Walpole Zoning Board of Adjustment

Minutes: June 17, 2015

Present: Board Members: Chair Myra Mansouri, Vice-Chair Jan Galloway Le Clerc, Clerk Ernie Vose,  Mary Therese Lester. Alternates: Judy Trow and Stephanie Stoughton.

Absent: Member Bob Anderson.

Recording: Marilou Blaine. These minutes are unapproved and will be reviewed at the July 15, 2015 meeting for corrections, additions and/or omissions.

Roll Call: Ms. Mansouri called the meeting to order at 7:33 p.m. Alternate Ms. Trow filled in for missing board member Mr. Anderson.

Minutes: Mr. Vose made a correction to a statement he made last month. Mr. Vose initially thought Mr. Chris Ballou, who lives on Dearborn Circle, was actually talking about a home in Maple Circle in back of the Walpole Fire Department and made reference to their size being smaller than a traditional Residential B lot. He corrected that comment and said that the lots in Dearborn Circle conform to Residential B requirements.

Mr. Vose made a motion to accept the minutes as corrected. Ms. Lester seconded the motion. which passed unanimously.

Old Business: Public Hearing: Cynthia Reeves Variance: Signage for The Barn, an Art Gallery at 28 Main Street. A free-standing sign will be closer to the edge of the road than the ordinance allows. Mr. Azariah Acker represented Ms. Reeves at the hearing.

Mr. Acker began by describing the two signs for the art gallery – one a 16-inch-by-40-inch wall sign on the side of the barn and a free-standing sign to the right of the apartment building as your facing it and to the right of a driveway leading to the barn. It will be placed 34 feet from the road and 12 feet from the edge of the property. The ordinance says it should be 60 feet from the traveled edge of the road.

The owner of the property, Mr. Bruce Carruthers of California, wanted the sign placed there and not in front of the building so it did not interfere with his tenants in the apartment house. It was also near the driveway leading to the gallery. It is 160 feet from the sign on the building.

In making the five-point case for the sign’s placement, Mr. Acker said:

1. The presence of a high-end art gallery supports current property values of abutters as well as the town. The sign is smaller than the one previously in front of the building and is tastefully designed.
2. The business has an audience and rounds out the businesses already in the community.
3. Denial of the variance would make it very difficult for the owners because people coming to town would miss the gallery location and have to inquire from other businesses or from the tenants in the apartments. Where the gallery is. Because the gallery is set so far back from the road, behind the apartments, people do not always find it.

Without visible signage at the street side, people may miss the gallery or approach the wrong doorway.

4. Justice lies in the concept of equal opportunity and fairness.
5. The signage – as proposed – is appropriate use of signage for the Main Street in Walpole and would not mitigate the spirit of the ordinance.

The board agreed on all five points and unanimously approved of the variance.

New Business: Snow Frye signage at 40 Main Street – the former Dr. Dennis Pellegrino office. Ms. Frye was asking for a 20-inch-by-80-inch wall sign that was in the same place that Dr. Pellegrino’s was. That place is on the porch at 40 Main Street. It says Walpole Wellness Center.

The sign replaces one that was there and not removed until a month ago. Ms. Frye’s request was unanimously approved by the board.

Mr. Chris Ballou: Variance of Article 5, Part – Land Standard, No 2 Yard requirements for a shed he wanted to place in his yard.  After Ms. Mansouri and Mr. Vose drove by the property, it appeared there was room for the shed in the front yard if turned and still maintain the 20 foot from an abutters property as designated. Mr. Ballou decided not to pursue his case for a variance.

Mr. Jim Neal: Signage for Walpole Ball Park. Last month Mr. Neal approached the board proposing a sign that was 42 square feet at 30 Upper Walpole Road. The maximum footage for a sign in the commercial district is 32 square feet. The board in its preliminary discussion said that it would be difficult to approve this sign because it was very visible to any car passing by. Mr. Neal went back and talked to the members of the Walpole Youth Baseball Foundation and they changed the size of the double-sided sign to conform with the 32-foot rule of the ordinance.

Mr. Terry Holcombe: Possible need for a Variance. Mr. Holcombe has purchased the former Ms. Shirley Sherry house and wants to build a shed for a tractor next to the garage but it is not the required 65 feet from the center of the abutting right-of-way nor closer than 20 feet to any side or rear property line. Mr. Holcombe wants the shed to house ta tractor to clear snow from the portion of Taggard Road that is a private road. If’ it’s a private road then Mr. Holcombe can build his shed. If not, he will need a variance. Members of the board are checking on the status of the road and looking at where the town stops plowing the paved portion of Taggard Road.

The board voted to review the new copies of the By-Laws and Updated Zoning Ordinances at next month’s meeting.

Respectfully submitted,

Marilou Blaine