Town of Bennington
                      Planning Commission
                            MINUTES
                               
                       February 14, 2001
                           7:00 p.m.
                     Town Office Building
          205 South Street, Bennington, Vermont 05201
                               
 
                     Members Present:    Don Hicks - Chair, Bob Burgess - Clerk,  Barry Horst,
                Michael McDonough, Sharon Yorke
 
                     Also Present:       Noah Kege, Citizen
                Dan Monks, Zoning Administrator
                
 The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m.
 
 Minutes of January 10, 2001
 
           Barry Horst moved that the minutes be accepted as written.
 
      Bob Burgess seconded the motion.
 
 The motion passed unanimously.
 
 Zoning Bylaw Revision Project
           Bids for the Bylaw revision project are due by February 27, 2001.  By consensus, the
      Commission agreed that a special meeting should be called in early March of 2001 to
      review the consultant's Bylaw revision bids.
           
 Changes Proposed by the Select Board to Bylaw Revisions
           The Zoning Administrator informed the Commission that the Select Board was
      contemplating a change to the Bylaw revisions submitted to the Select Board by the
      Planning Commission.  The change involved a requirement that all applications reviewed
      by the Application Review Panel also be reviewed and approved by the Chair of the
      Development Review Board.  The Planning Commission discussed the issue and the
      members expressed their feeling that the language should not be changed. 
 
           Bob Burgess moved that the language submitted to the Select Board not be
      changed because the process for review and approval set forth in the Bylaw by the
      Planning Commission adequately addresses any concern regarding the
      concentration of power in the Administrative Officer.
 
      Mike McDonough seconded the motion. 
 
 The motion passed unanimously.
 
 
 
 
 
 Other Business
 
 Chris Denio - Act 250 Amendments
           The Planning Commission discussed Christopher Denio's application to the Act 250
      Commission and the Development Review Board to increase the amount of allowable
      loads per day for his gravel pit from 40 to 100 per day.  The Commission discussed
      whether or not it should request an Act 250 hearing.
 
           Mike McDonough moved that the Planning Commission formally respond to the
      Act 250 District Commission and request that the deadline for requesting a
      hearing be extended from March 1 to a date after the Development Review Board
      held its first public hearing on the issue. 
 
      Barry Horst seconded the motion. 
 
 The motion passed unanimously.
 
      The Commission discussed communication among other community groups.  The
 Zoning Administrator updated the Planning Commission on recent activities of the Planning
 Department.  
 
      Mike McDonough discussed the following BBC initiatives:
                               Development of Downtown Land Use and Circulation Analysis
                               Development of Downtown Sign Program
                               Revision of Sign Ordinance
 
 The meeting was adjourned at approximately 8:40 p.m.
 
 
 Respectfully submitted, 
 
 
 
 Daniel W. Monks
 Zoning Administrator
 
 
 
 
 DWM/
 
 N:\Building & Zoning\Dan\Planning Commission\MINUTES\02-14-01Minutes.wpd