Walpole Planning Board Minutes
February 11, 2025
Town Hall
7 pm
Roll Call: Present: Board members Chair Jeff Miller, Vice-Chair Dennis Marcom, Clerk Jason Perron, Jeff Harrington, Joanna Andros, Trevor MacLachlan, Select Board Representative Steve Dalessio, alternate Bill Carmody. Absent: Travis Adams.
Call to Order: Mr. Miller called the meeting to order at 7pm.
Minutes: Tonight’s minutes are unapproved and will be reviewed for corrections at the regular March meeting.
January 2025 minutes: Ms. Andros added a period at the end of etc., corrected one typo and added the word “out” to the word “with” on page 3, paragraph 2. Mr. Miller made a motion to approve the amended minutes, Mr. Marcom seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.
Old Business:
Public Hearing No. 1. Subdivision, one lot into two lots.
Fieldstone Land Consultants propose a two-lot subdivision of property owned by George P. Achille Jr., Revocable Trust in Peterborough. Tax Map 12, Lot 59, 334 Main Street. Adequate road frontage is on Main Street and Route 123. There are also requests for a waiver and a utility easement on the remaining property. Contacts are Jim Axton and John E. Noonan.
Mr. Noonan said that the property, owned by George P. Achilles, Jr. Rev. Trust, is at the corner of Main Street and Upper Walpole Road and will be divided into two parcels. The parcel with the garden center will be 4 acres in the commercial district. The remaining property, 45.97 acres in the rural/ag district, will remain undeveloped. Also proposed is a utility and access easement in the driveway going into the garden center. The easement will also be for the property adjoining the driveway in the rural/ag district and includes the two houses on Main Street south of the driveway.
In an email, abutter Dave Edkins said he was unaware there was a waterline there and suggested that a formal easement with him and his neighbor would be appropriate. Mr. Miller suggested that Mr. Noonan get in contact with the town’s Water and Sewer Department and talk to Mark Houghton about the easement. Mr. Noonan said he would do that. Mr. Miller closed the public hearing at 7:07 pm. Mr. Marcom made a motion to approve the subdivision as presented. Mr. Perron seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.
Public Hearing No. 2:
Old Hewitt Barn Properties LLC, owned by Douglas and Laura Palmer, 308 Main St., Tax Map 24, Lot 13, commercial district. they, propose a new 8.400 square-foot warehouse on property in back of their current storage facility. This warehouse is also for storage.
Mrs. Laura Palmer handed out copies of the checklist to the board. Mr. Douglas Palmer said the square-footage of the warehouse has been changed to 8,000 square-feet. Mrs. Palmer said the lot at 308 Main Street is 1.49 acres and 64,904 square feet. The existing building is single-story, 8,000 square feet and 18-feet tall. Mr. Miller asked if the abutters nearest the proposed building had been contacted about the additional warehouse. Mr. Palmer said that he had talked with both couples. Mr. MacLachlan asked about lighting. Mr. Palmer said lighting on the existing building is one dark-sky compliant light over each entry, one on the south side, one on the east side. Lighting on the proposed new building would also be dark-sky compliant with one light over each entry door, one on the northeast loading dock corner and one on the south end. A small sign on the existing building is located on the southeast corner. No additional signage is proposed.
The proposed new building will utilize the exiting driveway with minimal changes to the layout within the property. There are eight parking spaces for the existing building. An additional six parking spaces will be south of the proposed building. There will be one loading dock on the northwest corner of the proposed building. Mr. Miller closed the public hearing at 7:15 pm. Mr. Marcom made a motion to approve the additional building as presented. Mr. Perron seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.
New Business:
Site Plan: Bevin Mitchell, 32 Wentworth Road, Walpole, Town Tax Map 19, Lot 72, proposed a four-bedroom, four-bath Bed & Breakfast on the 6-acre parcel.
This is the zoning ordinance for Bed and Breakfast establishments:
“Bed and Breakfast establishment for the accommodation of paying, overnight guests, may be maintained as home occupations in all zoning districts provided that the number of rooms for rent in any one establishment shall not number more than four and further provided that breakfast shall be the only meal and that only for bona fide overnight guests. The conversion of a single-family residence or other buildings to a “bed and breakfast” shall require Site Plan approval by the Planning Board. Off-street parking for one car per rented room plus space for owner parking shall be provided.”
Mrs. Mitchell said that she would be converting most of her 1770 house on Wentworth Road to a bed & breakfast. There will be four bedrooms and four baths and she will be serving only breakfast. She mentioned in her application that 5 acres of the property will be for garden/walking paths for her guests.
Mr. Miller asked Mrs. Mitchell about the parking and she said she had plenty of room to accommodate the parking. She also said that she was planning on talking to Mark Houghton about putting in a sprinkler system. Mr. Perron made a motion to hold a public hearing for the proposed bed and breakfast in March. Mr. Marcom second the motion and the motion carried unanimously.
Site Plan: Shane Podmore proposes a doggie day care and kennel at 561 Main Street. Tax Map 12, Lot 19-1, commercial district.
Mr. Podmore proposes a kennel and fenced in area at 0- for dogs. The property is 1 acre with a 1,296 square-foot home. The backyard has a 130-by-40-foot fenced-in area. Mr. Podmore plans to add a 24-by-54 square-foot building with 16 runs, which would provide pet sitting options for up to 20 dogs. Ms. Andros asked what will happen with the dogs’ poop. He said it will be collected, bagged and disposed of appropriately. Mr. Podmore needs a license and inspection from the state.
Mr. Podmore doesn’t own the property as yet but will know by week’s end if he intends to buy it. A public hearing will be held on the matter in March as requested by a motion made by Mr. Marcom, seconded by Mr. Perron and unanimously approved by the entire board. If the purchase had not been made by the March meeting date, Mr. Podmore’s agent, the owner of the house, will write a letter to the Planning Board that the closing date on the property hasn’t been made yet but will be purchased at a specific date.
Town counsel letter
Mr. Miller shared with the board information from Jeremy Hockensmith about the condo lots near Dollar General. The lots have one owner.
Adjournment
At 7:38 Mr. Perron made a motion to adjourn. Mr. Marcom seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.
There will be no workshop this month.
The next meeting is March 11, 2025 at 7 pm. The meeting will be on the second floor because voting will be taking place on the first floor.
Respectfully submitted,
Marilou Blaine
Secretary
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