Consulting Engineer Tom Grimaldi. The Commission supported the outreach and requested that any recommendations or technical guidance be provided to the Commission in writing for consideration during the rewrite process.

The discussion produced no formal policy vote on rewriting the regulations or on staffing changes; members agreed to continue exploring options and to seek written technical input as part of the record.