TOWN OF WALPOLE, NH
03608
PLANNING BOARD WORK SESSION
August 22, 7:00PM
Town Hall
MINUTES
Members Present: Jeff Miller, Ch., Bob Miller, V-Ch., Eric Merklein,
Dave DeCoste, Ben Daviss, Fred Dill, Alt., Ray Boas, Alt.
Absent: Sheldon Sawyer, Henry Fletcher, Dave Edkins, Alt.
Recording: Pamela Aslinger, Alt., Secretary
These minutes
are unapproved and will be reviewed at the Sept. 12, 2006 meeting for errors,
omissions and corrections.
I. Meeting opened at 7:10pm. Ch. Miller introduced Carolyn Russell,
Environmental Quality Impact Planner from the NH Office of Energy and
Planning. Ch. Miller said the meeting
was not a standard meeting of the Board, no decisions would be considered or
votes taken on any matter. He handed the
meeting over to Eric Merklein and Ms. Russell and encouraged the audience
members to participate along with the Board members.
Mr.
Merkein said he met Ms. Russell at a Office of Energy and Planning Symposium
and found her presentation on the subject very helpful in regard to growing
wisely and preserving open space. He
said she, Ch. Miller and he had driven around Walpole earlier in the day so she
could get an idea of how the Town has developed.
Ms.
Russell began a slide presentation on the subject of Conservation Subdivision,
a new concept and term for cluster or open space developments. The main difference being planned open space
that can run contiguous with other surrounding conservation areas to create
corridors for wildlife protection, agricultural and recreational uses
maintained by a homeowner’s association, retained by a land trust or the land
owner. She said NH is the fastest
growing state in New England, this side of the State was growing at a slower
pace but it is growing bit by bit and the population is spreading out. She said Walpole wasn’t going to be the next
Bedford in 10 years but would see an increase in population and sprawl,
services to the outskirts would put pressure on the Towns budgets.
She
distributed handouts that outlined her discussion on the subject of
Conservation Subdivision.
Please Note: Rather than restating the entire
presentation, copies of the handouts are attached to the minutes for
review. Comments by Board Members and
audience members are stated below that took place during and after the
presentation.
Comments:
Mel Shupack asked if the Conservation
Commission should be involved? Ms. Russell answered yes, in the area of mapping
and recommendations, that most Towns include the Con. Comm. in every
application for subdivision that comes before the Planning Boards.
Ben Daviss asked how many Conservation
Subdivisions had taken place across the State?
Ms. Russell answered that it is in the 100’s but not all are of the
quality the OEP would like to see. The
OEP is working on a handbook and model that will be ready for distribution in
late October in time for the Planning and Zoning Conference on the 28th.
Walpole
Planning Board Work Session 8/22/06 page 2
Mr. Merklein asked if it would be best
to identify only certain areas of Town to be subjected to Conservation
Subdivisions? Ms. Russell said in Durham
they have adopted only Conservation Subdivision, that it is no longer allowed
to have a standard subdivision, but other Towns have incorporated it into their
existing regulation’s as an option, with incentives for developer’s to consider
it. Mr. Merkein asked if an
owner/developer would make less money over a standard subdivision? Ms. Russell said Conservation Subdivisions
generate comparable number of units, land values, and sell out faster. Mr. Merklein asked how “use” is determined
for the conserved common areas? Ms.
Russell said they recommend that the Zoning Ordinance address allowable uses
and as part of the negotiation process, the landowner can further restrict the
uses allowed. The landowner could manage the open space, sometimes the Town, a
land trust or a homeowner’s association.
Mr. Shupack asked how to determine what
is allowed in the open spaces, there are different areas of Town that would
have differing available uses. She said
to follow the conservation plan already in place, follow those recommendations
to determine conservation values.
An audience member asked how the open space is
monitored and who maintains the stewardship in the future? Ms. Russell said the Town would need to
decide, that deed restrictions would be one way.
Mr. Daviss asked if the road frontage
and lot sizes are already in place how could a Conservation Subdivision take
place? Would the lot sizes be
flexible? Ms. Russell said they almost
have to be, at the discretion of the Planning Board or by performance
standards. Mr. Daviss asked if the Cons.
Sub. concept could be considered “a taking”.
Ms. Russell said OEP recommends in order to avoid that potential there
should always be a fall back to determining the number of units, let the
developer come in with a conventional plan and keep to that standard when
producing the Conservation Subdivision.
Mr. DeCoste asked if there is so much
open space land and less land with the homes, how would they be taxed. Ms. Russell said the number of units would
have relative value to the present taxation practices by assessment. She said units within a Cons. Sub. have
relatively higher values. She said the
way to tax the open space is to realize that it is already part of the value of
the homes.
David Howell asked if there is a density
threshold where the concept of the Cons. Sub. kicks in.
Ms.
Russell said unfortunately adding the Cons. Sub. for some Towns has come after
a couple of bad large scale subdivisions.
She said it depends on the nature of the development within the Town. She said some Town’s make larger lots and
don’t feel they need further protection but some feel it is an alternative for
future potential large scale developments, to have it in place before a Towns
becomes overwhelmed. She said it is a
lengthy process, changing the Zoning Ordinance is challenging. She commented she felt Walpole had been lucky
so far, that the development that has taken place has been better than average.
Ch. Miller
thanked Ms. Russell, the meeting closed at 8:30PM
Cc: file, All PB members, ZBA, BOS, Town Clerk,
CCC
Posted
with attachments: Town Hall Lobby, Town
Hall, Burdick’s Market