The day before a proposed amendment to Monadnock Community Health Care District went before voters, Planning Board member Stephanie Hurley called for a reconsideration of the board’s vote, alleging possible procedural errors in the hearing process and saying it did not give residents adequate time to provide feedback.
Planning Board members, who originally voted 4-3 to support the amendment, voted not to hold a rehearing Monday. The amendment, which would allow multifamily housing in the health care district without requiring it to be for staff and students affiliated with the hospital, passed by a 442-379 margin Tuesday.
Hurley said the board had discussed the matter in nonpublic session on one occasion, but had not taken a roll call vote to enter into nonpublic session. She also felt the nonpublic session did not qualify under the statutory reasons that allow the board to enter one. Although the board did discuss the matter with its attorney, which is an allowed use of a nonpublic session, Hurley said that portion of the conversation was not significant to the overall discussion.
In addition, while the board was reviewing minutes of the March 30 meeting, Vice Chair Ivy Vann, who was acting chair at Monday’s meeting, pointed out that the motion to include the amendment on the ballot was voted on by two alternate members who had not been formally seated, although the outcome of the vote would have been the same whether or not the alternates voted.
Hurley also argued that the timing of the March 30 meeting did not allow the board to take on community input and make amendments based on feedback before the amendment was placed on the ballot.
“I feel strongly this board is not following procedure,” Hurley said. “I would like to see this issue reheard, with proper notice to the town.”
Planning Board member Sarah Steinberg Heller said she was not interested in revisiting the vote, but does think the amendment is flawed and will need to be revisited in the coming year to include provisions for more workforce housing. She said she was more interested in moving forward with that work.
Vann said it did not make sense to her to hold a rehearing after the matter was voted on at the polls Tuesday, and agreed the board could address further changes in the coming year before the 2023 Town Meeting.
No representatives of the Monadnock Community Hospital were present on Monday, but in previous discussions with hospital representatives, the board has been told there is no plans to apply for a housing project in the coming year.
“We’re going to have a chance to make changes before a project gets off the ground,” Vann said.
Planning Board members voted 4-2 against holding a rehearing on the vote, with Hurley and Blair Weiss in favor and Vann, Heller, Lisa Stone and Andrew Dunbar opposed. By consensus, they agreed to revisiting the ordinance after Town Meeting vote, with the intent of bringing forth further amendments next year.
Vann said the board was in “violent agreement” that there should be provisions added, and Hurley urged members to be more cognizant of procedure in the future, and make sure things are being done correctly.
In other matters Monday, board members briefly discussed and continued two applications.
The board continued a hearing on a proposal for a new range by the Monadnock Rod & Gun Club, as the club is in the midst of the application process for a special exception in front of the Zoning Board of Adjustment.
The board also continued a proposal by Walden Eco Village, which was recently granted approval by the ZBA to continue allowing some structures in the wetland buffer zone. The board requested additional information on how nonconforming structures would be brought into compliance and to clarify what impacts to the buffer zone there would be, outside of what was allowed by the ZBA.
Both hearings were continued to the board’s next meeting in June.
Ashley Saari can be reached at 603-924-7172 ext. 244 or asaarI@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.