The Walpolean

Bring the family to Keene Disc Golf Club’s “Learn to Play Disc Golf” event at the 2nd Run Sports Shop on Marlborough St in Keene on Saturday, 9-4. There will be food, a putting green and the opportunity to learn how to throw.

PLANNING BOARD MEETING 10 APRIL – INITIAL REPORT

by Ray Boas

Between 150 and 175 concerned residents attended this evening’s Planning Board meeting to hear James Phippard – Brickstone Land Use Consultants – present a request for a Public Hearing for a recommendation to the ZBA for a Special Exception: D&C Transportation, Orleans, Vt. Map 10, Lot 2, Rural/Agriculture district for a filling station and convenience store with a Drive Thru.

The turnout exceeded the usual attendance at Walpole Town Meetings even though the public was not entitled to speak during the request for a Public Hearing at a future date. The Planning Board accepted the request for a Public Hearing, to be held at its next meeting, May 8.

Below is Concept Plan for the proposed gas station/convenience store on 1.5 acres of land at the intersection of South Street and Route 12. Per D&C Transportation’s application for an exception to the Zoning Ordnance to build here, “an appropriate site for this type of use requires a minimum of two to three acres of vacant developable land…” The proposal includes space for three semi-trucks (which usually idle while parked), 18 parking spaces, and 10 spaces for fuel filling.

CLICK ON THIS LINK FOR A FULL PAGE PDF OF THE CONCEPT PLAN

This evening’s audience – Image Courtesy Tom Winmill

Please widely distribute this post, and please encourage your friends to “sign up” for posts from THE WALPOLE CLARION, and to attend all Public Hearings on this issue.

Thank you, Ray Boas, Publisher, THE WALPOLE CLARION

Ray Boas | April 10, 2018 at 9:15 pm | Categories: Uncategorized | URL: https://wp.me/p2Ne0p-1cu

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Agenda for Zoning Board of Adjustment
Wednesday,  April 18, 2018
Walpole Town Hall
7:30 pm

Roll Call: Appointment of alternates if needed.

Minutes: Review minutes.

Old Business:
This hearing has been postponed until May.
Continued Public Hearing: Special Exception for Great River Consumer Cooperative Society, Inc., Route 12, Map 12, Lot 4-2 and 4-3 for parking, rural/ag to commercial. Convert a former chicken coop to a food co-op featuring local products. Article VIII C.1.
Kim Mastriani, president of the Co-op, is representing the organization.

Public Hearing No. 2 Change of a Non-Conforming Use at the Walpole Village Store LLC, 10 Westminster Street, Commercial District. Addition of handicap ramp on east side of the building. Raynie Laware representing Walpole Village Store LLC.

New Business:
Request for a Public Hearing for a Special Exception, rural/ag to commercial. D&C Transportation, Orleans, Vt. Map 10, Lot 2. Proposed Use: Filling Station and Convenience store with Drive Thru. James Phippard of Brickstone Land Use Consultants LLC representing D&C Transportation.

Signage: Snow Frye wants to move her sign to a new location – where Costume Ladies was. Commercial property on Main Street.

Signage: Doug Palmer: wants a 15 square feet sign at his Power Sports business at 6 Ames Lane – Residential B.

Signage: Steve Donovan: sign for Spencers Place : restaurant for Walpole Tavern.

Update: Matrix

Handouts:
Special Exception rural/ag criteria
D&C Transportation plan

Next meeting Wednesday,  May 17, 2018

Thank you Marilou Blaine for sending this email. – Lil

“Lil, You may want to alert your readers that the Co-op has postponed the current meetings and moved everything up one month – that includes the recommendation by the Planning Board, the continuance of their Public Hearing this month and the site plan, which was scheduled for May will now be in June if their project is approved.”

There was a request for the link that Ray Boas mentioned in his post. Here it is. – Lil

WALPOLE, NH – MASTER PLAN and ZONING ORDINANCE

In case you are a Follower here and not yet a follower of the Clarion, I wanted to share Ray’s post. – Lil

Jeff Miller, Chairman of the Walpole Planning Board, has confirmed to me that the Public Hearing for the Great River Co-Op has been moved to May per the Co-Op’s request.

The request for a Public Hearing by D&C Transportation, Orleans, Vt. Map 10, Lot 2, Rural/Ag district to construct a gas station/convenience store for a recommendation to the ZBA for a Special Exception remains on the agenda. Mr. Miller kindly provided the following, “When we have an applicant come to the board for a preliminary consultation or to submit an application for a public hearing the comments are usually between the applicant and the Board. [We] will allow some questions from the public but generally the public comments will come from the public hearing.”

Myra Mansouri, Chair of Walpole’s Zoning Board, has not yet replied to the CLARION’s two requests for information on procedures for public comment.

It appears that the Public Hearings for both the proposed Gas Station at the junction of South Street and Route 12, and the Co-Op, both to be constructed on Rural/Ag land, will be in May.

However, if you are interested in learning what D&C Transportation has to say at both the Planning and Zoning Board meetings in April, even if you cannot say anything, you are strongly encouraged to attend on April 10 and 18 to show your interest.

Please circulate this post, and encourage people to subscribe to CLARION posts for updates on these important matters. Thank you, RAY

How do I know? I just had an email that the Walpole Creamery will be opening on the weekend of April 14th. Ice cream from noon to 7:30!