Walpole Planning Board Minutes
Tuesday, October 13, 2026
Town Hall
7 pm
Role Call: Board members: Present: Chair Jeff Miller, Vice-Chair Dennis Marcom, Clerk Jason Perron, Jeff Harrington, Trevor MacLachlan, Select Board Representative Steve Dalessio. Alternate Present: Tom Murray, Absent: Board member Joanna Andros and Alternate Travis Adams.
Call to Order: Mr. Miller called the meeting to order at 7:04 pm. Mr. Miller asked Mr. Murray if he would sit in for the absent board member and he agreed.
Review of the September minutes: Mr. Marcom made a motion to approve the minutes as written. Mr. Harrington seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.
It was thought Sarah Bollinger from SWRP would be at the meeting to present the wording for an amendment to Walpole’s zoning ordinance on family-based care but she did not attend the meeting. There is plenty of time to do this in November and still have a public hearing in December.
Surveyor Joe DiBenardo presented three new projects. The first was from Joseph and Sonia Sawyer, 632 River Road. The proposal is to subdivide the property into 2 lots. Lot 1 would be 5.97 acres. Lot 2, a burial lot, would be 3 acres of the southeast portion of the 8.7 acre property to then be donated to River Valley Natural Burial. The property is on Route 12 just south of Black Jack Crossing and where the former flea market and gravel pit were. It is in the rural agricultural district. River Valley Natural Burial is designated by the IRS as a 501(c)13 nonprofit organization for nonprofit cemetery and is planning the burial site.
Marsha Campanello is a board member of this nonprofit. She said natural burial means no cement vaults, metal or rain forest hardwood caskets or chemical embalming. The group promotes the use of locally made biodegradable caskets and shrouds. There will also be a pavilion nearby where families can gather. A wooden sign will indicate its location. A temporary Port-A-Potty will be on the property. Longer-term plans include a single outdoor composting toilet system and a structure to support it. There is electricity on the property. All burials will be conducted at a minimum of 50 feet from known water sources, and 100 feet from state highways and buildings. No vertical headstones or other vertical monuments will be erected. Flat field stones or ceramics will serve as grave markers. Capacity will be 300 to 400 burials per acre depending on terrain.
Mr. Marcom made a motion to hold a public hearing on the proposed cemetery in November. Mr. Harrington seconded the motion and it carried unanimously.
Project No. 2: Sanctuary family home, 185 Ramsay Hill Road, Tax Map 11, Lot 8. One lot into two lots. Lot 1 will be 47 acres with 1754 feet road frontage. Lot 2 will be 20.59 acres with 470.51 feet of road frontage. The property is in the rural agricultural district. Mr. Perron made a motion to hold a public hearing in November. Mr. Harrington seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.
Project No. 3. Eric C. Frink and Bridget J. Ballou proposes a lot line adjustment on property at 131 Merriam Road, Tax Map 3, Lots 54 and 55 in the rural agricultural district. The proposal is to combine Lots 54 and 55 so that eventually Lot 54 would be 88.06 acres getting 10.56 acres from Lot 55.
Mr. Perron made a motion to hold a public hearing on the Frink/Ballou lot line adjustment. Mr. Harrington seconded the motion and the motion carried.
Site Plan Review
In September Chair Miller asked Jeremy Hockensmith, Walpole’s legal counsel, to review the town’s site plan. Mr. Hockensmith sent back a review with several suggestions and a couple of attachments. Mr. Miller asked board members to read the material and at the November meeting the board would work on updates to the site plan to tighten up the document.
Gravel Pit Inspection
Dennis Marcom and Travis Adams inspected the Cold River Material gravel pit on October 12, 2026 and Mr. Marcom submitted the Excavation and Reclamation Checklist.
Adjournment
Mr. Perron made a motion to adjourn. Mr. Harrington seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The time was 7:45 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Marilou Blaine
WPB Recording Secretary
Recent Comments