We are fixing up the yellow house (currently unoccupied) on the Greensboro Road property to house interns! It’s exciting to see some ongoing use of the property while we are still in the midst of the long series of meetings related to zoning and permitting to obtain permission to build a church.
There are three phases required by Hanover process: Planning Board/Design Review, Zoning Board, Planning Board/Site Plan Review. We are currently in the second phase, with the Zoning Board. Our project requires three “Special Exceptions” – 1. Impact to the wetlands buffer zone (our impact is minimal), 2. Driveway width (the width required by the fire department for two way traffic is beyond the standard driveway width in this zoning district), and 3. Church Use. This last one is more complex and requires us to show that our project will not adversely impact the character of the area. The Zoning Board has acknowledged the complexity of our case, partly due to concerns raised by neighbors, the relative unfamiliarity of church developments (this is the first new church built in Hanover in decades!) and the nuances of how the zoning code applies to churches. Normally, a hearing would take one meeting; it looks like ours will take at least three.
Here’s a timeline of the town and congregations meetings so far, going back almost two years!
2016
Aug 31 & Oct 3 – Property tours of 28, 32, 33 Greensboro Rd
Oct 10 – Property tour, Congregation Meeting about Property
Nov 16, 17 – Neighbor Meetings
Nov 18 – CRC approached about 32 and 34 Greensboro Rd
Dec 6 – Application submitted for Planning Board Design Review
2017
Jan 2 – Neighbor Meeting
Jan 3 – Planning Board Design Review
Jan 9 – Site Visit with Planning Board
Jan 9 – Congregation Meeting about Building Plans
Jan – Dec 2017 Building Committee meets regularly, collects input from various church leaders/reps
Mar 1 – 28, 32, and 33 Greensboro Rd Closing
Oct 8 – CG Leader Meeting about Building
Oct 22 – CRC Picnic at Property
Oct 23 – Congregation Meeting about Building
Nov 27 – Congregation Meeting about Building
Dec 5 – Application submitted for Planning Board Design Review
Dec 11 – Congregation Meeting about Building
Dec 11 – Hanover Town Staff Review Meeting with Town Planner, Zoning Administrator, Deputy Fire Chief, Building Inspector, Director of Public Works
Dec 19 – Planning Board discusses proposed zoning amendment to disallow churches in Residential Zones, does not vote to support this.
2018
Jan 2 – Planning Board Design Review: Postponed last minute due to town error in notifying neighbors
Jan 11 – Second meeting with town staff to discuss egress and safety issues
Jan 16 – Planning Board Design Review: Postponed day-of due to error in neighbor notification
Jan 30 – Planning Board Design Review – Part 1 (Continued to Feb 20)
Feb 7 – Planning Board Site Visit: Postponed due to weather
Feb 12 – Planning Board Site Visit
Feb 20 – Planning Board Design Review – Part 2. Planning Board voted unanimously to end “design review” phase and move us to the Zoning Board!
May 19 – CRC Greensboro Rd work day
May 30 – Application Submitted to Zoning Board of Approval for 3 Special Exceptions
June 11 – Conservation Commission Site Visit
June 28 – Zoning Board Hearing – Part 1 (Continued to July 10)
July 10 – Zoning Board Hearing – Part 2 (Continued to Aug 30)
Future Meetings
Aug 30 – Zoning Board Hearing – Part 3
Sep 6 – Zoning Board Deliberations (IF the hearing is completed on Aug 30)
Depending on the outcome of the Zoning Board applications, and whether there are appeals to that decision, the next set of meetings would be with the Planning Board for Site Plan Review and approvals to build.