Present: Board Members: Chair Jan Galloway Leclerc, Vice-Chair Myra Mansouri, Judy Trow, Tom Murray, Pauline Barnes. Alternates: Don Sellarole, Ernie Vose, Bob Anderson. 

Recording: Marilou Blaine. These minutes are unapproved and will be reviewed at the regular November 2019 meeting for corrections, additions and/or omissions.

Roll Call: Ms. Leclerc called the meeting to order at 7:04 pm. There was a full board present so an alternate was not needed to fill in.

Minutes:  Ms. Trow made a few minor correction to the minutes. She made a motion to approve the minutes as amended. Ms. Mansouri seconded the motion and the motion carried. 

New Business:

Variance: Leo Blair – Drewsville – house behind the Drewsville store. Mr. Blair wants to build a she shed for his wife. He said the terrain of the property is a problem. It is very steep in back of his house.

Mr. Blair did not come to the meeting. Ms. Leclerc said there may be problems with the survey pins on his plat. The secretary will follow up on this. 

Lowell Smith – Cabot Farms – River Road – question was could he put a permanent mobile home on the same lot that a house is on near his milking station. The Board needs to see a map of the property and the proximity of the buildings before answering this question. Mr. Smith should attend the next meeting. The Secretary will follow up on this.

Docks on the Connecticut – John Foster, of the North Walpole Zoning Board, said a person may have a dock on the Connecticut River as long as it is taken in by the time ice begins to set in. Also, the person must get a building permit from North Walpole to build steps to the dock. Mr. Vose asked about the state. He said he thought the state had some jurisdiction over the Connecticut River.

73 Main Street – Questions came up about the former Costume Ladies building. In October 2014, the owners of the building wanted to make several changes. The outcome was approved with  some guidelines. Since the renovations are on the inside of the building, these do not apply, except to say that the topography and driveway will remain the same and the existing light in the parking lot was reduced because of a neighbor’s complaint. The inside renovations will cost more than $10,000 so Chad Thurston of Griffin Construction will be going to the Walpole Planning Board for a site plan approval next month. He is already on the PB agenda for November.

RSA 36:54 through 57. Developments of Regional Impact. It has come to Chair Leclerc’s attention that the ZBA might have to comply with this RSA. It regards developments that are likely to have impacts beyond the boundaries of a single municipality.  Ms. Leclerc said this pertains to variances and special exceptions that, if granted, may have a regional affect. 

Impacts are:

  number of dwelling units

  proximity to the borders of a neighboring community

            transportation networks

 anticipated emissions such as light, noise, smoke, odors or particles

proximity to aquifers or surface waters that transcend municipal boundaries

shared facilities such as schools and solid waste disposal facilities.

After some discussion, Ms. Leclerc said she would contact the NH Municipal Association to see how the ZBA must comply with this RSA. She may also contact Southwest Regional Planning Commission.

Inspection forms: Gravel pit inspection forms were returned. No one mentioned any problems at any of the gravel pits. It was noted that Joe Sawyer’s gravel pit off of Route 12 and Whipple Hill in Drewsville will no longer be operating as there has been no gravel taken out of these pits in a couple of years. Gravel pit owners will get a copy of the Board members’ reports and Mr. Sawyer and the owners of Whipple Hill will be notified that their pits are no longer in operation.

Ms. Trow made a motion to adjourn. Ms. Mansouri seconded the motion and the motion carried.

Respectfully submitted,

Marilou Blaine