Meeting Minutes

Planning Board

November 15, 2022

FINAL

Board Members Present:  Darren Finneral, Chair; Chris Hernick, Vice-Chair; Jim Lord, Chris Millette, Denise Mitchell, Wayne Seaholm, Members; Scott Wheeler, ex-officio.

Mr. Finneral called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.

ADMINISTRATIVE:

Minutes:

The Board reviewed the minutes of October 18, 2022. Corrections were made.

Mr. Millette made a motion to accept the minutes with proposed corrections.  Mr. Seaholm seconded the motion. All were in favor.

The Board reviewed the minutes of October 27, 2022.

Mr. Millette made a motion to accept the minutes with proposed corrections.  Mr. Lord seconded the motion. All were in favor.

Mr. Finneral said he wants to wait to invite the housing grant committee members to a meeting until they have hired someone.

7:10 p.m. – Case 2022-012 – Final Approval - Annexation – DLK Sunapee Trust (owner), Fingeroth Revocable Trust (owner), Eckman Engineering (agent), for properties located at 58 Route 103A and 60 Route 103A, Newbury, NH Tax Maps 020-119-458 and 020-122-475.

Mr. Millette made a motion to accept the application as complete. Mr. Lord seconded the motion. All were in favor.

Mr. Finneral opened the hearing.

The engineer distributed a map to all Planning Board members. He said two abutters on the lake want to swap out some land. This will help one abutter with the tightness of their driveway, and the other abutter with some tightness by his house. It is a swap is exactly even for the amount of land being swapped. Mr. Millette asked if pins will be set and the engineer said yes, pins will be set and a mylar will be created. Mr. Hernick confirmed there is no change on frontage, and the engineer confirmed this. Mr. Finneral mentioned that if there are lenders involved in the properties that they would need to be informed.

There being no concerns by the Board, Mr. Finneral opened the hearing up to the public. There being no public comment, Mr. Finneral closed the hearing to public comment.

Mr. Hernick made a motion to approve the application. Mr. Millette seconded the motion. All were in favor.

7:20 p.m. Case 2022-013 – Final Approval – Minor Subdivision – High Mowing Family Trust (owner), Bedford Design Consultants, Inc. (agent), for property located at Stoney Brook Road, Newbury, NH Tax Map 027-007-481

Mr. Hernick said a coworker from his firm delineated the wetland lines on this property. He was not involved, but he asked if anyone felt he should recuse himself from the case. Members felt he did not need to recuse himself since he was not involved in this project.

Mr. Finneral distributed two waivers being requested by the applicant.

Mr. Millette motioned to accept the application as complete. Mr. Lord seconded the motion. All were in favor.

Ray Critch explained where the subdivision lines would be, what the frontage would be and how much acreage it would include.

Mr. Finneral asked Mr. Critch to talk about the two waiver requests. Mr. Critch said since it is a large 67.3-acre lot, it would be expensive to survey the entire lot. Also, since the subdivision only creates one  new lot consisting of 2.49 acres, the remaining 64.8 acres are not changed by the proposal.

Mr. Finneral opened the case to the  public. Mark Lacombe from 145 Stony Brook Road asked what lot this is pertaining to. Once clarified, Mr. Lacombe realized it was a different lot and he is good with this subdivision.

Mr. Finneral closed the public comment.

Mr. Millette made a motion to accept the first waiver (8.1). Mr. Seaholm seconded the motion. All were in favor.

Mr. Millette made a motion to accept the second waiver (8.2). Mr. Lord seconded the motion. All were in favor.

Mr. Millette made a motion to approve the application. Mr. Seaholm seconded the motion. All were in favor.

7:30 – Case 2022-014 – Appeal of a Denied Driveway Access Permit – Jeffrey S. & Laura Trow (owners), for property located at Stone Wall Ln., Newbury, NH Tax Map 16A-214-517

Mr. Millette motioned to accept the application as complete. Mr. Lord seconded the motion. All were in favor.

Mr. Finneral asked Ms. Trow asked to explain what was going on.

Ms. Trow said they purchased some land on Stonewall Lane. Ms. Trow explained the deed states that there are iron pins in each of the corners. She showed some pictures of the pins.

Durham Jones from Route 103A said he has a right of way in his deed. 

Mr. Finneral read what needs to be proven in the application to overturn a denied driveway permit.

Mr. Dave Armstrong of 55 Pine Street said he questions what Stonewall Lane is. He said according to the Town map, the road ends at his property. He said the pins for the road are on his property. He said it needs to be researched.

Mr. Finneral thinks they should receive more information including getting information from the fire chief and the police chief.

Discussion ensued regarding paper roads. Mr. Millette and Mr. Hernick think that Mr. Prussman and Mr. Thomas should weigh in on this case before making a decision.

After much discussion, Planning Board members decided to make a decision since the applicant did not want a continuance.

Mr. Hernick made a motion to accept the application condition precedent upon the private improvement of Stone Wall Lane to the satisfactions of the Town Highway Administrator, Police Chief and Fire Chief. Mr. Lord seconded the motion. There were five ayes and one nay. Mr. Fineral voted nay.

Other:

Mr. Finneral asked if everyone was all set for a public hearing for the proposed changes. Mr. Finneral will schedule a public hearing in early December.

It was decided to remove the wetlands overlay district mapping, as well as steep slope mapping.

Mr.Millette made a motion to amend Planning Board Proposed Amendment #6. Mr. Lord seconded the motion. All were in favor.

Mr. Millette made a motion to adjourn. Mr. Hernick seconded the motion. All in favor.

The meeting adjourned at 9:30 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Donna S. Long

Recording Secretary