The Walpolean

Walpole Players are happy to announce that “Hansel & Gretel” will be extended through the first weekend in November with 3 performances:  Friday, Nov. 4 at 7:00 PM Saturday, Nov. 5 at 4:00 PM Saturday, Nov. 5 at 7:00 PM Tickets are available at Galloway real Estate and Mascoma Bank in Walpole, online at TheWalpolePlayers.org, and at the door prior to each performance.

Although it is very problematic for some to access the Town Hall while daytime construction is occurring, safety takes a priority over convenience. Those visiting or walking by the Town Hall MUST remain out of the construction work zone per federal law and OSHA rules. It is a requirement that the public walk around the flagged/coned off area in front of the Town Hall while daytime construction is in process. DO NOT lift the flagging or go beyond the cones to enter the work area. The public and worker safety are high concerns with an active mechanical lift and material movement.

For those with mobility challenges, there is one handicap parking spot on Elm Street adjacent to the sidewalk to the ramp to the southern main entrance for those with handicap tags/plates. Elm Street must be accessed from Washington Street on the south end of the Common to reach the handicap parking spot.

The street and sidewalk open once the roofers are finished for the day. The above is in effect only during weekday, daytime hours.

If there are any questions regarding work zone requirements, contact the Selectboard Office at 603-756-3672 to discuss the matter.

Present: Chair Jeff Miller, Vice-Chair Dennis Marcom, Clerk Jason Miller, Jeff Harrington, Joanna Andros, Selectboard Representative Steve Dalessio, Alternate Trevor MacLachlan. Absent: Board member Bill Carmody and alternate Travis Adams. Mr. MacLachlan was asked and agreed to sit in for Mr. Carmody. Also at the meeting was Ray Boas, editor of The Walpole Clarion.

Recording: Secretary Marilou Blaine. This meeting was recorded. These minutes are unapproved and will be reviewed at the November 2022 meeting for corrections, additions and/or omissions.

Call to order: Mr. Miller called the meeting to order at 7 pm. 

Minutes:  Mr. Marcom moved to approve the minutes of the September 2022 meeting as written. Mr. Perron seconded the motion and the motion carried with an abstention from Mr. Dalessio because he was not at the September meeting.

New Business:

Fieldstone Land Consultants will present a conceptual plan for a Dunkin next to General Dollar. Chuck Ritchie will be here to explain their plans.

Civil Engineer Nate Chamberlain of Fieldstone Land Consultants was at the meeting to explain the plans for a 2,000 square-foot Dunkin Donut, which would be located on the lot south of General Dollar on Route 12. Mr. Chamberlain pointed out the locations of Red Barn Lane and Dollar General and what he called condominium lots to the east. Mr. Miller said those aren’t condominium lots and he wasn’t sure how the lot got that title. It’s just a separate lot, he said.

Mr. Chamberlain continued that the proposal is to put a Dunkin Donuts on this lot and customers would come in from Route 12, drive around a parking lot and the building to the drive-thru, which is on the north side of the building. The driveway around the building and parking lot is three lanes wide and there is plenty of queue space around the building for cars, which would also exit on Route 12, he said. He pointed out the drain for storm water. 

Regarding the pumping station next to the pond, Mr. Chamberlain said engineers are reworking the area around the easement for the pumping station.

Mr. Miller asked if there were any questions. 

Where is the proposed boundary line for the lot? Mr. Dalessio asked. Is it just at the end of the pond?  

Mr. Chamberlain said yes it is at the edge of the pond. Mr. Dalessio then asked how much green space is left on that lot? Mr. Chamberlain estimated it to be about 30 percent. Mr. Dalessio there needs to be 30 percent of the property in green space. Mr. Chamberlain said he thinks there definitely is that amount. Does that have to be noted on the final plan? he asked. Mr. Dalessio said yes. He also asked if there would garden plants there and Mr. Chamberlain said yes.

Mr. Chamberlain pointed out where the dumpster would be saying a front loader dumpster would come in and pick it up. Can the front loader get around the cars and things in the driveway? a board member asked. Mr. Chamberlain said yes but the dumpster probably would not be picked up during peak times of traffic.

Mr Chamberlain said traffic for Dunkin would enter and exit from Route 12 as well as from Red Barn Lane. Mr. Miller asked why can’t all the traffic be from Red Barn Lane instead of having another cut from Route 12. You run into the same problem as the board had before at the other place. You have good cut now, why not simplify it and use that?  Mr. Chamberlain said he will take that information back to the developer. Mr. Miller continued that if you have people coming in and out of Red Barn Lane and then there’s Pete’s Stand, which is seasonal but still brings in a good amount of traffic, it’s going to be a nightmare. It’s the same thing the state approved before but with cars going into Shaw’s and across the street to Walgreens, it created a safety situation. 

You mentioned a previous location, Mr. Chamberlain said. Where was it? Mr. Miller responded it was up by Shaw’s. 

Mr. Chamberlain said the drawback with only using Red Barn Lane is that you are not going to have two lanes. Mr. Dalessio said he would agree with Mr. Miller that the distance between the two cuts (Red Barn Lane and Dunkin) is not very large. It’s also the highest accident area in the space below the top of the hill. Mr. Miller said the cars are coming down the hill and then right across the street someone pulls out, referring to someone pulling out from Pete’s Farm Stand. It’s seasonal, but it gets a lot of traffic, a lot of people use it, he said. You have to simplify it.

Mr. Marcom said the other place was turned down because of the safety issues of people coming out onto Route 12. Mr. Dalessio said the preferred exit for the previous proposal was from North Meadow Plaza. And then everyone on the board began talking about the problems they had before with the previous Dunkin proposal.

Ms. Andros went up to Chamberlain’s display and wanted to know where the up road went. He explained that was the road out to Red Barn Lane. The land abutting this land to the east is where they are currently building storage units.

Mr. Miller asked whether the Dunkin franchise in Jiffy Mart is owned by the same developer. Mr. Chamberlain didn’t know but said he would have to check on that. Mr. Miller thought it was the previous management as did Mr. Boas. It’s the same situation as last time only the last problem was at the top of the hill and now it’s at the bottom, Mr. Boas said. The state regulates that highway and NHDOT gave an approval for that cut and also recommended multiple lanes, which the developer was willing to do, Mr. Harrington said. The problem, Mr. Miller said, is that the state regulates the highway and takes into consideration certain criteria and safety concerns but doesn’t take into consideration how local people experience driving here. 

Mr. Miller asked about a time frame. Are you ready for a public hearing next month? Mr. Chamberlain didn’t think so. So it was decided that at the November meeting, which will be on the second floor because of the election, Fieldstone Land Consultants will present the final site plan application and ask for a public hearing in December. Mr. Chamberlain agreed to that. 

Mr. MacLachlan said at that time he’d also like to see elevations of the building as well. Mr. Chamberlain said okay.

October workshop

Mr. Miller proposed having a workshop meeting this month to talk about size of lots. He referred to a letter by an abutter of land on County Road that was being subdivided in June. The letter said, “While zoning for the town’s “outlier” areas remains “rural/agricultural”, future development will be residential most certainly. Statistically, farms and farm land are dwindling and residential development of these lands is cause for concern and will require carefully thought and planning. Nobody wishes to thwart the development of these lands, but to avoid the kind of gerrymandering of lots that was on display last evening, I would urge you and Board to implement simple, common sense residential zoning for areas currently zoned “rural/agricultural.”

So on Tuesday, Oct. 25, the Planning Board will have a workshop meeting in the basement conference room starting at 7 pm.

Fees for abutters increase? The cost of sending certified letters has recently jumped to $7.85. Currently the rate to send abutter letters is $8. Should the Planning Board raise its rates?  

After a short discussion it was decided that the fee for abutter certified/return receipt letters will be the exact cost of what USPS specifies at time a letter is sent. The fees of all land-use applications will be displayed on the town website and soon placed in the hallway of the Town Hall soon.

Mr. Marcom made a motion to adjourn. Mr. Perron seconded the motion and the motion carried.

Respectfully submitted,

Marilou Blaine

Jodi has given us a heads up! – Lil

Hydrants will be flushed October 26^th and 27^th  Contact the Selectboard office with any questions 603-756-3672.

The next WOW meeting is Wednesday, October 19, 2022 at 2:00pm at the home of Amy Howard, 21 Colonial Drive.

Present:  Amy Howard (Chair), Kathy Nerrie (Treasurer), Gail LaHaise, Susan Johnson, 

Tim Lester, Sarah Mann, Erin Bowen, Jean Kobeski (Recording Secretary), Jane Malmberg (Library Director)

Absent:  Bill Ranauro

Amy called the meeting to order at 4:33 p.m. This meeting was recorded.

Approval of Minutes:  Sarah moved to accept the September 20 minutes as written.  Tim seconded, and all voted in favor.  Motion carried.

Treasurer’s Report:  It was decided that Jennifer would be asked to focus on landscape maintenance rather than planting next year in an effort to stay within the projected $1,400 budget.  This year’s overage was due in part to the trees planted by the road.  

Bills:  There was no discussion about the bills.  Tim moved to accept the Treasurer’s Report and Bills.  Sarah seconded, and all voted in favor.  Motion carried.

Old Business

Volunteer/Staff Appreciation Dinner:  Kathy announced the dinner will be held on November 10 at 5:30 in Town Hall.  The dinner will include trustees, staff, Friends of the Library, library volunteers, and spouses. Sarah created invitations, which Jane distributed to the trustees at the meeting. Kathy estimated that a minimum of 40 people will attend.  

Kathy has secured the caterer.  The trustees decided that they will provide appetizers, and the caterer will prepare the entree and desserts.  

Kathy has tablecloths, and she will purchase the wine and disposable plates for apps and cups.

Bill suggested having a raffle, which the committee is still organizing.  Decorations and set-up and clean-up crews will be decided at the next board meeting. Amy will prepare remarks for the occasion.

Jane said she will close the library at 5:00 that day.

Logo/Branding:  Sarah is working with the designer on icons, colors, fonts, and brand guidelines.  She plans to have this for the November board meeting, though it may be delayed due to the designer’s work schedule.

New Business

Budget:  The trustees were reminded that building maintenance and electricity and salaries are covered in the town budget. The library budget (books, etc.) is not submitted to the town. 

Jane distributed a copy of the preliminary 2023 budget and explained a few changes that she made, based on needs and usage this year.  She lowered expected donations. She added $3500 to Technology for new Chromebooks but doesn’t feel that much should be needed.  She raised the Advertising budget to fund the roll-out of the new logo (possibly bags, magnets). Sarah suggested doing research on what these items cost and how many the library would need.  Would they be given away free, or will they be for purchase?  Sarah, Susan, and Amy said they would research ideas for the roll-out and report back to the board.

Jane stated they would like to have a new moveable bookshelf in the children’s room of the main library.  Kathy stated she could research the cost, and add it to the children’s misc. line.  It would be paid for by the O. Hubbard Fund.  

Jane stated the Staff Development budget was increased to accommodate a NE/NH Library Association conference she will attend.

Jane increased the cost of museum passes because she will buy an additional one for Montshire Museum because they are so popular.

Operations 

To summarize:

​• 21 new library cards were registered in September.

​• Library visits are up compared to 2020 and 2021.

​• N. Walpole visits more than doubled from August to September.

​• Julie and some patrons are doing a research project to find out more about the history of the branch library.

​• Jane is putting together a Challenge packet, which will be presented to patrons who bring a challenge to a book or program.  It contains the library’s mission statement, collection development policy, program policy, and other information, as well as forms and information needed to bring a challenge.

​• Jane reviewed upcoming October programs.

​

Buildings and Grounds:  Jane reached out to Barry about wrapping the chimney. He said he could do it between now and mid-November.  He will send a quote for chimney removal ASAP.

Tim said he would touch base with Mark about the door.

Jane got the chalkboard paint today for the sign.

Friends of the Library:  The next two Wednesdays they will be sorting books for the book sale.

Adjournment:  With no further business to discuss, Tim moved to adjourn the meeting.  Gail seconded, and Amy adjourned the meeting at 5:29 p.m.

The next meeting will be November 8, 2022 at 4:30 p.m. at the main branch.

Respectfully Submitted,

Jean Kobeski, Recording Secretary

** These minutes are in draft form until approved at the November 8, 2022 meeting.

The Walpole PlayersThis Weekend’s Performances of “Hansel & Gretel” are CANCELLED Sadly,, due to a cast member testing positive for Covid-19, this weekend’s performances (Oct. 21-22) of “HANSEL & GRETEL” are CANCELLED. We still plan to have performances the weekend of Oct. 28-29, and are hoping to add an additional weekend on Nov. 4-5.  As soon as the additional dates can be confirmed we will do so! In the meantime, if you have purchased tickets for this weekend, we will honor them at any show next weekend. If you purchased tickets and cannot attend next weekend, please contact us and we will issue a full refund. Please email WalpolePlayers@gmail.com or call (603) 756-2535. Thank you for your understanding!

if this looks familiar, it’s because it your annual reminder from the Cemetery Trustees. – Lil

Public Notice from the Walpole Cemetery Trustees

Per Walpole Cemetery By-Laws, all all floral displays, pots must be removed from the Cemeteries by November 1st. Please be respectful and help maintain the beauty of our Cemeteries.

Thanks from the Cemetery Trustees.

THE WALPOLE UNITARIAN CHURCH  WILL HOLD ITS ANNUAL HARVEST FOOD SALE OUTSIDE THE POST OFFICE ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22, FROM 9:00 TO 11:15 A.M.  COME AND GET SOME OF OUR DELICIOUS HOMEMADE ITEMS, BOTH SWEET AND SAVORY.  BUY SOMETHING TO TAKE HOME FOR SUPPER, OR SOMETHING FOR THE FREEZER.  LOOK FOR PIES, QUICHES, CASSEROLES, BREADS, COOKIES AND MORE. COME EARLY FOR BEST CHOICES! 

THE BAKE SALE WILL HELP FUND REPAIRS TO OUR TOWER CLOCK AND BELL. 

As part of the update of the Regional Transportation Plan, Southwest Connects, SWRPC will host a virtual, public meeting on Wednesday October 26, 2022 at 6:30 p.m. focused on the NH 12 North Corridor. NH Route 12 is the principal highway on this corridor, connecting Keene and Walpole. The NH 12 North Corridor also includes NH Routes 63, 12A, 123 and other non-numbered State routes located in Keene, Walpole, Westmoreland, Surry, and Alstead. During the meeting SWRPC staff will share information about safety, demographics, transportation options, infrastructure, and more. In addition, SWRPC will encourage public participation at this meeting by facilitating short discussions about transportation-related safety, equity, infrastructure, and more. Members of the general public are encouraged to attend and provide comments, especially residents of the five Towns that comprise this corridor and those who travel on this corridor regularly. All comments provided will be considered as part of the update to the Regional Transportation Plan. For additional information about this meeting, visitwww.swrpc.org/12N or contact Lisa Murphy or Andrew Smeltz of SWRPC staff by phone at (603) 357-0557.

Join Zoom Meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86119694313?pwd=2yyqrB1Mg7FOS4nlfGnotXfzkhAIsp.1

Meeting ID: 861 1969 4313 Passcode: 699089

We also have a transportation survey. We encourage anyone to take this survey regardless if they plan to attend.