Monthly Archives: February 2016

Attention Walpole Voters

OPINIONS 02/29/2016 Comments: 2

Steve Dallesio asked me to alert my readers to this issue regarding school funding.  I must confess to being unsure of the issue since I have been out of town since February 1, but if it affects taxes it is certainly something that needs to be made available if The Walpolean is to fulfill its mission of keeping the community up-to-date. – Lil

By now you may have received a copy of the Fall Mountain School District Ballot in the mail or picked up a copy of the 2016 Annual Report at the town hall.  Please carefully read and understand the impact that the passing of Article 9 will have on our town (Back cover of Ballot mailing and Page 53 in report).

The Article proposes to change the way the school district allocates the budget between the towns in the district.  The passing of this article will have a significant impact on our town’s school tax rate.

Please consider voting NO to this article and note that the Fall Mountain School District School Board voted  Not To Recommend This Article.

 

Zoning Board Meeting Minutes – 2/17/16

ZONING BOARD 02/23/2016 Leave a comment

Walpole Zoning Board of Adjustment Minutes

February 17, 2016

7:30 pm.

Present: Board Members: Chair Myra Mansouri, Mary Therese Lester, Ernie Vose, Bob Anderson. Alternates: Judy Trow. Absent: Vice-Chair Jan Galloway Leclerc, Stephanie Stoughton.. Recording: Marilou Blaine.

These minutes are unapproved and will be reviewed at the March 2016 meeting for corrections, additions and/or omissions.

Roll Call: Ms. Mansouri called the meeting to order at 7:36 pm. There was a board member missing so Ms. Trow was needed to fill in.

Minutes of January: There were a couple of typos. Corrections were made. Ms. Trow made a motion to accept the minutes as corrected. Mr. Vose seconded the motion and the motion was unanimously approved by the Board.

Junkyards: Mr. Anderson researched junkyards looking up the current RSA 147-23. He said much of it was confusing. Our current junkyard ordinance begins much as the RSA does because it describes what a junkyard can call junk – “the use of land or buildings for motor vehicle, machinery or scrap metal junkyard is the use standard set and enforced by NH Revised Statues (Chapter 236 N.H.L. 1993).”

Mr. Anderson said the statute is 17 two-sided pages long and it was impossible for him to tell the Board everything in the RSA. Junkyards are grouped with recycling yards and really under the auspices of the Department of Transportation. So when reading them, the first third of regulations deal with junkyards near interstate highways. When you get deeper into the regulations, they branch out and casually mention regulations along other highways and eventually road regulations that apply to Walpole.

The regulations say an applicant needs a license for a junkyard. The governing body that deals with the licenses in Walpole would be the Selectboard. So an applicant would apply, in our case, to the Selectboard. As part of the application process, municipalities having a junkyard ordinance and a zoning board of adjustment, the application must first go to the Zoning Board of Adjustment and obtain a “certificate” stating that the junkyard is not within an established district restricted for such uses or other reason opposed by the Zoning Board.

So, in other words, the applicant has to come to the Walpole Zoning Board of Adjustment first and get a statement that the application doesn’t violate anything in the current zoning ordinance. It becomes part of the application. There are a lot of regulations in the section of the interstate highway system that flow through to the RSA of the town.

Mr. Vose mentioned fences and Mr. Anderson said there are regulations on how high fences must be and that the fences must totally enclose or surround the property. Then in the location requirements the statutes do finally talk about Class 1, 2 3, 3a roads. These all have setback requirements, and can’t be less than 650 feet from a right of way for class 1, 2, and 3 roads and can’t be less than 300 from the right of way from class 4, 5 and 6 highways.

Mr. Vose said the junkyard up by Pete Graves farm doesn’t qualify and it’s been there so long it’s probably grandfathered. And he doesn’t have a license. Mr. Vose asked if the Board was going to change the ordinance so it covers these regulations in Walpole?

Mr. Anderson said, “I don’t know where we are going with this.” He asked, “What are the objectives?” Ms. Mansouri said just to learn.

Mr. Anderson said Walpole has about a couple of paragraphs in its junkyard ordinance. On page 5 of the Zoning Ordinances, under General Provisions, it says, G. Junk Yards and Dumps 1. The use of land or buildings for motor vehicle, machinery or scrap metal junk yards is the use standard set and enforced by NH Revised Statutes (Chapter 236 N.H.L. 1993). Machinery and scrap metal junkyards may be allowed by prior permit from the Board of Selectmen if they meet the same requirements as are in force for the motor vehicle junkyard. 2. The use of land for dumping garbage and refuse as defined in RSA 147-24 is prohibited except that a dump may continue as a non-conforming use if it complies with the provisions of RSA 147 and 149 M and including the provision for approval, therefore, as required in RSA 147- 25. 3. The selection of a public dumping place maintained or designated by the Board of Selectmen in accordance with RSA 147-23 to 147-30 shall not be affected by this Ordinance. So the regulations differ slightly depending on the class of the road.

The setback footage from the road is different but ALL junkyards should be fully enclosed by a fence. Persons wanting to get a permit must go to the Zoning Board of Adjustment first before getting a permit from the local governing body, which, in the case of Walpole, is the Selectboard. The last time the Walpole junkyard ordinance was updated was 1993. The state junkyard statutes were updated several times between 1993 and 2012.

How does the ZBA want to update its ordinance? Does it want to put it to a town vote? Or can the town simply update the ordinances according to the state statutes without putting it on the warrant?

Mr. Anderson said it seems logical that we could just update this, but it’s better to check. Ms. Mansouri is going to call the NH Municipal Associations and check what she must do and, at Mr. Vose‘s suggestion, call Southwest Regional Planning to see if they already have an updated statute that the ZBA could use for its ordinance.

Mr. Vose said if the Municipal Association won’t allow us to simply to change the date, then they should have something that can make this thing work. What is the date on our ordinance? Ms. Mansouri asked. Mr. Anderson replied 1993. Ms. Mansouri asked when was the latest date a statute was added. Mr. Anderson said there are multiple dates with the latest 2012. Wouldn’t it be simpler if we just don’t put a date? Ms. Mansouri asked.

Ms. Lester said it seems silly to put a date on the ordinance when we know it may change. This way the Board never has to change a date. On the same thought, are we going to write local ordinances or are we going to go along with the state? It says specific local ordinances shall control when in conflict with this subdivision in the RSA. If we had our own, it’s better than theirs.

“If that becomes the question, then I’ll have to go deeper,” Mr. Anderson said. “Look into specific regulations of junkyards. There are a lot of them.”

Southwest should have done all that homework and they should give us somewhere to start, Mr. Vose said. Mr. Anderson said, “I’ll give you an example of my frustration. I thought had zeroed in on something that was going to be really appropriate, in the industrial area. Mr. Anderson read from the statute: “not withstanding any provision of this . junkyards, auto graveyards and scrap metal processing facilities can be operated adjacent to the interstate system and the turnpike system, which is within 1000 feet of the nearest right-of-way in a zoned industrial area. Or which are within an unzoned industrial area, but are used for industrial activities.”

Do you think that has anything to do with us? Mr. Anderson asked. It’s buried in the section so it goes back and forth. That fits Ruggiero. Mr. Vose said. Ernie Way is the only junkyard in Walpole. It’s on Valley Road, before you get to Woods.

“If you want me to continue, I can make up a list of items that are appropriate, Mr. Anderson said. “Do we want to develop our own regulations? Let’s see what Southwest has to say.”

Ms. Trow said that our ordinance says nothing about people coming to the Zoning Board. Part of the permit would be to send them here first. Do we know if the selectmen would send them here? Ms. Trow asked. “Maybe it should be right on the application.” Ms. Mansouri said, “I don’t know, I’ve never seen an application for a junkyard.” Maybe the Zoning Board would have to have its own application, someone speculated. It would have to include set backs and fences.

County Road is a state road, Mr. Vose said. It’s in total disrepair. They don’t use that terminology of county road, state road etc. Mr. Anderson said. They call them highways, class 1, 2, 3a, 4, 5 and 6 What’s 5? It’s a regular road, 6 is subject to gates and bars. I’ve never heard of class 4, Mr. Vose said. I think most of our roads in town are class 5. Ms. Mansouri said. Even a dirt road, it would be class 5, it has to do maintenance. And then there’s Farnum Road. It’s a scenic highway. You can’t do anything it without permission from the Planning Board, Mr. Vose said.

Everyone thanked Mr. Anderson for doing such a good job researching junkyards.. The Matrix Ms. Trow submitted one, which everyone seemed to like. She brought in one with boxes and arrows. Ms. Mansouri said the Board must be sure it conforms to what has been written? That was what everyone decided on at last meeting.

Mr. Vose said if a person has to go to ZBA for a special excepting, they have to go to planning for a hearing date, get a recommendation and then to back to ZBA. They could do it the following week for a special exception hearing, Ms Mansouri said. Do you think this is easy to follow and makes sense? The only thing I’m looking at is after the special exception, Mr. Vose said. The person might have to go back to the Planning Board for a site plan review. It was suggested that instead of having another box, the one there should be move more to the left and further down. Good job Judy.

The Board will do Draft 5 next month. Mr. Vose made a motion to go into executive session. The motion was seconded by Ms. Lester. The Board voted in the affirmation.

When the Board came out of executive session, Mr. Vose made a motion to adjourn, the motion was seconded by Ms. Lester and the Board voted in the affirmative.

The time was 8:20 pm.

Respectfully submitted, Marilou Blaine

Selectboard Meeting Minutes – 2/11/16

SELECTBOARD 02/23/2016 Leave a comment

TOWN OF WALPOLE

MEETING OF THE SELECTBOARD

FEBRUARY 11, 2016

Selectboard Present:     Steven Dalessio (Chair); Whitney Aldrich; Peggy Pschirrer

CALL TO ORDER:  Mr. Dalessio called this Selectboard meeting to order at 6:00 PM in the Walpole Town Hall.  He advised that this meeting is being recorded and asked anyone wishing to speak to identify themselves for the record.  There were three people in attendance.

ACCOUNTS PAYABLE: Mrs. Pschirrer moved to approve the Accounts Payable check register in the amount of $34,713.67 for checks dated February 12, 2016.  Seconded by Mr. Aldrich.  With all in favor, the motion was approved.

PAYROLL:  Mrs. Pschirrer moved to approve the Payroll voucher for the week ending February 6, 2016, in the amount of $21,716.85 for checks dated February 12, 2016.  Seconded by Mr. Aldrich.  With all in favor, the motion was approved.

Mrs. Pschirrer moved to approve the electronic fund transfer for the 941 Employer Taxes for Withholding, MEDI and FICA taxes in the amount of $4,746.20 for the week ending February 6, 2016.  Seconded by Mr. Aldrich.  With all in favor, the motion was approved.

SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES:

SELECTBOARD MEETING – February 4, 2016:  Mrs. Pschirrer moved to approve the Minutes of the regular Selectboard meeting of February 4, 2016, as submitted.  Seconded by Mr. Aldrich.  With all in favor, the Minutes were approved.

NON-PUBLIC SELECTBOARD SESSION – February 4, 2016:  Mrs. Pschirrer moved to approve the Minutes of the Non-Public Selectboard Session of February 4, 2016, as submitted.  These Minutes will remain sealed.  Seconded by Mr. Aldrich.  With all in favor, the Minutes were approved.

2016 ANNUAL BUDGET AND WARRANT ARTICLES PUBLIC HEARING – February 4, 2016:  Mrs. Pschirrer moved to approve the Minutes of the 2016 Annual Budget and Warrant Articles Public Hearing of February 4, 2016, as submitted.  Seconded by Mr. Aldrich.  With all in favor, the Minutes were approved.

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

The Selectboard received and reviewed Minutes of the following meetings:

  • Hooper Institute Committee – February 9, 2016;
  • Cold River Local Advisory Committee – December 10, 2015; and
  • Planning Board – February 9, 2016.

NOTICE OF INTENT TO CUT WOOD OR TIMBER:

WOOD, Woodshed Road, Map & Lot #011-031-000:  Mrs. Pschirrer moved to approve the Notice of Intent to Cut Wood or Timber off the Walpole Valley Road, Operation #T-15-461-17-T, for Beryl Wood, as submitted.  Seconded by Mr. Aldrich.  With all in favor, the motion was approved.

OLD BUSINESS:

Transfer of Hubbard Property to the Town of Walpole:  This will be kept on the Agenda until the documents for the BBQ area are received from Hubbard LLC to the Town of Walpole.

NH Department of Labor Audit and Inspection Report: The NH State Inspector will be in the office on Tuesday, April 5th.  Mr. Dalessio advised that the paperwork will be in the office and ready for him.  Mrs. Clough will send the inspector an email to let him know this report will be ready.

Town Ordinance, Procedure and Policy Manual: This is a work-in-progress for the Selectboard.

NEW BUSINESS:

Auditor Search:  Mr. Kreissle received a list of auditing firms from the NH Municipal Association and has sent out Request for Proposals.  To-date one has been received and the Selectboard are in the process of reviewing it.

Request for Use of the Town Common:  A request was received from Mrs. Holly Gowdy to use the Town Common for the Fall Mountain High School Cross Country Running and Ski Teams.  The Booster Club would like to hold a 5K race on Thanksgiving Day.  The Turkey Trot would gather on the Common before the start and the finish would be on the Common.  This would be the morning of Thanksgiving Day, November 24, 2016.  This race is a fundraiser for these athletic teams.

Mrs. Pschirrer moved to allow the Booster Club to use the Town Common on Thanksgiving Day, November 24th, 2016, for a 5K race.  Seconded by Mr. Aldrich.  With all in favor, the motion was approved.

Mrs. Holly Gowdy asked for permission to use the Town Common for a Farmers Market on November 19, 2016. This would coincide with the church fairs scheduled for this Saturday before Thanksgiving Day.

Mr. Aldrich moved to grant permission for the local farmers to use the Town Common on November 19, 2016, for a Farmers Market.  Seconded by Mrs. Pschirrer.  With all in favor, the motion was approved.

Letter from Jack Neary: The Selectboard acknowledged receipt of a letter from Mr. Jack Neary regarding the fact that the sidewalk on Pleasant Street was not plowed after the last storm.  Mrs. Clough was asked to put this into the Citizen’s Complaint Report book.  Mrs. Pschirrer reported that Mr. Rau and Mr. Symonds looked at the sidewalk and felt the machinery would be ruined handling the snow plowing due to the poor condition of the sidewalk.  Following a discussion the Selectboard agreed to have Mrs. Pschirrer respond to Mr. Neary’s complaint and advise that the Town will take care of removing the snow off the sidewalk in front of his property.

Administrative Assistant’s Vacancy: Mr. Dalessio announced that Mrs. Janet Clough has requested a change from the Selectboard office to the Police Department.  The Selectboard agreed to post the vacancy in the two locations where notices are customarily posted and on the Town’s web-site.  It will not be put in the newspaper, at this time, due to the cost of advertising.

Mr. Dalessio requested that Mrs. Clough take care of three things before making the transfer: 1) finalize the 2015 Town Report; 2) Take care of all the items that were listed in the Safety Audit; and that letters be sent to everyone who has a closet downstairs stating that they need to be cleaned / organized no later than March 24th, 3) Develop procedures for the five most common tasks.  Mrs. Clough noted that there will be more than five tasks.  At this time she has back-log work to complete because for the past two weeks she has been working on the Town Report.  She asked if the Selectboard would approve having her work at least two days with Miss Lee before she leaves her position at the Police Department on February 24th. The Selectboard approved this request.  Mr. Dalessio pointed out that they want a smooth transition in both directions.  The Selectboard, Mr. Kreissle and Mrs. Clough will meet to work out details on how the Welfare cases will be handled.

Selectboard Office Part-Time Position:  Mrs. Clough will up-date the existing Job Description.  The Selectboard agreed to post this position internally; Mr. Dalessio will draft this notice.

NON-PUBLIC SELECTBOARD SESSION:

Mr. Aldrich moved to enter into a Non-Public Selectboard Session pursuant to RSA 91-A:3 II to discuss (b) Hiring and (c) Reputations.  Mrs. Pschirrer seconded the motion and, on a roll call vote with all in favor, the motion was approved at 6:44 PM.

The regular Selectboard meeting resumed at 7:11 PM.

Mrs. Pschirrer moved that the Minutes of the Non-Public Selectboard session of February 11, 2016, be sealed.  Seconded by Mr. Aldrich.  With all in favor, the motion was approved.

RECESS SELECTBOARD MEETING:

Mr. Aldrich moved to recess this Selectboard meeting.  The Selectboard will enter into a meeting as the Hooper Trustees.  Seconded by Mrs. Pschirrer.  With all in favor, the motion was approved.

The regular Selectboard meeting resumed at 7:27 PM.

ADJOURNMENT:

Mr. Aldrich moved to adjourn this meeting.  Seconded by Mrs. Pschirrer.  With all in favor, the meeting was adjourned at 7:28 PM.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Regina Borden, Recording Secretary

The Clarion has gone to press

EVENTS 02/22/2016 Leave a comment

Thanks Ray Boas for the heads up AND all your work on this publication. – Lil

The March 2016 issue of The Walpole Clarion is going to press, Monday, 22 February 2016. But, it is now posted on the website for your reading pleasure. — http://thewalpoleclarion.com

This is our annual Local Election Issue, and we are very proud of it. Proud, not only for its content, but also layout and design. Every page deserves to be read and shared. And, I encourage you to do so for the timeliness of the articles.

If you would like to get a notice that the new issue is on-line directly in your email in-box (and have not already done so), please follow the instructions on the CLARION home page on the right where it says: “Follow Blog via Email.”

The closing date for the April 2016 issue is March 23, 2016.

Thank you, yours, RAY BOAS, Publisher

 

Friendly Friday – 3/18/16

EVENTS 02/20/2016 Leave a comment

Come ready for fun and great food when you join Rev. Craig and his family at Friendly Friday. We’ll learn about Easter (hint: there’s more to it than chocolate bunnies!) and create some art together that will decorate the church during Easter Week. Bring a side or main dish to share. Church provides drinks and dessert. For more information, “like” Friendly Fridays on FaceBook or contact the church: 756-4075, walpolechurch@yahoo.com.

Planning Board Meeting Minutes – 1/12/16

EVENTS 02/19/2016 Leave a comment

Walpole Town Hall
January 12, 2016 Minutes

Presiding: Jeffrey Miller (Chair), Robert Miller (Vice-Chair), James Aldrich, (Secretary),Steve Dalessio (Selectboard Representative), Dennis Marcom, Jason Perron.
Alternates: Ed Potter and Jeff White.
Absent: Kelley Hicks

Recording: Marilou Blaine.

Meeting Opened: Mr. J. Miller, Chair, called the meeting to order at 7 pm.

Roll Call: One board members was absent so Mr. Miller asked Alternate Jeff White to sit in her place.

Minutes: Mr. Marcom made a revision to the December minutes. The revision was insserted after the paragraph that begins with “Mr. Ed Potter agreed.” the paragraph before that was eliminated.

Mr. Marcom said “that approvals of the site plans are based on the assumption that the applicant will adhere to the terms of that approval. That assumption of trust is critical. In this case, Mr. Ruggiero was granted a special exception by the Zoning Board in 2011. Conditions, as stated in a letter from that Board, included that the operation could not be changed or expanded without returning to the ZBA for approval. When Mr. Ruggiero added a 2,000 square-foot building, he not only violated the town’s rules on building permits, but also broke at least one of the conditions of the Special Exception.

“Beyond that, this company, as was made evident in a letter sent to them by DES, operated for approximately 2 ½ years without the knowledge of DES, among other violations of state regulations.” For these reasons, Mr. Marcom felt that this company could not be ensured to keep their agreements and therefore approval should not be granted to them.

Another correction was the date of the Silverstein subdivision. Mr. Dalessio pointed out that it could not be 2019.

Mr. R. Miller corrected the spelling of the name of the man he contacted at the New Hampshire Municipal Offices. It should be Cordell Johnston. He also said said Ms. Pauline Barnes statement that the vote to seek counsel was 6 to 0 because the Chair was absent. Actually, the vote was 7 to 0 as an alternate had replaced the chair as a voting member.

Mr. Perron made a motion to accept the minutes as amended. Mr. R. Miller seconded the motion and it was approved unanimously.

Old Business:
Public Hearing for Subdivision of one lot into two lots. William and Elisabeth Silverstein, 70 Reservoir Road, Map 10, Lot 33, Rural/Agricultural District. Lot 33 will be 1.43 acres, Lot 33-3 will be 1.53 acres and road frontage is 320 feet and 277.57 feet on Reservoir Road respectively.

Mr. Silverstein said that he and his wife were here a month ago and submitted an application for a subdivision and the Board voted unanimously to hold a Public Hearing. He said the subdivision was pretty straightforward. The lots were divided before and there is plenty of road frontage.
Mr. J. Miller asked the audience and Board if there were any questions. There being none, Mr. J. Miller closed the Public Hearing.

Old Dominion Lighting – The previous problem of light from Old Dominion shining into a bedroom of the Tabitha and Frank Anderson home abutting Old Dominion, seem tp be solved. Mr. Dalessio asked Mrs. Anderson if she was happy with the response from Old Dominion. Mrs. Anderson said she was. “They were very good about it,” she said.

However, those were the old lights. Mrs. Anderson said that it looks like from the paper work that there are 11 more lights to be installed. These lights are to be installed in late January. Mrs. Anderson will notify the secretary if there are any problems after the new lighting is installed. Mr. Marc Mercier, project manager for Old Dominion, is keeping in touch with the Board.

Mr. Perron asked about the other condition from the Walpole Fire Department. Mark Houghton of the Walpole Fire Department said that the Knox boxes had been installed and tested and that Old Dominion had fulfilled that condition of the Site Plan.

Bensonwood – Mr. Tom Hancock of Bensonwood submitted a copy of a letter from the Department of Environmental Services granting an Alteration of Terrain Permit. The permit was needed to fulfill the condition placed on Bensonwood for final approval of the Site Plan.

Potato Barn – Matt Blanc received a letter from Herb Hurlburt, Captain Fire Inspector of the Walpole Fire/Ems Department, stating that the fire department will not sign off on any usage of the Potato Barn at this time. Mr. Hurlburt said that at the original meeting he”was assured the complete building would be sprinkled and alarmed before ANY usage” Mr. J. Miller asked that the letter be part of the Potato Barn file.

New Business:
Mr. Ed Potter and Mr. Bruce Potter are seeking a Lot Line Adjustment of their property on Old Keene Road, Map 7, Lots 21 and 22-1 and Lot in the Rural/agricultural Zone. Take .23 acres from Lot 21 and add it to Lot 22-1, thus changing the western boundary line. Mr. Ed Potter requested a Public Hearing.

Mr. Potter said about a year ago he bought a lot from Steve Brode that was 1.17 acres and the lot had enough road frontage to be developed. There is a line between the two properties that has a kind of “jag” in it, he said. Because he owns the field next to it he said he wanted to have better access to that property and also wanted to straighten the line. The adjustment would take .23 acres from Lot 21 and add it to 22-1. Mr. Potter also planted some arborvitae bushes on the new property line.

Mr. Dalessio asked who owned the property – where the property was coming from. Mr. Potter said it was his sister’s property and it is now owned by his brother and himself.

Mr. J. Miller made a motion to have a Public Hearing next month. The motion was seconded and it passed unanimously.

Explanation of a petition to be placed on the March 2016 warrant and a request for a Public Hearing. This petition will amend the current Zoning Ordinance as follows :

Mr. J. Miller said this is basically a brief for that article and set a hearing for February 26 at 7:00 pm.
The petition is:
.
To see if the Town of Walpole will vote in favor of amending the current Zoning Ordinance as follows:

Add under Article IV General Provisions Section N Recycling and Transfer Stations:

a. In addition to the current Town recycling center at 207 Whitcomb Road, Route 123, Walpole, New Hampshire, recycling centers and/or transfer stations shall be permitted uses in the Industrial Zone subject to meeting the Town’s site plan review regulations and shall be submitted to the Planning Board for site plan review provided such facilities are owned or operated by the Town for the transfer and/or recycling of solid waste generated in the Town and provided further that the recycling center or transfer station is owned and operated by the Town or by a Regional Solid Waste District whose ownership or operation thereof is governed by and agreement entered into pursuant to RSA 149-M124.

Ms. Pauline Barnes is the person who wrote and circulated the petition. She asked to correct one typo, the RSA No. to RSA 129-M24. Mr. J. Miller said she could change the typo but not the intent of the petition. He asked her to explain the petition.

Barnes said that Walpole already had an award-winning recycling center run by an award-winning director and the facility is fully capable to handle the solid waste of our town. Because of the nature of solid waste it is important that the facility be operated only under town ownership and town control.

Mr. Aldrich asked Ms. Barnes to clarify the typo and asked if we should strike the 1 from the RSA number. Ms. Barnes agreed.

Mr. R. Miller made a motion to have a Public Hearing on January 26, 2016, Mr. Aldrich seconded the motion and the motion unanimously passed.

Mr. Dalessio encouraged everyone to come out not only for the petition hearing but the budget hearing and all the other meetings that will be going on in the next couple of weeks.

Mr. J. Miller asked Ms. Barnes if she understood the process. Mr. Miller said the vote on the petition will be on the second Tuesday in March, when citizens vote on selectmen, school board, etc. The function of the Board is not to vote to accept or reject the petition, but vote to recommend or not recommend the petition to the townspeople. The Board decision would appear at the bottom of the article. In all cases, the petition will be placed on the ballot.

At the Public Hearing, it will be up to the petitioner to explain the petition, just like you did tonight, Mr. J. Miller said. And answer questions from the public, Mr. Perron added.

Mr. Dick O’Brien asked if the Board voted on the article. Mr. Miller answered it is just a recommendation.

Mr. Adrian Basora asked if the petitioner needed a lawyer and if there were going to be lawyers on the other side. Mr. Miller said there will be no vote. The public will vote on the petition in March.

Mr. J. Miller repeated his explanation saying this has nothing to do with a Board vote. And you don’t have to have a show of hands from the public.

A motion was made, seconded and passed by the Board to adjourn the meeting and then realized it had not made a decision on the Silverstein subdivision. Mr. Marcom made a motion to reopen the meeting, it was seconded and it passed unanimously.

Mr. Aldrich made a motion to accept the Silverstein subdivision as presented. Mr. R. Miller seconded the motion and the Board vote unanimously to do so.

The meeting was adorned at 7: 25 pm.

Respectfully submitted,
Marilou Blaine

Minutes posted inside the Town Hall, on the outside bulletin board at Walpole Grocery.
Cc: WPB, The Walpolean, Town Web site http://www.walpolenh.us

Next meeting January 26, 2016 to hear the Public Hearing on the petition.
Next regular meeting February 9, 2016.

Winter Tree and Shrub Identification Workshop – 2/28/16

EVENTS 02/19/2016 1 Comment
Header With No Shadow

Winter Tree and Shrub Identification Workshop
Speckled Alder in Winter

Speckled Alder male catkins and female cones. (Alnus incana)

WHERE:
Distant Hill Gardens
507 March Hill Road
Walpole, NH

WHEN:
Sunday, February 28
1pm to 3pm

Learn how to identify some of the common trees and shrubs of the forests, fields, and wetlands of Distant Hill Gardens in winter. It’s a great way to find out more about the native plants that grow here and their importance to the winter survival of many of our wildlife species.
DSC 5525

Withe-rod viburnum winter bud. (Viburnum nudum)

Steve Roberge, Forest Resource Specialist with Cheshire County Extension, will lead the workshop and will be discussing the key things to look for when attempting to identify woody plants in winter – things such as overall form, bark, twig features, leaf scars, and fruit remnants.

It will begin with a short indoor presentation, then the workshop will move outdoors. Please bring footwear suitable for varying snow and/or ice conditions.
Register Now►

Registration if Required

Suggested Donation: $10 per adult
Directions to Distant Hill Gardens

This Sunday

EVENTS 02/12/2016 Leave a comment

The Walpole Unitarian Church welcomes our Minister Emerita, the  Rev. Sandra J. Whippie this Sunday, Valentine’s Day!  Her topic is, What’s Love Got to Do With It?

Refreshments and fellowship after the service.

Planning Board Meeting Minutes

PLANNING BOARD 02/12/2016 Leave a comment

Walpole Planning Board

Town Hall

February 9, 2016 Minutes

Presiding: Jeffrey Miller (Chair), Robert Miller (Vice-Chair), James Aldrich, (Secretary), Steve Dalessio (Selectboard Representative), Dennis Marcom, Jason Perron.

Alternates: Ed Potter and Jeff White.

Absent: Kelley Hicks

Recording:  Marilou Blaine. These minutes are unapproved and will be reviewed at the March 2016 meeting for corrections, additions and/or omissions.

Meeting Opened: Mr. J. Miller, Chair, called the meeting to order at 7 pm.

Roll Call: One board members was absent so Mr. Miller asked Alternate Jeff White to sit in her place.

Minutes: Mr. Marcom made a motion to accept both the January 2016 minutes and the Public Hearing minutes for a petition to be placed on the warrant as written. The motion was seconded by Mr. Aldrich and the Board unanimously agreed.

Old Business:

            Mr. Ed Potter had a Public Hearing on a Lot Line Adjustment on his property on Old Keene Road, Map 7, Lots 21 and 22-1 in the Rural/Agricultural District.

Mr. Ed. Potter purchased 1.17 acres of land on Map 7, Lot 22-1 from Mr. Steven Brode about a year ago. The western line on that parcel of land was jagged. He wanted to move the property line 77.52 feet westward toward property owned by him and his brother, Bruce Potter. The property originally belonged to the Potters’ sister. The Lot Line Adjustment will make Lot 22-1 1.4 acres and take .23 acres from Lot 21.

 Mr. J. Miller asked if there were any questions. There being none, he closed the hearing.

New Business:

            Mr. Matt Blanc of Blanc & Bailey was before the Board to update the plans for the Potato Barn regarding the letter from the Walpole Fire Department and access from Route 12.

Mr. R. Miller recused himself from voting on the matter because he works for Blanc & Bailey.

Mr. Blanc explained that he was at the meeting to let the Board know what was happening at the Potato Barn. He said he had been before the Board in November and the Board requested that the Fire Department sign off on what was being done. The Department did not and said the entire building should be sprinkled.

The Board also requested revisiting the access to the property by a road from Route 12. Shortly after the November meeting. Blanc met with SWDOT and Brickstone, the designer of the site plan and learned that Route 12, which runs to the west of the Potato Barn was the first bypass granted to the Town of Walpole. He learned that a condition of the bypass was that there would be no access road from South Street to where Main Street meets Route 12 by what is now Agway. The reasoning, he said, was that there had been federal funding with the balance paid by state funds. Apparently, someone found an article that stated that Walpole agreed to the terms.

So, Blanc said, “we were told basically that we needed to go to Congress.”  Blanc & Bailey went back to the drawing board, and while the group will continue to  pursue the Route 12 access, the decision was to widen the already existing driveway.

The plan is to widen the current driveway from 15 feet to 24 feet. This can be done completely on the Potato Barn property and would not encroach on anyone else’s property line, Blanc said. He had an updated drawing.  All of the maples and all of the shrubs will stay on the entrance portion of the road. Four large maple down towards the building will be taken down in order to extend the road all the way around the entire barn. Land in back of the barn, at the south end, will be reserved for parking.

Mr. Kevin Dunn of Sacramento, CA., was hired by the owner, Mr. Steve Rudek, to consult on the project. Mr. Dunn conveyed his frustration at the turn of events by the state not granting access and the fire department and of all the delays.

Mr. Marcom said it was his recollection that when Cynthia Reeves owned the Potato Barn, she had permission to put a road off of Route 12, not a driveway. Mr. Aldrich interjected that it was a Town Road for 100 and some odd feet.

Mr. J. Miller said, addressing Mr. Dunn, that it had gotten state approval before when Ms. Cynthia Reeves owned the building. It would be in the files. It was going to be a town road and it was approved by the town.

If he wanted to go back into the files, it could be done.

Mr. Dunn said that the farm will fall down before we get through all the paper work for the road. Widening the road is a great way to get something done before we get access, if the project ever gets access.

The intended use of the building has been changed to possibly four apartments on the upper level, also with parking and access at the upper level. The lower level would be light commercial, possibly a distillery or a commercial bakery. The building will not be split, as previously proposed, because of the reaction by the fire department and it did not get their blessing

Mr. Houghton said the Department thought there would be a risk to come to this building having to cross under a wooden bridge. Mr. Houghton said that the fire department wanted 360 degree access around the building and that the entire building be sprinkled.

The Route 12 traffic would be on the west side of the building. Access to the building would be coming in from Main Street. Mr. Dunn said it’s only two turns and with the proper signage it will be easily accessible.

Mr. J. Miller said that there may be some concern about traffic off Main Street and being the main access to the building. Route 12 was advantageous and had town support.

The number of parking spaces will be decreased with the change of use. Mr. Blanc said parking spaces are dependent on type of occupancy. If there are five people working in a commercial space, that’s less than a retail operation would need.

Mr. Dalessio asked Mr. Blanc if apartments were allowed in that area. Mr. Blanc said he thought it was commercial so he thought apartments were allowed but he would check the ordinances. Mr. Dunn said if there couldn’t be apartments, there could be offices.

Mr. J. Miller said that the new road means that the site plan will have been amended and that there should be a Public Hearing. A motion was made to hold a Public Hearing next month. It was seconded and approved by the Board.

Mr. Houghton said the opposition the Fire Department had no longer applies and that this plan meets all the department’s requests.

 

Mr. Greg Gay of North Walpole had been to the Planning Board about six months ago and the Board asked him to get permission or talk to the North Walpole commissioners about what he was planning to do.

He wants to build a 60-foot-by-100-foot building on the former Cray Oil Land in North Walpole in the Industrial Zone. He has already obtained a building permit from the North Walpole commissioners.

He was told he would have to have a Site Plan Review, which meant a form, instructions, Public Hearing and abutters would be notified.

Mr. Gay asked that since abutters were at the meeting, couldn’t they ask questions now. Mr. J. Miller said that a Public Hearing is the forum for questions.

Mr. Dalessio asked if he had a building permit from North Walpole and drawings, complete with a set of drawings, electrical, lighting, etc. Mr. Gay asked if he could do it himself. Mr. J. Miller said it usually depends on the size and scope of the building.

The building would be used to fabricate race cars, a simple chaissis shop, Mr. Gay said. There would be one employee who did welding. It would be self-contained inside, and basic hand tools would also be used. There will be a little bit of body work, but no painting.

Mr. Perron asked if it was commercial. Mr. Gay responded yes.

Mr. Donald Lennon, an abutter and officer of Len-Tex Corp., said that previously Mr. Gay had spoken of a residence there. I’m a little confused that the residence plan is no longer an issue and there is also an issue of cutting a water line in North Walpole. “That concerns us greatly as it does Tony Elliott at Woodstone, another abutter.” Mr. Lennon also brought up the issue of nonindustrial uses in an Industrial District.  Mr. Gay said that he would not be asking for residence at this time.

Mr. Lennon said he questions whether or not this is truly and honestly an industrial facility. And will it or will it not have an attached residence? “There is a lot more information that we need. But it’s very critical to us because Len-Tex wishes to expand in North Walpole.”  Business is very good for Len-Tex and the company would like to expand its real estate and move to one side of the railroad tracks. Right now the company has buildings on both sides of the tracks, which , Mr. Lennon called “grossly inefficient.”

He said there is a lot of information that the company will require for this building to be built. He said he was speaking for Tony Elliott of Woodstone as well.

Mr. Lennon said he is requesting an extremely in-depth presentation to  protect his investment. Again, he said, he was speaking for Woodstone. “If we could be assured of that, that would be great.” He hoped that his real estate would not be diminished by the Board granting this request.

Mr. Gay said his business belongs in the Industrial District. “When you start with a piece of metal and build a car from it, that’s industrial.”

Mr. Gay was given an application, a couple of sheets of paper with questions and a site plan regulation booklet. Mr. Gay said he couldn’t say he wasn’t interested in the residential part of this but he not applying for that right now.

Mr. Lennon said that he hoped the Board would take into consideration what is best for the taxpayers of Walpole. Len-Tex pays the highest taxes in the village and will continue to. He also said that the Board has to look at what’s best for the abutters and make sure it doesn’t diminish their property.

Mr. R. Miller made a motion to request a Public Hearing for Mr. Gay at next month’s meeting. The motion was seconded by Mr. Aldrich and approved by the rest of the Board.

 

Jack Franks and the Bee Hive: Mr. Franks came to the meeting to talk about an idea he had for the Bee Hive on School Street. He said in his estimation the buildings were in such disarray that it would take and enormous amount of money to rehab them – maybe $1.3 million. Structurally it’s in very tough shape. It’s also a place the police department visit on a regular basis.

This is very preliminary. It would need a survey and engineering design. The setbacks seem okay.

His plan, which is just a rough draft of what he might do, is to make it into 16 condominiums, about a 1,000 square feet, with two bedrooms with 2 baths. The building would be modular with two stories with parking in a downtown setting. There would be 30 percent green space. It would abut a housing development. There are 10 units now and it’s a bit of an increase but it’s better than putting a band-aid on the building. I think that there’s a market for it. It would be good for the tax base of Walpole. It would be all sprinkled so the fire department wouldn’t have an issue.

Mr. Potter asked if he would be selling these. Mr. Franks said yes but that he may hold on to one or two for himself.

Mr. Potter said he thought that the town voted a couple of years ago not to have condominiums in the village district. It was down by Woodward Florist. It may have been 10 years ago. Mr. J. Miller said it was a different layout. Those were cluster houses.

Mr. Franks said that the land is in the Commercial District and he had a Letter of Intent with the landowner.

Ms. Myra Mansouri said that she thought the landowner had declared bankruptcy and that the bank owned the property. Mr. Franks said that was true but it was eventually sold to Elm Grove Properties in Manchester.

She said she was also concerned about the narrow street and it’s already crowded with Applewood.

Mr. Franks said it’s a two-lane road. He also invited the Planning and Zoning Boards to come down and look at the units being built behind Tractor Supply.

 

Decision on Potter Public Hearing: Mr. Aldrich made a motion to approve the Lot Line Adjustment on the Potter property as presented. The motion was seconded by Mr. R. Miller and the Board voted in the affirmative.

The Board voted to go into executive session to discuss a legal affair.

Mr. Aldrich voted to adjourn at 8:10 pm after the Board came out of executive session. The motion was seconded and approved by the rest of the Board. The minutes of the executive session will be sent only to the Chair and Vice-Chair and shared only with the rest of the Board at the next meeting.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Marilou Blaine

The Candidates

EVENTS 02/12/2016 Leave a comment

Here is the list of the generous people who are willing to offer their time in community service.  Win or lose, we should be grateful for them all. – Lil

RUNNING FOR TOWN OFFICE

SELECTMAN – Three Year Term – Vote for One

Joseph Aldrich

John Pratt

Jamie Teague

MODERATOR – Two Year Term – Vote for One

Ernest D. Vose

TREASURER – One Year Term – Vote for One

Thomas Goins

TRUSTEE OF THE TRUST FUNDS – Three Year Term – Vote for One

Karen Galloway

PLANNING BOARD – Three Year Term – Vote for Two

Joanna Andros

Dennis Marcom

Robert Miller

Jeffrey White

ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT – Three Year Term – Vote for Two

Jan Galloway-LeClerc

Myra Mansouri

CEMETERY TRUSTEE – Three Year Term – Vote for One

John L. Sheldon

SUPERVISOR OF CHECKLISTS – Six Year Term – Vote for One

Joanne H. Hurlburt

SUPERVISOR OF CHECKLISTS – Two Year Term – Vote for One

Gary T. McCormick

LIBRARY TRUSTEE – Three Year Term – Vote for Three

Jean Kobeski

Frederick V. Ernst

Gail LaHaise

Christie Winmill