The new planning and economic community director for South Berwick will be working with the Planning Board to simplify its approval process and help the town achieve its goals.
The Planning Board met last week with DeCarlo Brown, former town planner in York, and got right to work discussing the board’s application process as well as upcoming changes in local ordinances.
“I can’t tell you how thrilling it is to have a planner on board here helping us,” said board Vice Chair Hershey Hirschkop during the workshop session Oct. 9. “Nobody can really know your town like someone who is here.”
Brown outlined the roles he and the Planning Board will fill in the coming months. He expects to support board members making decisions on development applications, he said, and to share information on state laws as the board reworks ordinances, making sure new regulations meet local and state requirements.
“You tell me if you are happy with the type of development that has occurred in town and that (your) ordinances allow to happen,” Brown said. “And on the other side of that, you tell me the pain points….and where you want to fix things.”
As far as how he would balance his time between planning and economic development, he noted the “extreme overlap.”
“The decisions I’m making on the planning side are affecting the economic development side,” he said.
Brown will familiarize himself with projects already underway during his first two weeks, he said, and will make a master list of planning and economic development activities, consulting with the Town Council and Planning Board on a timeline for completing those activities.
“I go after grants, working with the state agencies (and) the Southern Maine Planning and Development Commission in order to fund those so it doesn’t impact our tax base,” said Brown.
With downtown revitalization, Town Hall renovation, the comprehensive plan, state road work, and review of the town ordinances all underway this fall, members of the board welcomed guidance from the new town staff member.
An outside contractor, General Code, is working with town staff and citizen boards to do the intensive review of all ordinances.
During a lengthy discussion of how the Planning Board reviews applications, Chair Greg Zinser suggested that town staff in planning, code enforcement and public safety offices should more extensively review permit applications from property owners for such things as home occupations and minor site plans.
“I would like to see a greater level of a staff review and acceptance (for smaller projects, and)…larger items should come to the board,” said Zinser. “I’d like to see a revamp of how the board processes things.”
The need for public transparency and accountability was brought up by Hirschkop, along with a need to educate the public about the planning process.
“Even the smallest things that come through the Planning Board have an impact on somebody in some neighborhood,” she said.
Brown suggested the board use a consent agenda by which straightforward, non-controversial projects that include complete information can be brought up for a final vote during a board meeting.
The board and Brown agreed to schedule standing workshops in the next few months to address zoning ordinance changes, in particular how Planning Board procedures could be revised as the ordinances are updated
One realtor who recently brought a subdivision application to the board for a client praised Brown for his work with her and the client, noting that the entire process for property owners will be clearer in the future.
“I’m really appreciative of how clear and professional you were,” said realtor Mary Hussey, an alternate Planning Board member who recuses herself from board consideration of a client’s application.
“It might have been hard news for (my client) to get, but he should have had that information from the start,” said Hussey. “So I love your idea of implementing a process that’s clear, and I look forward to working with you in both (my) capacities.”
The workshop with Brown took place before the formal Planning Board meeting, which included board approval of September meeting minutes and a brief mention of new subdivision projects that came before that board last month.
