DURHAM — Residents overwhelmingly rejected an amendment to the land use ordinance at the annual town meeting Saturday which would have reduced the town’s resource protection land.
A second land use amendment related to roads also failed.
Roughly 200 residents turned out for the annual town meeting held at Durham Community School. It was the first in-person town meeting since 2019.
The five-hour meeting was moderated by Bill Schneider of Durham.
Five of the warrant’s 35 articles failed: Two were deemed unnecessary by town officials, two were land use ordinance amendments, and one would have appropriated $10,300 for a town bulk waste removal day.
Residents were presented with two different appropriation recommendations from the Select Board and Budget Committee for eight of the articles. They approved the lower value for five of the articles, meeting in the middle for town employee raises.
The $21,275 approved for the raise pool will give most town employees a 5% raise, according to Select Board Chairman Kevin Nadeau.
He said the municipal budget tax impact is expected to be 23 cents or lower, depending on property valuation numbers later this spring.
Numerous residents spoke out against an amendment to the land use ordinance that would have reduced resource protection zoning, thus increasing the area of buildable land.
Urging others to vote against the amendment, residents said they were concerned about increased development in Durham. Many felt that additions and subtractions to resource protection zoning should be considered together, rather than in two phases as currently planned.
“The net balance of what ends up in resource protection or not in resource protection should not impact your decision when looking at scientific data, so it just makes sense to look at all of the data in its totality rather than breaking it off into segments,” said Joseph Roy, a member of the Conservation Commission.
Town Planner George Thebarge previously expressed concerns that the town’s resource protection zoning, which is stricter than state standards, places unfair restrictions on landowners.
A proposed amendment meant to consolidate and clarify road ordinances failed 82-57 after receiving significant discussion.
Residents asked numerous questions about the amendment, which Thebarge acknowledged was not easy to understand.
Two other land use ordinance amendments creating a fee schedule for permits and modifying the powers of the Board of Appeals were approved.
Town officials are preparing to conduct a market-based revaluation, the first since 2009, which would cost $60,000.
Describing it as a “paperwork revaluation,” Nadeau explained the revaluation would not have assessors looking at each individual property.
“We are required by state law to keep our valuations within a certain threshold of market, and we have decreased significantly relative to market over the last few years,” Nadeau said. “As a result, nobody is getting 100% of the homestead exemption that you would be entitled to if you were closer to full valuation.”
According to the state website, “the homestead exemption provides a reduction of up to $25,000 in the value of your home for property tax purposes.”
Residents approved the article.
Residents additionally approved $63,000 to purchase self-contained breathing apparatuses for the fire department, $21,911 for a tandem-axle plow truck, and $101,000 for stream crossings and culvert upgrades.
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