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The Dartmouth Planning Board meeting of August 10, 2026, chaired by Lorri-Ann Miller, addressed several administrative items and planned for future discussions. The board unanimously approved two "Approval Not Required" (ANR) plans. The first, PR-26-7, involved a land swap between 16 and 20 Rebecca Road. The second, PANI-26-6, was a resubmission for lots on Jason Drive to correct a minor scrivener's error on a previously seen plan regarding the radius of a road curve. Both plans were available for signing at the town office. A public hearing for an unspecified special permit application was opened and immediately continued to the August 31, 2026 meeting at the applicant's request, as they awaited information on sewer capabilities. The board also approved the minutes from their June 22, 2026 meeting and acknowledged correspondence from the City of Fall River. Director of Planning Daniel Gioiosa reported on simplifying the planning board's meeting calendar on the town website to reduce confusion. He also proposed a joint meeting with the Select Board for September 14, 2026, at 6:00 PM to discuss upcoming zoning changes and provide information on Ballot Question 7. The board postponed a discussion on "Dartmouth Future Zoning" until a full board could be present.
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City Officials
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So, I want to call the meeting of the planning board of August 10th, 2026 to order. The planning board voted in a public meeting to continue meeting um virtually hybrid in accordance with the governor's 2025 extension of the um op meeting option through August June 30th, 2027.
0:28This public meeting will be held remotely through Zoom applications and will be accessible for live interaction by the public using the Zoom joining the Zoom meeting. And this meeting is being recorded. Roll call. Margaret here.
0:45Helio.
0:46Mercifully. Yes.
0:50And Lori is here. Uh Nick is absent and Kevin is is Kevin Estie's on yet?
0:58So we don't have Kevin. So we're going to go right down to number one under administrative items. Approval not required. PR-26-7 16 Rebecca Road assesses map 119 lot 2-5.
1:17So this is Yep. So this is like you said this is an application for approval not required plan 16 Rebecca Road uh also known as map 1192-5.
1:27This also incorporates um 20 Rebecca Road. Um basically what's happening here is just a little bit of a land swap to give 16 a little more land from 20. They will both have the required frontage as of now for single residence B. Lot one will won't have the area, but that um isn't a caveat for not being able to endorse an ANR plan. There is a note on the plan saying planning board
1:56endorsement shall not be construed as an approval of or conformance with zoning requirements. Um so this plan is eligible for endorsement by the planning board under section 1.102 102 of the DOMA subdivision regulations which states conveyance changing the size and shape of lots provided that every lot so changes or affecting by such changes has frontage as required by the zoning bylaw
2:22or maintains existing non-conforming frontage. So this plan will be eligible for endorsement. Um and the myar is in the office. So assuming that the board is okay to approve this endorsement, we have it there. And just as a reminder, uh Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, the office is open from 7:30 um to 4:30 and Friday 8 to 11.
2:50Is there anyone in the audience on Rebecca Rebecca Road?
3:01Any questions or comments from um the board members?
3:09Um Madame Chair, um I'm trying to figure out exactly where this is. I didn't go by today, but um was this primarily Dan for uh like uh the driveway?
3:25Um they don't have the driveway shown um on the plan so I'm not 100% sure if if if it was a driveway issue. Um it all I can see is that it was they taken 50 ft.
3:39Okay. Uh I I had sold a piece of property that had a problem, but that was at least six or seven years ago. So I think I'm good to good to uh vote on this. That's why I asked.
3:55Yeah, there's it's as part of this there's nothing over sale. So, I don't think you would have any issue with it.
4:01Okay.
4:04Thank you.
4:06Anyone else in the audience, our board members have anything? Kevin, hello.
4:15Okay. I need a motion on the floor to um I would assume approve.
4:21I'll make a motion to approve.
4:23I'll second.
4:25Motion was made by Margaret and seconded by Helio. Helio?
4:30Yes.
4:31Margaret?
4:32Yes.
4:33And Lori? Yes. Motion carries.
4:38Karen, did I see you come in?
4:40Yes.
4:41Okay. We're going to go back then to My Apologies.
4:45That's okay. We were having a problem to begin with. Uh we're going to go back to application uh public hearing. Um the application planning board special permit. I need a motion to go into a public hearing. And the motion is going to be to go into a public hearing and then resume into a Okay. It's hot. I'm tired.
5:08Yeah. We just need the motion to go into the public hearing for now. That's it.
5:11The motion is to go public hearing.
5:15Second.
5:17Motion was made by Kevin and seconded by Margaret Helio.
5:21Yes.
5:22Margaret.
5:23Yes.
5:24Kevin.
5:25Yes.
5:26And Lori? Yes. Motion carries. Dan.
5:30All right. So, the applicant is looking um to request a continuance for this. Um as the board remembers, we are still waiting for um some information for um sewer capabilities to tie in. Um I believe a report was ready um late Friday. So we should be getting to a conclusion hopefully on this in the next meeting or two. Um but as of right now we have a request um stating we respectfully request a continuence from
5:57our scheduled meeting with the planning board on August 10th, 2026 to the meeting on August 31st, 2026. So, this is where if if the board so chooses, you can make a motion to continue the meeting to August 31st, 2026 at 7 p.m.
6:13and then return to our regular meeting.
6:16Thank you.
6:19So, move to continue the meeting as stated and uh return to the the the meeting.
6:28Second.
6:30I have a motion by Kevin and a second by Helio. Helio, yes.
6:36Margaret, yes.
6:38Kevin, yes.
6:40And Lori, yes. Motion carries.
6:44Thank you, Kevin.
6:46All good.
6:48All good.
6:49All right.
6:51Thank you.
6:53Thank you.
6:56Okay, we have another approval not required. P A N I-26-6 Zeroization Jason Drive assesses map 125 lots 19 and 8 and 19-1 Dan you have the floor.
7:12Um so we actually as a board just saw this plan um back at our June 1st meeting. Um since then and this hasn't been recorded yet so we have no issue with having to um to do a new plan recording. Um it was determined through the process that there was a scrivenness area era excuse me on the radius of the curve of the frontage of the road. So there was a slight tweak that needed to
7:38be made to the plan. Um we're talking you know tenth of a foot difference on the two frontage. They slightly changed.
7:45Still meet the requirements for for frontage on um on a on a road public street um or a street the town clerk certifies is maintained and used as a public street. So this plan um would be eligible for endorsement by the board.
8:03Any questions by anyone in the audience?
8:10Any comments or questions by the board members?
8:16hearing none. Are we ready to vote on this?
8:23I I'll make a motion and I'll second to approve.
8:27Okay. I have a motion a motion to approve by Margaret and seconded by Helio. Helio?
8:34Yes.
8:35Margaret?
8:36Yes.
8:37And Lori? Yes. Motion carries.
8:41Again, same thing same thing for this plan. It is in the office, the MYAR. Um, one of the they had a conservation filing, so one of the conditions for approval was to get this this plan recorded. Um, so at your earliest convenience, they will both be there um ready for you to to come in and sign.
9:02I will be in tomorrow to sign.
9:05Yeah, I'll try to get in there as well, thank you.
9:09Um ongoing discussion domouth future zoning.
9:14We don't have a full board. I was I'm hoping that the rest of the board will agree to put any discussion off until we get a a full board.
9:23I agree, Madam Chair.
9:26Got no objections for me.
9:28Okay. So, next on the agenda is the minutes of June 22nd, 2026.
9:33Um, do any board members have questions or comments or error corrections?
9:42Looks okay to me.
9:44Yeah, did I?
9:45Hearing none. Can I have a motion to approve?
9:49So moved.
9:50Second.
9:51Motion was made by Helio and seconded by Margaret. Helio?
9:55Yes.
9:56Margaret?
9:57Yes.
9:58And Lori? Yes. Motion carries.
10:03Um, next on the agenda is correspondence. Um, we have correspondence from the city of Fall River. I need a motion on the floor to acknowledge and file correspondence.
10:18Uh, so moved.
10:19Second.
10:23I have a motion made by Helio and seconded by Margaret. Helio?
10:27Yes.
10:28Margaret?
10:29Yes.
10:30Lori? Yes.
10:33Uh incoming zoning board of appeals application.
10:40Yep. So we have one filed under the portal application ZP263.
10:45This is on 54 Bonnie's Joy Road. Um this is to replace an existing structure with a new structure um that will have plumbing in it. So, as part of that accessory use with with um water in there, they will require a special permit. This isn't something the planning board usually gets involved in.
11:04I don't recommend any comments, but it is there for the board if you have any concerns.
11:15Anyone have any questions or comments?
11:20Okay. zoning board of appeals decisions.
11:24So we had one decision that we got ZAV266 um was the number on the portal application. This was 38 bliss. This is one the board had seen. Um they were looking for a reduction from the driveway to an intersection. 55 ft is required. They were looking for 52.5. So very slight variation. Um they were granted that that variance. So that application is in is in there.
11:52Any subcommittee report?
11:54Decision. Excuse me. Decision.
11:56Decision. Any subcommittee reports?
12:01None. Not I'm not on any subcommittee yet, Madam Chair. So I there's nothing I can do. Okay.
12:09They haven't had a meeting yet.
12:11No. Well, I don't know what's going on.
12:13So I don't think they've organized yet.
12:17um planners report.
12:21Um two just quick things. Um the planning board calendar uh we slight we slightly tweaked what it looks like on the website. There was an there was extra columns for um like if you file by this, you'll be on this meeting. It was kind of like a catch-all for a bunch of different filings. it it it wasn't a one-sizefits-all and it was causing some confusion. So, basically, we just
12:48revised it to just show the date of the meetings. Um, and if people call us and say, "Hey, when do I need to file to get on the next meeting?" We can be more specific to whatever type of filing they're making. Um, we had a couple issues with just people calling in some confusion because the dates, like I said, don't match up with the requirements that are in the bylaw. So obviously the bylaw holds for the
13:10correct scheduling and date. So that was just a little tweak we made to the to the calendar that's on the website.
13:18Good good move, Dan. That just makes it so much clearer for the the entire town.
13:23Yeah. And then and then that way they can anybody's got any questions, they can call. Ross and I are always around to answer questions if there's any can, you know, and they'll, you know, say, "Hey, I want to file this, you know, am I coming up on a deadline?" and then we can be more specific to whatever kind of filing they're looking for. Um the other thing real quick and like I said um like
13:44Chairman Miller said, we don't have the real full board, but one thing we talked about um we were talking about different zoning changes was having a joint meeting with the select board to help try to get some information out um on ballot questions and potential zoning changes um that'll be necessitated by by the state house. Um, so I talked with um a town administrator, Cody Hadad. He
14:10recommended September 14th. That's a day of our normal meeting. Um, so we could do a joint meeting at 6:00 and then um jump over to the to the typical planning board meeting at 7:00 to continue our meeting. So something to just get on to the calendar and if that works once we get the whole board for the next meeting, we can confirm that. Um, but I think that'll help start getting in the
14:34process for a lot of items that were discussed at the last meeting.
14:39I have a question on that, Dan. Um, they very seldom stop their meetings at 6:00.
14:48Should we just ask to be on the agenda like at 6:30? I I asked um actually today what I should be giving giving my board for information and it was recommended to say right for 6:00.
15:04Okay.
15:04So that'll give us an hour before we get to our normal 7:00. Like you said it might get if they have an executive session sometimes it could start off a few minutes late but again we can we can add this for discussion for the next meeting on um August 31st as well.
15:21Another question, Dan. Um, are we going to have uh a meeting in the room then? Because all of us have Yes, correct.
15:30We'll have Okay.
15:31Yes. This that would be an in-person meeting.
15:33All right.
15:36Get the words out of my mouth.
15:38Hence, hence the need to have this discussion again in a few weeks when we have everyone here to make sure that's going to work for everyone.
15:46Dan, is that number is it number nine or number seven on Seven.
15:52The ballot question is ballot question number seven.
15:55It is seven. Okay.
15:57I want to make sure I give people the right information. Okay.
16:01Um information is already being put out there. It's already flying around. I was shocked that my daughter called me and wanted to know what the heck this was all about. She was she's not into politics, but she knew.
16:15That's good.
16:16It is informed voters are good voters.
16:19The more information people have, the better off everybody will be.
16:24Yeah. I mean, she doesn't live in Dartmouth, but she she knew about it.
16:29Yep.
16:30Okay. Um, master plan information report.
16:33Nothing new.
16:36Planning department updates.
16:38Just kind of falls in with the planners report.
16:43And chairman's report. Oh, nothing. We can adjourn early.
16:48Um, anything else from anybody? Anybody else have anything? Margaret or Helio?
16:54I don't.
16:54No, I'm uh working diligently on uh trying to make sure that everybody knows about ballot 7.
17:04Yeah.
17:06Yep. I mean, I think they are they really need to understand the cons and the pros.
17:12Yes, they do.
17:13Yep.
17:15Um, okay. Nothing further to come before this board?
17:19Nope. And the next meeting would be August 31st at 7 p.m. still via Zoom.
17:24Yep. Thank you. Do I need a motion?
17:30Uh motion to adjurnn.
17:32Second.
17:34I have on the board a mo a motion to adjurnn. Helio made the motion. Margaret seconded it. Helio?
17:41Yes.
17:42Margaret?
17:43Yes. and Lori. We are now officially adjourned.