The Walpolean

Present: Board members: Chair Jeff Miller, Vice-Chair Dennis Marcom, Clerk Jason Perron, Jeff Harrington, Joanna Andros, Select Board Representative Steve Dalessio, Trevor MacLachlan.

Conservation Commission members: Wendy Grossman and Peter Palmiotto.

Facilitator: Carol Ogilvie, planner with Southwest Regional Planning Commission.

Topic: Update Natural Features chapter of Walpole’s Master Plan. 

The meeting began at 7 pm. Ms. Ogilvie had previously updated and edited the document and it had been sent to the Planning Board and two Conservation Commission members. She said the first 17 pages of the document were an inventory of Walpole resources. It includes information on topography, slopes and development capability, soils (sand and farmland), water resources (aquifers, watersheds, watercourses, water bodies) construction materials, conservation and preservation techniques. Maps, drafted by Henry Underwood at SWRP,  accompanied each main topic. He also provided the group with two maps on Wildlife Action Plans.

With the exception of three pages at the end of the document that was devoted to a list of current or recommended protected lands, the rest was a list of goals and objectives that were made when the document was first drafted and approved in 1998. Many of these goals will be continued, some were obsolete (management plan for Connecticut River as a new plan goes into effect) and several have been adopted (road agent approval for driveways) and have now become part of the site plan or subdivision regulations that are required in the current application. 

The next meeting will be on Tuesday, October 24, 2023 at 7 pm in the basement conference room.

Respectfully submitted,

Marilou Blaine

WPB Recording Secretary

Posted: Inside Town Offices, on bulletin board outside the Post Office, http://www.thewalpolean.

cc: WPB, ZBA. Town Offices, www.walpole.nh.us

Present: Board members: Chair Jeff Miller, Vice-Chair Dennis Marcom, Clerk Jason Perron, Jeff Harrington, Trevor MacLachlan, Select Board Representative Steve Dalessio. Absent: Board member Joanna Andros and alternates Travis Adams and Bill Carmody.

Call to Order: Mr. Miller called the meeting to order at 6:57 pm.

Minutes: Review minutes of August 2023 meeting and workshop minutes. Mr. Marcom made a motion to approve the regular August meeting minutes and the August workshop minutes as written. Mr. Perron seconded the motion and the motion carried.

Old Business:
Public Hearing: Site Plan: Adam Naeck, owner of Alyson’s Orchard, application for up to seven campsites and a future two-story, 56-foot-by-40-foot-addition to the farm store. Tax Map 4, Lot 33, Rural Agricultural District.

Mr. Naeck did not come to this public hearing. Abutters will be notified if and when there is a new public hearing date. 

Public Hearing: Subdivision: Robin Sanctuary, two lots into three lots. Tax Map 8, Lots 8 and 8-1. Residential A District. Old Keene Road and Hooper Road.

Surveyor Joe DiBernardo presented the subdivision. He said that Lot No. 1 will have 334.01 feet frontage on Old Keene Road and will now be 1.01 acre. The driveway will come in from Hooper Road. Lot No. 2 will now be 3.01 acres with 200 feet of road frontage on Old Keene Road. Lot 3 will be 3.83 acres with 265.03 feet of frontage on Hooper Road.

A couple of people commented on the steepness of Hooper Road. Mr. DiBernardo said that according to John Tarmey Hooper Road is a town-approved road. 

Abutter Lucy McVitty Weber said her property abuts Lot No. 2 and she was concerned about the back of the property and the drainage of water onto her property. The land there is quite steep and she wanted it noted that if the new owners planned to place a house there they should be aware of and sensitive to a potential water problem on her property. The land runs straight down toward her house and she already has a huge concern about excess water.  She also said she remembers when this property was originally divided into two lots, there was a promise not to divide the property again.

Mr. DiBernardo said he did not find any covenant in the deed stating that was the case. 

Abutter Mr. Richard Paul said he was concerned about the size of the lots being proposed. Lots in that area are at least 2 to 5 acres, Mr. Paul said. His house abuts Lot No. 3. He assumed the old house on Lot No. 3 will be torn down and was concerned about where a new house would be situated on the lot. His house is up on a hill and didn’t want a home built right in front of his place. Mr. DiBernardo said this hearing was a request for a subdivision and had nothing to do with a site plan.

The public hearing was closed and the board discussed the subdivision. Board members’ concerns were the steepness of the road and the concerns about water and drainage.

A motion was made to approve the subdivision contingent upon approval of all the driveways by Walpole’s road agent.  Also, that contingency would be placed in the approval letter as well as concerns and sensitivity of drainage of water onto other properties. The motion passed unanimously.

New Business:

NGP Management, LLC Site Plan for a Dunkin coffee shop, Town Map 12, Lot 56, Commercial District. 

Jason Hill of TFMoran, an engineering and surveying company in Bedford, NH, presented the Dunkin site plan. The property is located at the intersection of Route 12 and Upper Walpole Road. It is currently undeveloped with a baseball field on the property. The Dunkin building will not affect the  baseball field at this time. The building, parking lot and supporting land will be on one to one and a half acres. He requested a public hearing for October.

Mr. Hill said the proposed coffee shop would be 1815 square feet with an entrance to the building on the north side of the building and two drive-thru windows on the south side. There is full-length bypass lane along side the drive-thru lane. 

Access is proposed by two full-access driveways, one located on Route 12 and one on Upper Walpole Road. Access to the coffee shop is via Route 12. There will be a regular right-turn lane into the property a well as a new left-turn lane making the road at that the entrance point three lanes plus 4 foot shoulders on both sides of the road. Once on the Dunkin property there is a left turn into a parking lot for employees and the public with two-handicapped parking spaces or drivers can continue in the lane for the drive-thru.

To mitigate any increase in stormwater runoff generated by the additional pavement and building, an infiltration basin is proposed at the south end of the property. The infiltration basin will detain and recharge captured runoff, Mr. Hill said. Any discharge of captured stormwater will be directed in the same manner as in the existing condition with no increase or impact to off-site properties.

Mr. Hill showed a drawing of the building that was gray and black. The building was of no particular style of building and no mention of its siding. Mr. Hill was reminded that the first time he was before the board a drawing of a New England Colonial style building was submitted. Mr. Hill received a copy of that building again. Mr. Perron suggested Mr. Clifford look at the Dunkin in Claremont. Mr. Miller also pointed out that the landscaping was sparse.

Mr. Miller was most concerned about the traffic and safety. He said that across the road is a pizza restaurant. In-house seating dining is no longer available, so all customers go through a drive-thru. Mr. Miller said from about 4 pm to about 8 pm customers are in a line on the shoulder of the road waiting to turn into the parking lot. Mr. Hill said the new 11-foot middle lane should mitigate that issue. This will require restripping Route 12 in front of the Dunkin site. Mr. Hill said the permitting from the NH Department of Transportation will be submitted this week.

Mr. Dalessio asked about tractor trailer parking. Mr. Hill said that the parking at the top left is where a tractor trailer delivering Dunkin supplies would unload there. There is room for two tractor trailers there. There was concern about how it was going to work with cars passing the trucks. Mr. Clifford said trailer truck drivers would never deliver in the morning when it’s busiest and only deliver once or twice a week and during off-peak times

When asked if the project had the required 30 percent green space, Mr. Hill said based on it being a five-acre property, there was plenty of green space. 

Mr. Miller also reminded Mr. Hill to contact Fire Chief Mark Houghton to have him check the building.

A motion was made and seconded to hold a public hearing for the Dunkin project in October. The motion carried unanimously.

Alyson’s Orchard

Mr. Robert Miller, an abutter to the Alyson’s Orchard property, spoke for a group of people who were at the meeting for the orchard public hearing. He said there are a lot of changes going on at that property and he wasn’t sure if they were following zoning and planning regulations. He recommended the planning and zoning boards make a site visit to the property. The concerns were about the camping sites and other changes to the property. Mr. Dalessio said Mr. Naeck is aware of all the rules, regulations and codes on this type of camping as well as on the restaurant that is open on weekends. He’s following them and there are no health and safety issues at this time. Abutters will be notified if and when there is a for a new public hearing.

Adjournment

Mr. Marcom made a motion to adjourn. Mr. Perron seconded the motion and the motion carried.

Workshop this month: Tuesday, Sept. 26: Carol Ogilvie – Discuss draft of Natural Resource section of Master Plan. There is a new draft.

Respectfully submitted,

Marilou Blaine

WPB Recording Secretary

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: Travis Adams. Absent: Alternate Bill Carmody. Also at the meeting were Jessi Dussault, Griffin Dussault, John Sheldon, Adam Naeck and Marilou Blaine.

Call to Order: Mr. Miller called the meeting to order at 6: 57 pm.

Minutes of the July 2023 meeting: Mr. Marcom made a motion to approve the minutes as written. Mr. Harrington seconded the motion and the motion carried.

Old Business:
Public Hearing: Site Plan: Change of Use: Dussault Property Management LLC, Jessi Dussault, wants to put three apartments in the former Head Start School. The building was the original carriage house adjacent to the Drewsville Mansion, 4 Common Road, Drewsville. 

Ms. Dussault said she and her husband own 18 properties in the Fall Mountain area and have a long list of people interested in renting a residential apartment. The Dussaults recently purchased the Drewsville Mansion and the Carriage House, which is in back of the mansion. The mansion already had five occupied apartments and the former carriage house was converted to a Head Start school several years ago. The school served 25 pre-school students each year for many years. The Dussaults’ vision is to put three one-bedroom apartments in that space.

The plan is to divide the space right down the middle of the first floor. There are already two entrances, one on each side the building. The basement of the building will be the third apartment. Entrance would be from the pond side and entry would go into a kitchen with a bedroom to the south. An egress window will be needed in that room. There are no plans to change the outside of the building, so it will keep its historical value, Ms. Dussault said. However, some of the trim is rotten so that needs to be replaced, Ms. Dussault said. Water is from a private well. Currently the building is tied into the mansion septic system. They are planning to upgrade the system and are talking to two septic companies with a larger tank. Ms. Dussault said there was plenty of parking and more than a dozen parking space. When the building gets a little closer to being ready, she said she will submit a parking plan.

Mr. Miller said that the Dussaults need to contact Fire Chief Mark Houghton and have him look at the space. While they may get site plan approval tonight, final approval is contingent on a letter from Mr. Houghton approving the project. Mr. Miller closed the hearing.

Mr. Marcom made a motion to approve the Dussault’s site plan. Mr. Harrington seconded the motion and the Board voted unanimously to approve the project. 

New Business:

Site Plan: Adam Naeck, owner of Alyson’s Orchard, site plan application for new campsites and a future addition to the farm store. Request for a public hearing.

Mr. Naeck put up a map of the property. He said there are three ponds on the property and currently there are three campsites around Lilly Pond, which is the largest pond. It is at the top of hill if you are entering from the Wentworth Road side of the property. His intention is to eventually have six or seven “glamping” sites here. Glamping is a term meaning “glorified camping.” 

There are port-o-potties here now but in the future, on the advice from Fire Chief Mark Houghton, there will eventually be a separate bathroom facility for these camp sites. This would need an entirely new independent system. Currently the guests use the bathroom in the farm store for showers.  The camp sites have been filled on the weekends and the reviews have been good, Mr. Naeck said, but during the week it’s “so-so.” He did have two families who stayed on the premises while they were they there. They swam in the pond, used the playground, ate at the restaurant and participated in the music, he said. However, the other lodging on the property has had a capacity of 70 percent compared to previous use of 12 percent. Mr. Naeck said he only uses Airbnb. They do a background check of the people and properties they advertise and according to Mr. Dalessio also pay the rooms and meals tax.

The addition to the farm store will be on the south end or if you are facing the store – the left side. The plan is for it to have its own foundation. It is a 40-feet-by-50-feet two-and-a-half story post-and-beam building. There will be a loft, 30-feet out from the building. The building will have a couple of bathrooms and the flow will be into the current farm store space. The event space accommodates up to 250 to 300 people and the septic system is currently for this building and the farm store. The siding will be ship-lap, metal roof, barn like with a nice entrance, Naeck said. 

Mr. Perron made a motion to hold a public hearing in September. Mr. Marcom seconded the motion and the motion carried.

Mr. Naeck was asked to bring a plan of the building to the next meeting, along with pictures of the campsite and a parking plan for the new farm store.

Workshop 

Mr. Miller said that Southwest Regional Planning Commission has been short of staff lately and that is why they have consistently canceled their appearances for workshop meeting the fourth Tuesday of the month. However, there will be a workshop this month on August 22.  The agenda will includes discussion and corrections or additions of the Master Plan section titled Natural Features.

In September, Carol Ogilvie will attend and Natural Features will be discussed and a final decision made on that section of the Master Plan. 

Mr. Harrington made motion to adjourn. Mr. Perron seconded the motion and the motion carried. 

These minutes are unapproved minutes. The August minutes will be reviewed at the September meeting for corrections, omissions and additions.

Respectfully submitted,

Marilou Blaine

WPB Recording Secretary

Roll Call: Present: Board members Chair Jeff Miller, Clerk Jason Perron, Jeff Harrington, Joanna Andros, Trevor MacLachlan, Select Board Representative Steve Dalessio. Alternate Travis Adams. Absent: Board member Vice-Chair Dennis Marcom and alternate Bill Carmody. 

Also at the meeting were Adam Naeck, new owner of Alyson’s Orchard, and recording secretary Marilou Blaine.

Minutes: Mr. Perron made a motion to approve the May 2023 minutes as written. Mr. Harrington seconded the motion and the motion carried.

Call to Order: Mr. Miller called the meeting to order a couple of minutes before 7pm.

New Business: Visit with Adam Naeck.

Mr. Miller explained that he invited Mr. Naeck because there were some changes being made at Alyson’s Orchard and he wanted to make sure that all the I’s are dotted and all the T’s crossed when it comes to a site plan. The orchard is in the rural/agricultural district.

Mr. Naeck said the first change he was working on was upgrading the business side of the operation – new computer and telephone systems are being installed. One goal is to accommodate more weddings. The deck outside the back of the function room has been completely rebuilt, he said, and the bridal suite upgraded. Future plans include offering a catering service for the weddings. The cost of the function room may be $800 but wedding parties pay as much as $12,000 for a catering service, he said.

Mr. Naeck has purchased seven (7) fire-resistant tents and is planning to currently use five for campsites around the pond. Each campsite will have a concrete foundation and a deck. There will be a port-a-potty and individual tents will have beds, lights, a wash station, a microwave and a refrigerator. The largest tent is 384 square feet and can accommodate six people. There will be three two-to-four person tents and two of the larger tents around the pond. There is already a bathroom with a shower in the farm store for use by campers. The maximum length of stay is 21 days, which is determined by the state.  

The petting zoo and playground have been enlarged and remain in the same location.

On Fridays and Saturdays he has opened a tavern-style eating place that, according to Naeck has grown in popularity. Some nights he has served 200 to 300 patrons. So he has plans to open from Wednesday to Saturday during the summer. He already has a chef and wait staff. Because it’s not officially a restaurant according to state regulations, he has to apply for a liquor license every week. Eventually, he plans to build a restaurant on the property.

Mr. Naeck is also planning to sell more vegetables from the farm store and had planned an addition to the store. He had already purchased a two-story timber-frame building but since the loss of all his fruit because of a frost in May, it has been put in storage in one of the barns and will be reassembled and attached to the current farm store next year. He will, however, plant some sweet corn this year and plans to log an adjacent lot.

Because of the changes Mr. Naeck is making by adding the camp site and the addition to the farm store next year, Mr. Naeck will need to to file a new site plan. He received an application for a site plan that he will present to the Board the second week in July for a public hearing in August. Mr. Miller offered to help if he need it in filling out the checklist.

Mr. Harrington made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Mr. Perron seconded the motion and the motion carried.

Workshop

There will be a workshop this month on the fourth Tuesday with Henry Underwood of Southwest Regional Planning Commission.

Respectfully submitted,

Marilou Blaine

WPB Secretary

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

May 9, 2023

7 pm

Town Hall 

Roll Call: Appointment of alternates if needed.

Minutes: Review minutes of the April 2023 meeting.

Old Business:

Michael and Danielle Hubbard, Old Drewsville Road, two-lot subdivision, 20 acres into a 5.5-acre lot and a 15-acre lot. Tax Map 10, Lot 11, Rural/ag district.  Joe DiBernardo surveyor presenting.

It’s the field across from Levi Lane on the west side of Old Drewsville Road. 

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

Walpole Planning Board Workshop

Walpole Town Hall

Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Just a reminder that there’s a Planning Board workshop meeting on the second floor of the Town Hall on Tuesday, August 25, at 7 pm. We’ll be discussing the Draft copy of the Master Plan of the Transportation Section and the Implementation Plan.

 

 

Marilou Blaine

Secretary