Present: Planning Board members Chair Jeff Miller, Vice-Chair Dennis Marcom, Clerk Jason Perron, Jeff Harrington, Select Board Representative Steve Dalessio, Alternate Bill Carmody. Zoning Board members Chair Dave Edkins, Pauline Barnes and Tom Winmill.

Purpose of Meeting: To discuss updating/recodifying Walpole Zoning Ordinances. The ZBA also wanted some professional help – someone who would work with them while they were doing this project who has knowledge of statutory language.

Call to Order: Mr. Miller called the meeting to order at 7 pm. He said he thought the project was a good idea.  Late last year the Planning Board used a planner from Southwest Region Planning Commission in Keene to work with the Planning Board to finish updating the Natural Features section of the town’s Master Plan. In fact, he had recently heard from Peter Palmiotto. Chair of the Conservation Committee, that that board had finally completed giving the Natural Features section a final look so Mr. Miller hoped that section would soon be printed.

Ms. Barnes and Mr. Winmill each prepared a list of what needed to be done. Ms. Barnes said that one of the main reasons for this was to clarify, update, and correct terminology. It will make the document more user friendly and easy to understand but also conform to state laws and court decisions. Think about the average citizen, Ms. Barnes wrote. She also explained that the NH Supreme Court recently found in favor of short-term rental owners vs. the city of Conway based on the language in the city’s zoning ordinance describing “household.” Mr. Winmill listed seven recommendations one of which referred to a zoning map but no map was attached.  

Mr. Miller said the next step is for the PB to invite SWRPC to a 4^th-Tuesday meeting and chat about the project, see if the commission can do the project at this time, get an idea of how much it is going to cost and a time frame. Then the board checks to if there is enough money in the budget to do this or if it has to wait until next year. It also has the option to look around for another consultant.

Respectfully submitted,

Marilou Blaine

WP and ZBA secretary

cc: WPB, ZBA, Town Offices, The Walpolean.

Posted: In the Town Offices, on the bulletin board outside the Post Office, www.walpolenh.us