Planning Board Minutes
July 21, 2009
Members present: Terry Silverman, Suzanne Gray, Mac Landy, John Tommila and Carmen Yon, Selectmen’s representative. Alternate Carlotta Pini was seated for Robin Haynes.
Others present: Nancy Carney, Deputy Fire Chief, Tom Parker, Selectman
Call to Order: 7:00 PM
Minutes. The Board reviewed minutes of the July 7, 2009 meeting. Landy moved, Gray seconded and the Board approved the minutes as written. Tommila abstained.
Preliminary consultation – Roger Keilig to discuss proposed plans for agency store.
Mr. Keilig raised the issue of zoning for the property. He said the store has been in operation on that site for 35 years and the intersection has developed as a commercial site. He feels the site is appropriate for a retail store and it should be zoned as such. He’d like to clear up the zoning issue, and wondered how. Silverman asked if he was planning a large expansion as he makes the planned transition to a retail agency store. Silverman noted that the store is grandfathered for retail use and it can continue without addressing the zoning issue, unless the use is abandoned for a year or more. He also said obtaining a special exception under town regulations makes the zoning issue moot. He feels the store is already in the general business district, adding it was the
intention of the Planning Board when the districts were proposed to include the liquor store in the general business district.
Mr. Keilig said he might want to obtain a special exception just in case. He said he hadn’t heard from the State Liquor Commission about the status of the Fitzwilliam store, but will inform the Board as soon as he does. Meanwhile he plans to do some landscaping to improve the look of the site, adding some more parking spaces, moving a ditch, and cutting brush. Silverman wondered if improvements to an existing site needed a site plan. Mr. Keilig said he planned to pave a new section that is currently mostly dirt. Pini wondered if paving would exacerbate runoff into the wetlands surrounding the site. Landy said there was a lot of concern about wetlands when the site was filled. Mr. Keilig said that work was done with a wetlands permit. He added that he will be grading
the site to direct runoff into catch basins.
Silverman said that the Board would like to see a site plan with erosion control measures if and when the parking lot is paved. Pini indicated that a wetlands permit will be needed if the lot is paved. Silverman suggested that the landscaping be focused on erosion control. Silverman said that the Board can waive certain of the site plan requirements that may not be relevant to this site if the waiver is requested in writing. Staff will send site plan information to Mr. Keilig.
Appointment: Scott Nickerson to discuss the Fitzwilliam Inn. Mr. Nickerson joined the Board to discuss his plans for re-opening the Fitzwilliam Inn. He said he will close on the property in a couple of weeks. He wants to discuss how to get certified as a B&B and to get the kitchen certified. Tommila interjected that everyone wished him luck. Silverman noted that on December 17, 2001 the Inn was granted a special exception to operate as an inn and restaurant the exception runs with the property. He added that, depending in the nature of the improvements Mr. Nickerson intends, the Planning Board would like to work with him on site plan review. He will need a building permit from the Selectmen to make the changes he plans. The State licenses and certifies food
handling and lodging issues.
Mr. Nickerson said he will start with landscaping and painting, and would like to begin operation as a B&B by Labor Day. They have some special events planned and his daughter hopes to do dinners in October. He said he’s a building contractor who has renovated old buildings and is very excited about this building.
Mr. Nickerson will be in touch with the state and local entities responsible for issuing licenses and permits and certifications. He said he plans to have an on-site caretaker to watch the Inn. He would love to have a tavern with simple fare to make the Inn more viable, but for now he is starting with the B&B and plans to offer a continental breakfast option for guests. They are planning a Thanksgiving dinner, featuring their own turkeys and organic vegetables. Mr. Nickerson has been working with others to get the website up and running and they will be able to keep the same website as the previous owners. They are trying to keep the same phone number too. The Board wished him the best of luck.
Selectmen’s Report. Yon said the Selectmen have a few things to discuss with the Board: timing for canceling a building permit and requiring a new one; options for insuring that a building permit is accurate and reflects what the home owner is actually doing; requiring a building permit for accessory apartment conversions; clarifying the word ‘alter’ as used in 127-39 A; developing policy on conversions of seasonal homes to year-around homes; clarifying applicability of vendor permit for purpose of holding yard sales for people who rent.
Parker reported that the Selectmen met with JB Mack from SWRPC to discuss the NH Route 119 and NH Route 12 intersection. They now feel it is important to be involved in the discussions with NH DOT to improve the safety of the intersection. Silverman referred to the Planning Board’s letter to Mr. Mack, expressing its concern with the impact of any changes on businesses surrounding the intersection, and said he wants to be part discussions in the future.
Master Planning. Gray led the discussion and made notes on the flip chart for each report. To demonstrate the procedure, Gray reported on her two assignments, the Police and Fire Departments.
Police: The Board heard that: calls for domestic issues, felonies and fraud are increasing (need numbers), and if there is an increase in subsidized housing or commercial activity, crime may increase; all police vehicles are appropriately equipped; a new facility for police is needed.
Recommendations for the Master Plan: that a feasibility study be conducted to determine siting options and attributes of a new building, with responsibility for this going to a team made up of appropriate town representatives and at-large member(s) of the public with a particular expertise/interest in the issue. Parker said the town has considered lots of options in the past and has concluded that the best one might be to leave the fire department in the current safety building and move the police to new quarters. Silverman said he has problems with the proposed facility, which was characterized as being necessary to be an accredited agency, when any facility should reflect the needs of the community, not be driven by state requirements.
Parker said we don’t need all this certification, but do need more room for the police department and a place to keep the vehicles under cover. Gray said a study would determine what is and what isn’t necessary, based on town needs. Tommila wondered if lessons had been learned from the library extension project. Silverman said he was torn about putting this in the MP at all, adding that police cruisers are outfitted like they are offices. Pini suggested that since the MP is a planning document for 2020, we can assume the needs of the town will increase and will need to be addressed in general. She said the Master Plan was about keeping issues on the radar.
Fire: The Board heard that: emergency response activation must be managed by people not involved in the emergency (‘parking lot’ issue?); upgrading equipment and providing training are ongoing needs that are reflected in CIP; paid personnel may be needed to manage an increasing load of calls; recruitment issues are very important. Mutual aid and regionalization are ‘parking lot’ issues at the moment.
Education: Mac Landy distributed handouts for his report on education and historic resources. He said we need to know what our population looks like, where we live and work.
The Board heard that: the number of students fluctuates and balance is achieved district-wide by shifting students between schools; an additional room may be necessary in Emerson for special needs children; the community is welcome to use school buildings for public events.
Tommila pointed out that decisions about many of these issues are made at the district level. Pini said it may be worth noting the challenges presented by working with a school district and how those issues are resolved. She also said it might be a good idea to have a task force work on the liability issues involved with having the public use school facilities. She noted that the school has the space, but has no time for outreach efforts, and the town has needs space, so maybe we can build community relationships with the school through various town departments.
Historical Society. The Board heard that: the Historical Society is under funded and depends on volunteers for staffing. Pini noted Rindge has developed a town budget item for their historical society. Landy wondered if that would affect the 501(c) (3) status of the Fitzwilliam Historical Society. There was some discussion about finding a grant writer for the town.
Yon asked if the historic district boundaries should be adjusted. Landy wondered if it should be changed to reflect the various historic clusters in town, with an eye to protecting all the historic homes in town.
Given the hour, the Board decided to reschedule the Pini report until the next meeting.
With no further business, the Board adjourned at 9:35 PM.
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