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06/09/2021 08:45 AMThe Town of Guilford is holding a virtual public hearing to receive comment on three separate proposed ordinance changes on Tuesday, July 6—all separate issues that officials are hoping to squeeze into a single session, including a change to the town’s noise ordinance, language codifying support for solar energy construction, and tweaks to the Historic District Commission.
Though some meetings in town have begun moving toward more in-person participation, the public hearing is currently scheduled to be fully virtual, though officials made it clear that might change.
The noise ordinance change reduces the times when construction can occur in town, disallowing it after 7 p.m. on weekdays, and 5 p.m. on weekends and holidays. Currently, developers or homeowners can continue work as late as 10 p.m.
First Selectman Matt Hoey said that change was petitioned for by a resident who recently had significant construction near her home late at night, and discovered that it was allowed under the current ordinance.
The town needs approval from the state to change the ordinance, but Town Counsel Peter Barrett said that likely wouldn’t be a problem.
The Historic District Commission change is in response to difficulties in that body to keep up membership as defined in the current ordinance, and would reduce the number of commissioners that are required to live in a historic district.
The final ordinance change would simply add language to a solar tax exemption, stating that the town supports solar energy. Hoey said that including that phrase will help the town achieve designation through a national program called “SolSmart,” which sets goals and standards in solar energy for local governments.
More tangibly, the town will begin looking at building codes and other regulations to encourage solar, but the ordinance change will allow the town to begin its application to SolSmart, according to Hoey.
For the public hearing, Hoey said he is working with Barrett and Health Director Sonia Marino on a potential way to have an in-person or hybrid style gathering, with the possibility of offering pre-registrations or opening up another conference room as overflow space.