CHINA — Selectmen have agreed unenthusiastically to put a home occupations ordinance on the June ballot, while a proposed revamping of the shoreland septic system compliance program remains in limbo.

Planning Board members have worked all year on the two proposed ordinances. They completed the one dealing with home occupations, and selectmen Monday accepted their request to present it to voters.

Selectmen asked planners to prepare the revised shoreland septic system program to offer voters as an alternative to repealing the current program. The repeal question is already on the June 12 ballot, by petition.

After several drafts, planners gave up on devising an alternative at their March 27 meeting.

At that meeting, only board Chairman Ronald Breton favored continuing to try to create an ordinance in time for a June vote. The board was scheduled to talk about it more Tuesday night.

The revised drafts planners worked on lessen the number of septic system inspections that would be required, eliminating most of the repeat inspections in the current program. Planning Board members did not change the scope of the program; it would still apply to properties within 250 feet of China’s six lakes and ponds.

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At Monday’s meeting, Breton expressed regret that selectmen had not attended his board’s meetings to hear residents’ comments. Board member Kyle Pierce repeated her argument for taking time to do research and gather information on which to base a revised ordinance. Board member Toni Wall, who was not at the March 27 meeting, said she favored continuing to prepare an ordinance for a June vote.

The proposed home occupations ordinance sets standards and limits for two classes of home occupations, intended to minimize negative impacts on neighbors. The first class of occupations involve no more than one non-family employee and while the second class of occupations are allowed to have more employees and more traffic.

The selectmen’s initial motion to put the home occupations ordinance on the June ballot specified that there would be no recommendation from selectmen to voters. That motion failed to pass when only Joann Austin and Paul MacDonald supported it, with Steven Hughes and board Chairman Peter Foote abstaining, and Irene Belanger absent.

Hughes abstained because he is not satisfied with the ordinance. Foote has avoided voting on ordinance-related questions because his wife has a home occupation, even though the ordinance, if approved by voters, would not apply retroactively.

A new motion to put the home occupations ordinance on the June ballot, with no reference to recommendations, was approved 3-0 with Foote still abstaining.

The Planning Board will hold a public hearing on the home occupations ordinance Tuesday’s meeting. The text of the ordinance is on the town’s website, http://china.govoffice.com.

 


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