HALIFAX — The Planning Commission has moved one step closer to a town vote this summer on whether to repeal all town zoning bylaws, issuing a state-mandated report about the consequences of such an action and setting May 10 as the date of its public hearing to discuss the proposal.
A public petition signed by approximately 130 voters was presented to the Selectboard in February with an expectation that it would be voted on at Special Town Meeting.
The report, which will be posted along with the notice of the upcoming public hearing, concludes with a recommendation against repealing zoning:
“Zoning Bylaws are not immutable,” the report reads. “Voters can amend Zoning Bylaws to accommodate changes in state law and the needs of the town.”
A total repeal of zoning in town “would sever the mechanism that allows Halifax to openly and fairly comply with the Town Plan,” the commission members wrote.
New commission member Turner Lewis indicated that he hadn't been aware of the petition.
Chair Sirean LaFlamme and member Brian McNeice explained that state law prohibits a change of this kind to be put to the voters without involvement from town government.
Toward that end, the Planning Commission completed a statutorily mandated report about the repeal.
The commission must hold a public hearing before passing the baton to the Selectboard to hold its own public hearing - all of which must happen before the Special Town Meeting can take place.
LaFlamme stated that at the public hearing, “a spokesperson for that group will be able to stand up and speak, hopefully read the petition [...] and we can listen to reasons why they think it should be repealed, and other people's opinions, as well.”
“But,” she emphasized, “that is all that that public hearing is for. We can't put forward our opinion on it.”