Roll Call: Present: Chair Jeff Miller, Vice-Chair Dennis Marcom, Clerk Jason Perron, Jeff Harrington, Bill Carmody, Select Board Representative Steve Dalessio, Trevor MacLachlan and Travis Adams.. Absent: Board member Joanna Andros. There were also about eight or nine people from the Watkins Hill area at the meeting who were interested in the public hearing about the lot line adjustment on a property on that road. There concern was about an easement on the property.

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

Minutes: There was confusion in the minutes about how many apartments were in the Connector section on the Potato Barn property so approval of the minutes will be revisited at the workshop meeting on April 25. During the writing of these minutes it was determined there was one correction on page 1 in paragraph seven. There are three apartments approved for the this section not four.

Also, regarding the March minutes it was also decided on page 2 to remove the last sentence quoted from Fire Chief Mark Houghton’s letter in the second paragraph and instead insert his email regarding a clarification. The clarification email says, “To clarify the last paragraph of the attached letter, Walpole Fire is awaiting confirmation for the suppression and Fire Alarm compliance/testing in the approval dated August 9, 2022 before these three units may be occupied. These may be occupied if conditions are met, regardless of the application status for the additional nine units.”

New Business:

Election of Officers

Mr. Perron made a motion to elect Jeffrey Miller as chair of the Planning Board and Dennis Marcom as vice-chair. The motion was seconded and carried. Another motion was made and seconded to elect Jason Perron as clerk. That motion carried. And since Bill Carmody decided he preferred being an alternate rather a board member, a motion was made to recognize Mr. Carmody as an alternate. That motion was seconded and that motion carried. Trevor MacLachlan was recognized as a new board member after being elected on March 28.

Old Business:

Two Public Hearings:

Continuation of public hearing for Adam Naeck, 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 foot feet road frontage; Lot 56 – 322.28 feet road frontage, Rural/Ag district.

Mr. Joe DiBernardo explained that he spoke with Walpole Road Agent Mike Rau and Mr. Rau told him that Merriam Road is a Class 5 road up to a few feet past the 200 foot frontage mark of Lot 55 on that road. The property is owned by Adam Naeck. There is a home and some outbuildings on that property. Mr. Naeck is dividing that property into two lots. Lot 55 (15/63 acres) is the original lot and the new lot, Lot 56, is 1.66 and its frontage is on a Class 6 road. Because the lot frontage is on a Class 6 road, it means in order for Mr. Naeck to build a home on that property, he must get a waiver to build from the Select Board to release the town from any liability

There being no further discussion from the public or board, Mr. Perron made a motion to approve the lot line adjustment as presented. Mr. Marcom seconded the motion and the motion carried.

Public Hearing No, 2: Lot Line Adjustment between two lots on Watkins Hill Road, Christine Mayer and Helen Hamilton trustees. Tax Map 5, Lots 49 and 49-4, Rural/Ag District. Lot 49-4 is five acres. Lot 49 is 31.37 acres. Joe DiBernardo is representing the owners.

Mr. DiBernardo said this property is also in the rural/ag district. Lot 49-4 is currently 5 acres. The plan is to take .5 acres from the lot to the south, which is Lot 49, and add it to Lot 49-4. Then 3.5 acres will be taken  from lot 49-4 and add it to the larger lot, Lot 49, now making it 34 plus acres. It also makes Lot 49 more square, Mr. DiBernardo said. That leaves lot 49-4 as a 2-acre lot with 275 of frontage. The easement property will also have 275 feet of road frontage.

There were several abutters who were at the meeting because there is an easement on the property and they wondered what would happen to the easement and their properties. An easement always stays with the property, Mr. Miller said. It can’t be changed by this board.

Mr. Watson, who is an abutter and had received a certified letter about a lot line adjustment on the property, said he came to the Town Offices and there wasn’t any information about the lot line adjustment. The application plus the plat were available at the Town Offices as of the previous Friday. Mr. Watson wanted to know about the easement. Mr. DiBernardo said the easement only affects Lot 49 and regards light, air and view. It also means that there can be no building on the easement property and that includes the original property before the .5 acres was added to 49-4.

Mr. Watson and Mr. Larry Britton came up to the easel to take a closer look at where the easement property is, just north of Mr. Jay and Hannah Greenfield’s property. Mr. Greenfield sent a letter to the Planning Board mentioning his concern about the easement. After looking closely at the plat, Mr. Watson and Mr. Britton seemed satisfied.

There being no further questions from the public Mr. Perron made a motion to approved the lot line adjustment as presented. Mr. Marcom seconded the motion and the motion carried.

New Business:

Mike Hubbard, Old Drewsville Road, two-lot subdivision, Tax Map 10, Lot 9, rural/ag district. Lot 9 is now 20 acres. Lot 1 will be 14.5 acres and Lot 2 will be 5.5 acres. Request for public hearing.

Mr. DiBernardo said this is a fairly simple subdivision. Michael Hubbard is dividing 20 acres into a 5.5 acre lot and a 14.5-acre lot. The lot is for his mother so she can build a house. It’s the field across from Levi Lane on the west side of the road. Mr. DiBernardo requested a public hearing for May.

Mr. Perron made a motion to hold a public hearing in May for the Hubbard 2-lot subdivision on Old Drewsville Road. Mr. Marcom seconded the motion and the motion carried.

Abuttter notification

When the Planning Board is having a public hearing, abutters of property under consideration must be notified. According to RSA 672:3 the word abutter means any person whose property is located in New Hampshire and adjoins or is directly across the street or stream from the land under consideration by a local land use board. Currently, abutters of a property being considered for a public hearing receive notification of the hearing by a certified/return receipt letter. Previously, the secretary for the Planning or Zoning Boards would consider each piece of property and send a letter to the owner of that property. However, sometimes a person would own two or more lots that adjoin or are directly across from property under consideration at a public hearing. That person would receive two or sometime three certified letters. Chair Miller said that in the future only one certified/return receipt letter would need to be sent but it must reference each of the lots owned by that abutter in the certified letter.

Workshop

A workshop will be held Tuesday, April 25 in the basement conference room. Mr. Miller invited members of the Conservation Commission because the plan is to review the natural features section of the updated Master Plan. Lisa Murphy of SWRPC will also be there.

Respectfully submitted,

Marilou Blaine, Recording Secretary