Zoning Board of Adjustment Minutes

Wednesday, June 18, 2025

Town Hall

7 pm

These minutes are unapproved and will be reviewed at the July 16, 2025 meeting for corrections.

Roll Call:  Board members present: Chair Tom Murray, Clerk Dave Edkins, Shane O’Keefe and Bill Sommers. Alternate Don Sellarole. Absent: Vice-Chair Pauline Barnes and Alternate Myra Mansouri.

Call to Order: Mr. Murray called the meeting to order at 7 pm. Mr. Murray asked Alternate Don Sellarole to fill in for the absent Board member. He agreed.

Minutes: Approve minutes of May 2025 meeting: Mr. Edkins made a motion to approve the minutes as written. Mr. Sommers seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

New Business: Justin Parker of Classic Signs in Amherst, NH is asking for a variance for two signs at Blue Seal – a wall sign on the building and a free-standing sign on Route 12. The property is at 334 Main Street, Tax Map 12, Lot 59 in the commercial district. Blue Seal was formerly owned by Achilles Agway.

Also at the meeting were Janus Gibbons, project manager for the Blue Seal re-branding project, Walpole Blue Seal Store Manager Larry Earle and Walpole Blue Seal Assistant Store Manager Tara Pacheco.

Mr. Edkins asked the Board and folks from Blue Seal if he should recuse himself. He is not technically an abutter because the driveway between the Blue Seal building and his home is a right of way. However, his home is next to the driveway. Both the Board and the folks from Blue Seal agreed he could stay on the Board to vote on the variance. 

Mr. Murray asked Mr. Parker what occurred at the Planning Board meeting. Mr. Parker said it was decided that the Planning Board would not approve the building sign or the free-standing sign unless they were 32 square feet. However, the Planning Board did approve the signage for the propane tank and the sign to the entrance to Blue Seal. Mr. Parker asked for a public hearing next month.

The next issue was since there were two signs in question for a variance, should there be two applications or one. Mr. Sellarole thought there should be two applications because there might be two different outcomes. One sign might be okay but the other wasn’t. Mr. O’Keefe felt that the board could handle both with just one application and it would cost the applicant twice as much money if there were two applications. Mr. Edkins made a motion to hold one public hearing at the July ZBA meeting for a variance for both signs. Mr. O’Keefe seconded the motion and the motion passed with 4 yeas and 1 nay.

Old Business: Discussion on Updated Zoning Ordinances from SWRPC. No Board member had any comments on the newly reorganized Walpole Zoning Ordinances.

Mr. Murray felt that since there is such a housing crisis issue, the Zoning Board of Adjustment should further discuss DADUs or Detached Accessory Dwelling Units. He pointed out four important parts of the document.

1. One Detached Accessory Dwelling Unit (DADU) shall be allowed in all zoning districts that permit single-family dwellings. The following requirements apply: A. No change in frontage or setbacks shall be required for a DADU, however, the minimum lot size for any given Zoning District shall be the following:

1. Residential District Type A minimum lot area shall be 80,000 square feet
2. Residential District Type B minimum lot area shall be 50,000 square feet
3. Rural/Agricultural minimum lot area shall be 80,000 square feet
4. Timberland not permitted B. 

The maximum area for a Detached Accessory Dwelling Unit shall be 900 square feet of living space. A larger living space may be permitted by a variance granted by the Zoning Board of Adjustment. 

Adequate provisions for water supply and sewage disposal for the detached accessory dwelling unit in accordance with RSA 485-A:38 shall be demonstrated by the applicant. Separate systems, including but not limited to plumbing, heating, electrical and sanitary disposal systems, are not required for the principal and detached accessory dwelling unit provided that occupants of both units 

The owner of the property shall occupy either the principal dwelling unit or the detached accessory dwelling unit as their “Principal Place of Residence.” Whichever dwelling unit is not the property owner’s principal place of residence may be rented to a person(s) unrelated to the property owner A. 

Adjournment

Mr. Edkins made a motion to adjourn. Mr. O’Keefe seconded the motion and the motion passed unanimously. The time was 7:25 pm.

Respectfully submitted,

Marilou Blaine

Recording Secretary

Tagged: Meeting Minutes, ZONING BOARD