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Planning board targets definitions overhaul: lot coverage, open space and floodplain language to be clarified
Summary
Members prioritized reorganizing the zoning definitions (alphabetical sorting and extraction of section‑specific definitions), creating consistent definitions for lot coverage/impervious surfaces and clarifying conflicting 'structure' definitions across the code.
The board agreed the definitions section of the zoning bylaws requires substantial reorganization and clarification. Members highlighted several high‑priority terms—open space, lot coverage, impervious surface and building footprint—that are either undefined or defined inconsistently across sections, and recommended an iterative approach beginning with alphabetical sorting to reveal duplicates and conflicts.
Participants also recommended extracting long, section‑specific definitions (for example, floodplain definitions and adult‑entertainment definitions) into clearly labeled subsections so they do not conflict with general definitions used town‑wide. The board asked staff to prepare an initial reorganized draft so members can flag policy choices (for example, how to measure lot coverage or whether impervious surface should be defined by stormwater metrics) before substantive drafting begins.
