Town of Bennington
                     Planning Commission
                           MINUTES
                               
                        June 13, 2001
                          5:00 p.m.
                     Town Office Building
         205 South Street, Bennington, Vermont 05201
  
                      Members Present:    Barry Horst - Chair, Bob Burgess - Clerk, 
                 Michael McDonough, Sharon Yorke, Michael Lochner
  
                      Also Present:       Dan Monks, Zoning Administrator
                 Brian Shope, Planning Consultant        
  
  The meeting was called to order at 5:00 p.m.
  
  Minutes of May 9, 2001
  
            Bob Burgess moved that the minutes be accepted as written.
            
       Mike Lochner, seconded the motion.
  
  The motion passed unanimously.
  
  Zoning Bylaw Revision Project - Analysis of Bylaw - Presentation by Burnt Rock
  
       Brian Shupe presented a section by section review of the Technical Review Summary: 
  Bennington Land Use Regulations that he prepared for the Planning Commission.
  
            Brian Shupe recommended focusing on the following items:
  
            1) Reorganize and reformat the zoning to make it more user friendly and to build a       
           better platform for future revisions (as discussed in tech review).
       2) Correct statutory deficiencies (as noted in tech review).
            3) Carefully consider the allowed uses and dimensional standards under each district     
           and make adjustments as needed.
            4) Prepare new subdivision regulations, which should address many of the town's         
         concerns relative to rural lands.  There are several approaches to this that we should   
         discuss.
            5) Overhaul the site review processes under zoning (site plan, conditional use and         
          PRD/PUD), which may address several issues outlined in the plan and by the           
       commission without the need for a more extensive design review process (e.g.,            
       gateways).
            6) Include, under both zoning and subdivision regulations, additional access           
       management and resource protection provisions.
  
       By consensus the Planning Commission authorized Brian Shupe to begin work on an
  outline that would implement recommendation #1 above with the requirement that the
  definitions be the first section of the Bylaw.  
  
       The Planning Commission tentatively agreed to review Brian Shupe's proposed outline
  at a meeting to be scheduled after July 8, 2001.  In the meantime, the Planning Commission
  agreed to schedule a meeting for June 21, 2001 at 5:00 p.m. to further review Brian Shupe's
  other recommendations and the Technical Review.  The Planning Commission's goal at the
  June 21, 2001 meeting is to begin giving Brian Shupe direction on the revisions to the Bylaw
  the Planning Commission would like him to prepare, and to discuss how to most effectively
  gather public input.  
   
  The meeting was adjourned at approximately 8:30 p.m.
  
  Respectfully submitted, 
  
  
  
  Daniel W. Monks
  Zoning Administrator