MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE VIENNA
PLANNING BOARD HELD SEPTEMBER 23, 2026
At 6:20 PM Regular members Waine Whittier and Creston Gaither, along with alternate member Steve Trehu met with Ned and Kay Van Woert on their Whittier Pond property shown on tax map 11 as Lot 67 to consider their application for a Shoreland Zoning Ordinance (SZO) permit for a boat dock on legs they have designed and built. Steve was designated a voting member in the absence of a quorum.
After this site visit the Board went to the Town House for its regular meeting,
which began at 7:00 PM . Bruce Feathers was also present. Minutes of the
August 26 meeting were read and accepted.
Bruce asked for a Notification of Construction (NoC) permit for a house to be built outside of the Shoreland Zone on his Tower Road property shown on tax map 5 as lot 19. He presented a SSWD permit and was issued a NoC permit, and left at 7:20.
Some recent NoC permits were briefly reviewed.
A Permit by Rule from DEP for rip-rap on the Harpine lot on Moore Court on Flying Pond and shown on tax map 10 as lot 42-F was briefly reviewed.
The Harpines’ application for replacing the shed on said lot was discussed. SZO requirements for this were reviewed. It was agreed that in August 2025 the Board had visited the lot and found sufficient reasons for not requiring the shed to be moved farther back from the pond than the 27 feet now proposed. Creston will send them a letter stating that 1). the Board is modifying its usual site visit requirement as it was there in 2025; 2). the Board is concerned about the rip-rap described in the aforesaid Permit by Rule and would like to revisit the site to consider this, and believes a SZO permit will be required for this.
Waine will ask Lidie Robbins of 30 Mile River Watershed Assoc. whether a DEP Permit by Rule supersedes local SZO rules.
The Van Woerts’ application was discussed. Findings of Fact were made using the form the Board has begun to use for site visits and SZO applications; it was voted 3 – 0 to approve the permit subject to the condition that the new dock is to be removed each year.
Draft # 2 of the proposed Short Term Rental Ordinance was reviewed and discussed at length, with several changes being adopted. The phrase “Only one STR” in “Sect. III Licensing Criteria” seems to potentially preclude campgrounds, etc.; this should be discussed further.
Steve will create a new draft incorporating tonight’s revisions.
The meeting adjourned at 8:55 PM.
Creston Gaither, secretary