Town of Walpole

Walpole, NH 03608

PLANNING BOARD

WORK SESSION March 27, 2007 - 7:00pm Town Hall Basement

MINUTES

Presiding: Jeffrey Miller, Ch.

Members Present: Ben Daviss, Bob Miller, V-Ch., Dave DeCoste, Fred Dill, alt.

Members Absent: Dave Edkins, alt., Sheldon Sawyer, Henry Fletcher, Eric Merklein

Recording: Pamela Aslinger, alt. Secretary

Master Planners Committee: Mel Schupack, Mary Lou Montgomery, Shane O’Keefe, Dennis Marcom, John Hansel

These minutes are unapproved and will be reviewed at the April 10, 2007 meeting for errors, omissions and corrections.

I. Meeting opened at 7:15 pm.

II. Ongoing Business - Master Plan Update

A. Discussion on draft vision statement. The following topics were discussed within the body of the draft, some changes noted, additions made:

- The draft is comprehensive, includes a lot of subtopics, has a friendly feeling.

- What is the definition of affordable housing, which implementation measures work?

- Present allowance of manufactured and mobile housing in all districts and medium priced housing developments. Revisit and consider cluster-housing, limitations of building permits, limiting growth to 1 - 2%.

- Housing pressures from Keene, and Claremont/Newport areas, Walpole’s role.

- Creating nodules of light industrial uses behind some of the commercial districts along Rte. 12. Encourage this type of economic development to sustain the loss of Hubbard Farms and agricultural businesses in general.

- Insure that infrastructure is brought up to date to service nodule locations as long as the sites are not within the well head protection areas, although measures are available to allow certain “clean” industries to be located near the protective areas.

- Concept of working farms as being light industrial uses. Promote continuance of farming and agricultural uses pertinent to the character and identity of Walpole. Incorporate ways to maintain farming “as a good way of life”, as long term enterprises, and create incentives. Farmers are often land poor, retirement depends on being able to sell land assets. Suggest higher density development rights to preserve open land for farming. A concept being used in NJ - “Density credit exchange”, where a farmer owns 1000 ft. of frontage, could have 10 lots, instead sell the “frontage” to a matched housing developer, who is able to obtain 10 more lots towards another development. The farmer is able to “cash out” without loosing the land. PA leads the nation in protective easements.

- Consider that agriculture may have a different base in the future rather than just dairy farms, such as “locally grown” food coops, greenhouse-grown crops or ethanol production and be mindful of future transportation costs, reduce dependency on fossil fuels.

Walpole Planning Board Minutes W/S 3/27/07 page 2

- Historic architectural design review study, possible creation of a historic inventory through the efforts of the Town’s historical society to maintain Walpole’s historic integrity. Incorporate shopping “villages” as opposed to commercial strips. Encourage impact plantings; reduce parking lots by increasing pedestrian and non-motorized vehicle options throughout the Town. Suggestion was made to view Manchester, VT’s progress-sive approach. Add design review phase to site plan and subdivision regs. (674:4).

- Reconsider wording related to “intelligent growth”, it disallows all possibilities except for “bottomland” development; it may be too restrictive and broad.

- It was asked if temporary growth management measures could be taken to allow for the update of the Master Plan. Most agreed it was not necessary during the update of the land use section. The rest of the document is in good order at this time.

Throughout the above discussion Ch. Miller was able to find within the text of the current Master Plan under the goals and objectives sections, specific instances relating to each of the topics discussed, leaving everyone believing the current document addresses the same criteria as outlined in the new vision statement. Members were encouraged by this information and the scope of review required to complete the update in a timely manner.

Result of the discussion:

1. Mr. Schupack will incorporate the discussion into a “revised draft vision statement”. He asked for each to consider the implementation section of the Jaffrey master plan, and make suggestions to him via e-mail on how Walpole’s should be drafted. He’ll plan to have a draft implementation plan ready for the next meeting.

2. Ch. Miller instructed Mr. Daviss and Mr. B.Miller to contact SWRPC, perhaps meet with them in Keene to go over the draft vision statement and implementation statement to determine their participation in the process. He noted the funds are now available. Ms. Aslinger mentioned some difficulties providing SWRPC with data for GIS mapping. She thought the Town may not have adequate digital records nor is the data available for SWRPC’s use through the Town’s records. She asked if they could discuss with SWRPC other options. Mr. O’Keefe suggested Cartographics records are digitized, that perhaps the Town hasn’t purchased the data from them.

3. Mr. Daviss commented since the vision statement seems to reflect the intent somewhat of the current document, the committee should move forward with reviewing the goals and objectives at the next meeting. He handed out a handy outline form of the goals and objectives for everyone to review prior to the next meeting. He mentioned the need to proceed as quickly as possible to allow time for the planning board to make the necessary amendments to the zoning ordinance for 2008, and update the site plan and subdivision regulations for 2007. He thought some of the regulations updating could run parallel with the land use update.

III. Planning Board - New Business

A. Review commercial district from Fall Mtn. Bldg. Supply to existing ball field. Sec. Aslinger handed out a two-page drawing showing each lot, who the landowner is and who the business owner is. A drawing of the Plaza with the same information is also shown. This will be used for “reference only” for future proposals.

IV. Other -none

V. Meeting adjourned at 8:40pm

Cc: PB, MPU, WCC, ZBA, BOS, NWVC

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