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Warner Conservation Commission Minutes of Meeting March 3, 2010
Attending:
Nancy Martin, Brian Hotz, Doug Allen, John Dabuliewicz, Mimi Wiggin,
Peg Bastien, and Jim McLaughlin (recording). Also Chris Benedict.
Minutes of
February 3, 2010
The
minutes of the meeting of February 3, 2010 were approved as submitted.
ADA Concerns
The
Commission discussed the question raised by a Warner resident
concerning public access to lands under conservation easement,
specifically access for someone with a physical disability. Brian said
that the record is pretty clear that in the case of easements, the
land is privately owned and not in public domain. A conservation
easement represents the ability of the easement holder to restrict
certain uses of the land, but otherwise it remains privately owned. As
for publicly owned properties, the State of New Hampshire has over 200
parcels that have no ADA compliant public access. In Warner, the Town
has two properties that provide handicapped access - Riverside Park
and the Bagley sports fields - making the point that the Town does
afford this kind of access. John has investigated the legal basis
relating to ADA access and said that these provisions pertain to
properties which provide public accommodations or assembly. He will be
able to respond at Town Meeting if this issue is raised.
Town Meeting
Brian
discussed the points that he intended to make at Town Meeting on the
requested appropriation for the Gore Farm project. No powerpoint
presentation is planned.
Bound Tree
Snowshoe/Walk
The
walk on the Bound Tree property on February 13 was a great success
with about 40 participants. Nancy suggested a newsletter article
should be prepared. Jim will check with the Kearsarge Happenings folks
about their next edition.
Saving
Special Places
This
workshop on land conservation is scheduled for April 10 at John Stark
H.S.. in Weare. Peg and Nancy expressed interest. Jim can make the
reservations and have a check cut by the Town.
Wetlands
Issues
No
report.
Planning
Board
Jim
reported that, at its March 1st meeting the Planning Board considered
a farm stand proposal on Kearsarge Mountain Road which was approved.
No other land use applications were on the agenda.
Other
Business
Nancy
advised that Ausbon Sargent has a meeting coming up that she plans to
attend and invited anyone else interested to join her. She will send
the date and time by email.
Brian
reported on his contacts with the Henniker Conservation Commission’s
recent activity to protect land in their part of the Mink Hills. Two
parcels were protected last year. They have targeted this area as a
priority for conservation. He also described efforts by the owner of a
gravel pit on land that abuts Warner to gain access to his property
over Henniker Town land by reactivating an old road, to be restricted
to his own vehicles and not open to any other public use. The
Conservation Commission is actively opposing this proposal.
Discussed
the Town Meeting warrant article that would change the Select
Board’s policy regarding building on class six roads. The Commission
expressed a strong negative position on this article. Jim reported
that the Selectmen have received a legal opinion that a vote of Town
Meeting cannot mandate a change in Selectmen's’ policy but is
advisory only.
Membership
Brian
said he needs to step down from his position on the Commission for the
one year remaining in his term. However, he offered to take on the
easement monitoring function and organize the Town’s files . He
plans to monitor each of the nine properties under Town purview and
have one other Commission member accompany him on his monitoring
visits. He would spread these out among all members so that the
monitoring experience will be shared. Discussed the costs of
transferring the monitoring responsibility to another organization.
The Reis and Contoocook easements, because of their size and
remoteness, are prime candidates for this action.
Nancy
asked the four members whose terms are up in 2010 about their desire
to continue. Peg Bastien and Mimi Wiggin agreed to another term as
alternates. John Dabuliewicz and Doug Allen agreed to another term as
full members.
The
next meeting is April 7, 2010.
Meeting
adjourned at 8:05 P.M.
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