The Hanover Conservation Council, the town's oldest and largest conservation organization, held a panel discussion and forum for public questions and commentary last night at the Howe Library.
The meeting focused on the future of Hanover's natural environment and the revision of the town's master plan. Panelists attempted to inform the public about the process to affect change in the community and then opened the floor for questions.
Acting Zoning Board Chair Bernie Waugh said that "there is the eminent feeling that the future is upon us," and he asked citizens to decide if the existing mechanisms for community change are adequate.
He pointed to a proposal written by Dartmouth's Environmental Studies 50 class as an example of alternatives to current methods. The plan, compiled by students over the Winter term, suggests more interaction between the College and the town, specifically through an annual address by the College's president.
The panel invited citizens to participate in the meeting and to raise questions about processes. Several community members voiced concerns about the nature of institutional zoning.
This type of zoning gives more land use rights to the College than to individuals. An institutional zone, for example, has no lot lines, and thus buildings are not set back from a public street in the same way as in a residential zone.
According to HCC President Bob Norman, the language of the law says that construction in an institutional zone "must be built with the purpose of the institution in mind." He said that buildings must only be "relevant," not "essential" to the institution. His comment prompted other comments from the audience about possibly inessential structures.
Weyman Lundquist, an adjunct Tuck School faculty member and law professional, called for more open dialogue between the town and the College, especially in drafting the town's master plan.
"It's hard to plan a town if you've got an elephant walking in it ... you need to find out where it's going," he said. He commented later that "colleges and universities often let planning be driven by donors." He said that "particularly at an institution where a sense of place is as important as it is as Dartmouth ... this is not a good way to plan."
Although the audience consisted mainly of older town residents, a few Dartmouth students attended, including Kate Knight '01 and Pat Leslie '01.
"I was surprised to learn about all the tensions between the College and the town," Leslie said.
Knight said perhaps there should have been someone there representing the College. "It seems like there's a communication gap between the town planning people and the College planning people," she said.
Presently, if the College wants to add a new building, it first proposes its preliminary proposition to the Planning Board. Then a formal hearing advertised in the local paper is held before the board, and the town staff reviews the plans.
The plan goes before the Zoning Board, which governs the use of the land, only if sensitive areas such as wetlands are involved.
Norman said that the conservation council acts only as an advisory board with no specific legislative or enforcement role.
Collier also discussed in detail the revision of the town's master plan, a document intended to guide zoning and building ordinances. Waugh then presented a wetlands ordinance which the zoning board is currently presenting for approval by the Planning Board. This ordinance seeks to preserve local wetlands by changing inconsistencies in the current laws.
Currently, the board faces a decision about the use of 112 acres which surround Mink Brook, a wetland south of Hanover. The town has several options, such as purchasing some or all of the sensitive land.
According to Norman, the owners said they will protect 70 acres. He said he hopes the board can at least enforce protection of this section, even if it does not purchase the land.
Norman also pointed to the lack of enforcement of ordinances in general, and said that "the council seeks to reduce the likelihood of violations," but the body has no legal right to enforce the statutes. He presented a set of five recommendations which he believes would ensure compliance with zoning permits especially in wetland areas.
Other pending issues include additional lighting for Chase Field. According to Norman, citizens feel this would also add light pollution in a residential area. He said "the College should be more forthcoming about its moderate range plans," so problems such as this could be could be solved more easily.
Tom Elliott, publicity organizer for HCC, said the group would welcome student participation, but stressed that HCC is entirely independent from the College.
