Preston town meeting will deal with outdated building, driveway ordinances

Preston ― Building permit and fire marshal permit fees have not been updated in town since an ordinance was passed in 1990, and the ordinance governing driveway approvals is one year older than that.

A special town meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday at Preston Plains Middle School to ask residents to repeal the old ordinances on building permit fees and driveway regulations in favor of new measures that would allow the Board of Selectmen to set and change the fees on occasion.

First Selectwoman Sandra Allyn-Gauthier said she had wanted to do an in-depth review of all ordinances when she first was elected in 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted that plan. Allyn-Gauthier said town officials will revise ordinances a few at a time, starting with the first two at Thursday’s town meeting.

The 1990 building permit ordinance listed fees to be charged for various services, including $6 per $1,000 feet of construction price for houses, garages and sheds, $25 for a swimming pool and $10 for a demolition permit.

Residents will be asked to repeal the ordinance and replace it with a new one that would authorize the Board of Selectmen to set building permit fees and fire marshal inspection and plan review fees and to approve any regulations associated with the permit fees.

The new ordinance would require the Board of Selectmen to post any proposed new fees and regulations before the selectmen’s meeting where they’ll be discussed and to post the agenda when the board would review the proposed fees and regulations. Within 10 days after setting the fees, the new fees must be posted in the town clerk’s office, in the building department and on the town website, and must be published in a local newspaper.

Driveway ordinance

Residents on Thursday will be asked to replace the 1989 driveway ordinance with a four-page zoning text amendment to be added to the town zoning regulations. The proposed driveway regulations can be found by clicking on the town meeting agenda.

The Planning and Zoning Commission has been reviewing numerous complaints about driveway issues at recent meetings. Preston Zoning Enforcement Officer Jennifer Lindo reported at the June PZC meeting on several violations that included unpermitted driveways, improperly constructed driveways with water running into town streets or onto neighbors’ properties and driveways steeper than allowed.

Driveway permit fees and the refundable bond required for a new driveway cut or an asphalt driveway apron are included in the proposed regulations.

Allyn-Gauthier said she hopes to apply for a grant that would allow the town to hire a consultant to review all town ordinances and make recommendations for updates, replacement language or repeals or obsolete ordinances.

c.bessette@theday.com