Politics and Planning Boards
Names changed to protect the "parties" involved.
Planners seek clarity from TOWN X council
By Joe Reporter
Newspaper X Staff Writer
TOWN X— The chairman of the Planning Board says the council never shared its design vision with planners, which has forced out a high-tech firm that had hoped to build its headquarters in town.
The Town Council on Monday rejected a plan by Town Y-based Company Z to set up shop at the TOWN X Business Park after taking issue with the proposed pitch of the roof. That decision concluded two years of negotiations and reversed the Planning Board’s earlier approval.
"The council apparently prepared some design guidelines that were part of the agreement with Company Z then neglected to give it to the Planning Board or the Planning Department," Planning Board Chairman John Doe said. "I still haven’t seen them."
The design guidelines recommend buildings be compatible with the environment, blending in instead of dominating the landscape. Also, according to the guidelines, a building should have a pitched roof instead of a flat one, and match colonial-style architecture.
"A brick building without a predominance of glass windows," Councilor M.R. Politics explained. "The building should also have a maximum of two stories and parking was to be screened from the highway and not concentrated in one area."
Politics said the guidelines were established several years ago by a committee whose charge it was to evaluate ideal tenants for the TOWN X Business Park.
Outside of the meeting at Town Hall on Monday, Doe said he didn’t know which guidelines the council was referring to concerning Company Z.
Minutes later, when asked if he had seen the guidelines, the Town Planner said he had — after the board made their recommendation.
Councilor G. I. Joe said he would not have voted for any business to locate on land by the Nameless River.
"I’ve argued that this is a very, very special piece of land that should not be used for substantial structures," Joe said. "We have other land in town to do that. This property should be kept in its natural space and it should be used as a recreational area."
Joe did add, and Politics concurred, that despite their refusal, Company Z is the type of company that they would like to see come to town.
Politics said he does not mind putting a business there, just not that building. Politics described it as a typical industrial park building.
Doe admits that the building is not that attractive, but it is not the Planning Board’s decision to "judge attractiveness."
"I just wish we had the guidelines because we could have worked with them before the issue went before the council," Doe said. "It was a homely building, but we tried to work with them." Doe added that it is interesting to watch the council "cry poor mouth" when the budget is discussed and then turn down a company like Company Z, who would add 100 to 150 jobs to the community and add $300,000 to the tax coffers.
