WALPOLE PLANNING BOARD 

Town of Walpole, NH 03608

PUBLIC NOTICE 

You are hereby notified of the following Public Hearing to be held on Tuesday, January 10, 2023, at 7 pm in the Walpole Town Hall. 

Public Hearing: Recommendation of two petitions to the Walpole Zoning Ordinance to be placed on the 2023 Town of Walpole warrant. The articles will be voted by the public at the polls on Tuesday, March 14 2023. 

Article 1:

To see if the Town will vote to amend ARTICLE XIV of the Zoning Ordinance of theTown of Walpole, New Hampshire, to read as follows:

Penalty

Any person who violates any provision of the ordinance shall be subject to penalties in accordance with RSA 676:17, or any successor statute as may then be in effect,provided that the amount of the civil penalties to be assessed in accordance with such statute shall be determined in the discretion of the Selectboard.

Article 2:

To see if the Town will vote to amend the Article IV “General Provisions” of the Walpole Zoning Ordinance to include regulations regarding Formula Businesses by adding the following as Section P:

P. Formula Businesses – This Section establishes standards to limit the concentration of businesses that are homogeneous and visually obtrusive for thepurpose of preserving the unique and distinctive appeal of the Town’s character and commercial development. These standards are aligned with the purpose ofthese Zoning Regulations as described in Article I and are vital to the continuation of the Town’s ability to attract both residents and visitors.

1. A Formula Business is a business, including but not limited to retail sales, hotels,and restaurants, that both (a) maintains two or more of the following fivestandardized features: (1) array of services, menus, or merchandise, with 50% ormore of in-stock merchandise bearing uniform markings; (2) trademark, logo, orservice mark; (3) architecture, facade, or exterior design; (4) decor or color scheme; (5) uniform (other than name tags); and (b) shares the same or substantially the same two or more features as 10 or more other businesses, regardless of ownershipor location.

2. The total number of Formula Businesses in the Town of Walpole at any one timeshall be limited to 12. When this limit is reached, no new Formula Businesses may beestablished unless an existing Formula Business closes, adapts so that it no longer qualifies as a Formula Business, or relocates outside of the Town boundaries.

3. If a business in current operation becomes a Formula Business by means ofadditional locations being established, this business shall count toward the totalnumber of Formula Businesses but shall not be considered as a Formula Business being established.

4. Formula Businesses shall not include post offices, places of worship, schools, government facilities, banks, gasoline fueling stations, professional offices, or health care facilities.

Marilou Blaine

WPB Secretary