Planning Commission Special Meeting – 09.10.26

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Guilford Planning Commission Meeting

10 SEPTEMBER 2026 / 7:00 PM/ Town office

Attendees 

  • PC members: Christina Belogour (remote), Jethro Eaton (remote), Michael Knapp, Nathaneal Matthiesen (remote), Marty Ramsburg (remote), Jeannette Tokarz
  • Mike Szostok, Selectboard Liaison
  • Members of the public (remote)
    • Davida Bagatelle
    • Mary Woolsey

Meeting was called to order at 7:04 pm

Meeting summary: The Planning Commission held a special meeting to prepare for an upcoming Act 250 Major hearing scheduled for Wednesday, September 16th, which will have a site visit at 9:30 AM at Viking Village followed by a meeting at 10:30 AM in the Town Office. The commission discussed key topics they should raise at the hearing, including questions about the lighting plan for the overflow parking area, the adequacy of parking for 100+ vehicles given that the current parking plan shows 56 spaces and traffic volume concerns with worst-case scenarios showing 53-55 cars per hour entering/exiting Viking Village during a large event.

They also addressed the classification of Marion Road noting that it has both Class 3 and Class 4 portions according to the March, 2026 town road map, and clarified that the turtle crossing on Weatherhead Hollow Road is at Weatherhead Hollow Pond rather than near Viking Village as indicated in the town plan. 

The commission discussed that unless the Town Plan uses mandatory language like “shall” rather than “should,” it has limited bearing on Act 250 applications, which informed their understanding of how to effectively express town planning goals in the next iteration of the Town Plan due in 2030.

Next steps

  • Jeannette will attend the Act 250 major hearing on September 16th and raise the following topics/questions: lighting plan for supplemental parking (including shielding to prevent light spillover), adequacy of parking as currently planned, and impacts to travel on WWH road of worst-case traffic scenario (53-55 cars per hour).
  • Attest at the hearing that Marion Road has both Class 3 and Class 4 portions.
  • Attest that the turtle crossing is located at Weatherhead Hollow Pond, not near Viking Village.
  • Express the Planning Commission’s interest in maintaining unfragmented forest blocks as a statement of town preference.
  • Report back on the Act 250 hearing at the next Planning Commission meeting.

This document was prepared with the use of artificial intelligence (Zoom AI companion). It has been reviewed and edited by Jeannette Tokarz.