Town of Starks Referendum Vote on Ordinances - Friday, March 8, 2019
Voting will take place at the Community Center from 12 - 8 PM
The Starks Planning Board has scheduled a public hearing to be followed by a Board meeting on Wednesday, January 23, 2019 at 7 pm at the Starks Community Center.
The purpose of the hearing is to obtain public input on the 2 ordinances that will be presented for town votes on March 8th.
The following is a summary of these ordinances. If you would like copies - paper copies are available at the Town Office or you can email Gwen - gwenhilton88@gmail.com.
You can also view a copy of the Ordinances HERE:
The Starks Planning Board has drafted two ordinances for the Townspeople to vote on by referendum on Friday, March 8th.
These two ordinances replace the Town’s 35+ year-old Site Plan Review and Subdivision Ordinance, which is very outdated.
The updated ordinances are:
Town of Starks Site Plan Review OrdinanceTown of Starks Subdivision Ordinance
What are the primary goals of these Ordinances?
To protect the town, neighborhoods and property owners from activities that could potentially reduce property values, negatively impact town roads and services, harm the environment, or otherwise degrade the quality of life for residents.
To guide and support local business activity.
To contribute to the viability of the community.
What is the Site Plan Review Ordinance?
The Ordinance requires a Planning Board permit for most businesses and multifamily housingNo permit is required for:Home occupations within residences or associated buildings with few impacts on neighborsAgriculture, forestry and sand and gravel extraction activitiesPermitting is designed to fit the size of the proposed project – streamlined for small projects and more thorough for large projects that could have greater impacts on neighbors and the townFor example, large projects might include large-scale water extraction, a solar or wind farm, or any project that generates an average of 400 vehicle trips per day when open for business
Public notice and public hearings are required
What is the Subdivision Ordinance?
Towns must regulate the subdivision of land in accordance with state law. A subdivision is the dividing of a property into 3 or more lots/units within a 5 year period (there are some exceptions as to what lots are counted)State law requires that the Planning Board evaluate a proposed subdivision with respect to its impact on water quality and other natural resources, traffic and roads, sewage and solid waste disposal, etc.
Public notice and public hearings are required