Roll Call: Present: Board Members: Chair Jeff Miller, Vice-Chair Dennis Marcom, Clerk Jason Perron, Jeff Harrington, Bill Carmody, Select Board Representative Steve Dalessio. Absent: Board member Joanna Andros and Alternates Trevor MacLachlan and Travis Adams. A full board was present.  Herb Frink was also at the meeting. He is an abutter of Adam Naeck who is requesting a lot line adjustment. 

Recording: This meeting was recorded. These minutes are unapproved minutes and will be reviewed at the next meeting for additions, corrections and omissions.

Minutes: Mr. Marcom made a motion to approved the minutes of the February 2023 meeting and the February workshop minutes as written. Mr. Perron seconded the motion and the motion carried.

Old Business:

Three Public Hearings:

No. 1: Charles and Eleanor Shaw, Subdivision, one lot into two lots, 6 Walker Road, Map 10, Lot 2-1, Rural/Ag district.

Surveyor Joe DiBernardo represented Dr. and Mrs. Shaw. He explained that the property would be divided into two lots. Lot 1 would be 5.02 acres and Lot 2 would be 7.94 acres, Wendy Grossman asked if the rail trail would be affected by the subdivision. Dr. Shaw responded that the new lot would use the existing right of way and would not negatively impact the rail trail. There being no further questions from the public or the Board, Mr. Miller closed the public hearing. Mr. Marcom made a motion to approved the subdivision. Mr. Perron seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. 

No. 2: Barry Bellows Construction Inc., Potato Barn – 9 apartment units in the barn. Tax Map 24, Lot 6, 42 Potato Barn Lane, Commercial district. Owner Steve Rudek, Sacramento, CA.

Mr. Bellows outlined the plans for the addition of nine residential apartments at the Potato Barn. The Piggery section of the Potato Barn property currently has four apartments that were previously approved. The Potato Barn has three main floors and is a fully sprinkled and monitored building. There is rated stairwell already constructed that was used for the function hall and that would continue to serve the new layout. The property already has utilities, town water and sewer installed. The existing monitoring and sprinkler system will be modified to met the requirements of the new apartment layouts and an architect has been hired to give a code and life safety review of the project.

The building only requires interior modifications to adapt to residential apartment living. The exterior, aesthetic and footprint will not be changed other than the necessity of adding windows for egress potential and natural light for space. The exterior doors currently in place will be the same doors to service and access the proposed units. The exterior parking, lighting, walkway, driveway will remain as they currently exist. There are currently 33 marked parking spaces and 40 unmarked spaces nearby. There is still room for additional parking as the function hall often had groups of up to 175 people on the property.

On the main floor there will be three apartments: unit 4 will be a 2-bedroom 1190 square-foot apartment. Units 5 and 6 will be one bedroom apartments – 975 and 590 square feet respectively.​ Second floor: 2 apartments, both one-bedroom units, 730 and 615 square feet. Third floor, where the function hall was previously located: 4 apartments, two one-bedroom units and two two-bedroom units at 830, 810, 1170 and 1240 square feet.

Recently, Walpole Fire Chief Mark Houghton sent a letter to the Planning Board stating that the Walpole Fire-EMS reviewed the request and agreed to this use provided that Bellows Construction conforms to NH adopted codes. Mr. Houghton also recognized the agreement between Mr. Bellows and the architect Chris Adams. He noted that fire suppression system and fire alarm system must be re-engineered and re-configured to the new use of space before occupancy. Finally, he wrote, “No occupancy at this address can occur until the above conditions are met, this includes the prior approval on August 9, 2022 to add four apartments in the south end of this structure.”

Mr. Bellows said they are using the same sprinkler company that installed the original system and that company is going to update the plan. Mr. Miller asked for a motion. Mr. Perron made a motion to approve the project. Mr. Marcom seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

No. 3 Adam Naeck and Tyler Lefebvre, Lot Line Adjustment, one lot into two lots, 107 Merriam Road, Tax Map 3, Lots 55 (15.63 acres) and 56 (1.66 acres) Lot 55 – 200 feet road frontage, Lot 56 – 322.28 feet road frontage, Rural/Ag district.

Surveyor DiBernardo represented Mr. Naeck. Currently Adam Naeck owns both lots. Lot 55 currently has a home and some outbuildings on the property. Mr. Naeck would like to sell Lot 55 to his nephew, Tyler Lefebvre. Mr. Naeck would then continue to own the Lot 56 portion of the original lot. However, it has been discovered that Merriam Road is a Class 5 road ends but turns into a Class 6 road at the end of the 200-foot driveway. Building on Class 6 roads is not allowed unless the owner makes an agreement with the town that relieves the town of all liability. One way this Lot Line Adjustment could be approved would be to have a condition of approval with a record a waiver of liability, Mr. DiBernardo said. The Planning Board decided not to make a decision at tonight’s meeting and the matter will be discussed at next month’s meeting.

New Business:

EH*GH (Neil Levesque) Lot Line Adjustment between two lots on Watkins Hill Road, Tax Map 5, Lots 49 and 49-4.

Surveyor DiBernardo presented this Lot Line Adjustment on Watkins Hill. The plan is to take .55 acres from Lot 49 and add it to Lot 49-4. The .55 acres would come from land to its south. Then 3.55 acres would be taken from Lot 49-4 and added to Lot 49 making that lot 34.37 acres. Lot 49-4 would now be 2 acres. Mr. DiBernardo requested a public hearing for April 11. Mr. Harrington made a motion to hold a public hearing in April for the Lot Line Adjustment. Mr. Perron seconded the motion and the motion carried.

At 7:45 pm a motion was made and seconded to adjourn. The motion passed. 

Workshop with SWRPC planner Lisa Murphy on April 25.

Respectfully submitted,

Marilou Blaine, Recording Secretary