Paris takes step towards zoning

Town officials in Paris began to tread, ever-so-lightly, on the path towards a zoning ordinance Tuesday night, where, after much discussion, the Selectboard and Planning Board jointly decided to form a study group and to seek public input on the matter.

Planning Board Chair Bob Kirchherr said that public opinion on the issue is difficult to gauge because the word zoning has accumulated so much “baggage.”

Officials recognized that the public would be more willing to support a measure that talked about managing growth in accordance with the established comprehensive plan, rather than asking for a yes/no vote on zoning.

Planning Board member Richard McAlister said that when people think of zoning, they tend to imagine more restrictive types of ordinances, which would prevent people from “parking a trailer in their front yard, or hanging a clothesline in their back yard.”

Several town officials said that they support a less restrictive form of zoning, for the purpose of maintaining the town's character and protecting historic Paris Hill.

At the conclusion of the meeting, it was agreed to move forward-- slowly.

“The Planning Board is being charged with providing some kind of election day activity to get a sense of community [input],” said Kirchherr. “It looks like it will be a non-binding ballot that will be developed to include the comprehensive plan information.”

“The selectman will establish the study group who will then take that information and, if it's affirmative, begin developing a plan based on that,” said Kirchherr.