By Michael Farrell
Staff Writer
July 17, 2008 11:17 pm
ESSEX — Essex has a number of unique land development issues — including the creation of a zoning overlay district along John Wise Avenue, and the potential development of Conomo Point. Those issues and others, however, may get more focused attention from the town. Selectmen, in coordination with the Planning Board, are once again exploring the possibility of hiring a town planner that would be shared with the town of Manchester. When Essex selectmen meet this week, the Planning Board proposed to them that the town hire a part-time town planner. To help cover costs — and because Manchester has considered hiring a town planner in the past — Selectmen Chairman Ray Randall recommended that Essex cooperate with Manchester in pursuing a planner who would serve both towns. According to Randall, as the Manchester Essex Regional School District has already demonstrated, the two towns have benefited from cooperating The plans, however, remain in the exploratory stages. The planner's pay, specific hours, duties and other aspects of his job would not be decided until a series of as yet unscheduled meetings can take place. "Until the primary parties fully discuss it and come to some kind of consensus," said Essex Town Administrator Brendan Zubricki, "the details are not fully established." At this week's selectmen's meeting, officials decided that the first thing that needs to be done is to formally propose the idea to Manchester and set up a meeting among the two towns' selectmen and Planning Boards. The next step then would be to establish a subcommittee to draw up a job description which would be brought to a meeting with Manchester to get their input. Ultimately — according to a handout Planning Board members passed around at the meeting — if a planner is hired, it will not be until next year because money for the planner's salary would have to be approved by Essex Town Meeting. Randall said he planned on contacting Sue Thorne, Manchester's selectmen chairwoman, yesterday. However, her husband, Fred Thorne, said she was out of town visiting family. The Times was not able to reach her for comment. Manchester Town Administrator Wayne Melville said, "I think there's interest, and I'm sure it will get serious debate." Melville said the two towns had explored jointly hiring a town planner last winter, but those discussions — which ended in March — did not get beyond the preliminary stages. One reason for this, Melville said, was that, while the Manchester Planning Board was open to the idea, its members were more interested in increasing funding and hours for their planning consultant, Jon Witten. Randall had recommended a planning consultant to the Essex Planning Board at the selectmen's meeting, and had even arranged a tentative conference call with Mark Brobowski, a land use attorney who has worked with more than 100 communities. However, the Planning Board declined the call because it was unprepared for it. The Planning Board has already worked with a consultant from the Horsley Witten Group for some projects. Though Horsley Witten was helpful, Planning Board members believed that a more permanent advisor was necessary, one who would be able to serve as a liaison to other committees and have a long-term commitment to the town. Among the projects the Planning Board hopes a town planner can help with is a revision of the town's aging bylaws. Selectmen and the Planning Board, however, have a difference of opinion about how to revise the bylaws. Selectmen believe that the there should be a comprehensive review of the bylaws by an expert consultant such as Brobowski. At the meeting, Randall said selectmen want someone who understands planning and is not going to look at the bylaws in a piecemeal way. Planning Board members, however, believe that a gradual approach was in order. "Nobody is going to come sweeping in and change all the bylaws," said Planning Board member Andrew St. John. Michael Farrell can be reached at gt_reporter@gloucestertimes.com
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