Minutes of March 21, 2001
ROLL CALL: Russ Wilder, Chairman - Present
Alan Carpenter, Vice Chairman - Present
Lisa Linowes, Secretary - Present
Margaret Crisler, Selectmen Member - Present
Walter Kolodziej, Regular Member - Present
Ross McLeod, Regular Member - Present
Wayne Morris, Regular Member - Present
Lee Maloney, Alternate - Present
Roger Hohenberger, Selectmen Alternate - Present
NEW BUSINESS:
Ms. Joan Tuck, Town Clerk, stated that Mr. Kolodziej won the tiebreaker for a seat on the Board. Ms. Tuck then swore in the 2001 elected members Mr. Morris and Mr. Kolodziej.
MINUTES:
Mr. Carpenter made a motion to approve the March 7 minutes. Seconded by Mr. McLeod. Passed 7-0.
Mr. Morris made a motion to approve the March 14 workshop minutes. Seconded by Mr. McLeod. Passed 6-0-1. Mr. Wilder abstained.
CORRESPONDENCE:
Mr. Wilder reviewed the following correspondence:
Letter requesting that the Nassar Subdivision public hearing be postponed to the April 4 meeting. Mr. Kolodziej made a motion to continue to April 4. Seconded by Mrs. Crisler. Passed 7-0;
Letter regarding Cyr Lumber building design review. Discussion ensued. This item will be placed on the April 4 agenda;
The building was evacuated because of the smell of smoke. Meeting resumed at 7:55 pm.
Letter from MHF Design requesting this evening’s public hearing for Klemm’s be heard as a public discussion. Mrs. Crisler made a motion to grant the request. Seconded by Mr. Kolodziej. Passed 7-0.
Notices of voluntary mergers for the following: 1) lots 7-B-30 and 8-C-300. Mr. Turner suggested it be sent out for review by the Town’s attorney. Mrs. Crisler made a motion to forward to Attorney Campbell for review. Seconded by Mr. Carpenter. Passed 7-0; 2) lots 3-K-37, 37A, 35 and 36. Mr. Morris made a motion to approve the voluntary merger. Seconded by Mrs. Crisler. Passed 7-0; and 3) lots 17-C-15 and 16. Mr. Kolodziej made a motion to approve the voluntary merger. Seconded by Mr. McLeod. Passed 7-0;
Memo from Mr. Twarog, Assistant Planner, regarding the computation of impact fees. The Board will discuss this item at the April 18 meeting;
Minutes from the Historic District/Heritage Commission;
Flyer for NHMA Town and City Official 2001 workshops;
Flyer from the Citizens for NH Land and Community Heritage.
OLD BUSINESS:
The Board was reminded of the site walk this Saturday.
Mrs. Crisler announced that Ms. Cherie Howell, Conservation Commission Chairman, did an excellent presentation to the DOT concerning the Castle Reach property for wetlands mitigation.
NEW BUSINESS:
Mr. McLeod nominated Mr. Carpenter as chairman. Seconded by Mr. Wilder. Passed 7-0.
Mrs. Crisler nominated Mr. McLeod as vice chairman. Seconded by Mr. Morris. Passed 7-0.
Mr. Wilder nominated Ms. Linowes as secretary. Seconded by Mr. Morris. Passed 7-0.
Mr. Carpenter complimented the demeanor of the Planning Board members during the recent election. The Board discussed that Ms. Maloney will be an alternate member for three years.
PUBLIC HEARING:
Ryan / Town of Windham Land Swap & Subdivision (24-F-400 & 24-F-150) - Public Hearing
Castle Hill Road
Mr. Turner explained the land swap. The Board discussed a site walk was done by the Board, the boundary lines, and setting the bounds. Mr. Peter Zohdi, Herbert Associates, stated that one iron pipe needs to be set.
Mr. Tom Case stated that the notice didn’t mention a subdivision. The Board discussed that the Selectmen have approved the land swap, the legal notice was read and it did mention the subdivision, and the land is for conservation purposes. Mr. Wilder made a motion to approve the subdivision of lot 24-F-150 subject to setting the bounds. Seconded by Mrs. Crisler. Passed 7-0.
Klemm’s Site Plan (17-H-1)- Public Discussion
54 Range Road
Mr. Turner explained a public discussion. The staff concerns are 1) the car wash line blocking the entrance to the drive up window, 2) Range Road be widened, 3) entrances on Range Road be defined by striping, 4) area be designated as employee parking, 5) details on lighting fixtures on the building, and 6) ground signs. Mr. Frank Monteiro, MHF Designs, explained the changes on the site plan from the previous meeting including the driveway and the truck turning radius. The Board discussed deliveries, truck route through the property, delivery hours, discourage use as a truck stop, truck clearance of building overhang, sewage disposal, Route 111 barrier, road changes effect on the site, guardrail, number of gas pumps, lines for gas, entrance signs, space between pumps, and drive-thru area.
Mr. Carpenter reviewed the agenda. Mrs. Crisler made a motion to continue the Lawlor Lot Line Change, Pond View Subdivision, and Castle Reach Subdivision public hearings until the April 4 meeting at 8:00 pm. Seconded by Mr. Morris. Passed 7-0.
Mr. Carpenter read a letter from Tim and Mary Ann Madore in support of Klemm’s development.
Public comment began with Gail Webster, 2 Marblehead Road. She stated that she hopes this design will stop the traffic cutting through, truckers will use truck stops, the site is legally zoned for a franchise, it is a well proposed plan, and the Klemm’s are good neighbors.
Mr. Ted Maravelias, 13 Blossom Road, stated he is in favor of people developing their land, but a McDonalds will seriously impact the traffic and increase the crime rate.
Ms. Kerry Stap, 3 Hayes Hart Road, is concerned with traffic problem. The site development is premature because road changes are coming after the fact. Traffic lights and road lanes need to be addressed before McDonalds is built. She also stated that McDonalds is not looking to serve Windham residents.
Ms. Doreen Crisostamo, 4 York Road, asked who would pay for the widening of Range road.
Mr. Bob Leonard, 88 Meetinghouse Road, stated he is not in favor of the plan, and that the site right now is a pollutant. He shared information he found from the Department of Environmental Services regarding existing problems with the site. The Board discussed that this information is known, the redevelopment of the property would help clean the site up quicker, and there are monitoring wells. Attorney James Troisi stated that this proposal would speed up the remediation process. Mr. Tom Klemm, owner, stated that the contaminated soils get replaced with good soil, and this process is coordinated with the state. Mr. Turner explained how the soil gets changed.
Ms. Maloney replaced Mr. Linowes.
Ms. Joanna Ladakos, 7 Edgewood Road, stated that preventative measures need to be taken to make sure it does not become a truck stop because trucks will come to the site if they can. She also stated that noise from the trucks is a concern.
Ms. Mekdes Abebe, 141 Castle Hill Road, stated she did not have an objection, but asked if there was a way to stop other franchises from coming into town. The Board stated if a piece of property is zoned commercial then other franchises could come into town. It is the role of the Planning Board to assure site plans and subdivisions meet requirements.
Mr. Derek Monson, 20 Turtle Rock Road, stated his concerns for traffic, water removal from the carwash, snow removal, and is five gas pumps necessary. He would like to see a full-scale model, and traffic is a concern now when he comes home at 5:30 pm.
Mr. Tony Massahos, 19 Farrwood Road, stated that the architecture should be in keeping with the character of the Town, people should be able to develop their property within the framework of the Town, the development of the property will provide road improvements, MBTE and gasoline are not an uncommon problem, the tanks have been replaced, and the project will clean up the corner. He also stated his daughter worked for McDonalds in Salem, and it was a great first work experience for her.
Ms. Lillian Murphy, 2 Marblehead Road, stated that committees go to Salem businesses for freebees, she has never seen an 18-wheeler at Klemm’s Corner pumping gas, the merchants in Town are very good and we should support them.
Ms. June Little of CP Management which manages the adjacent property, stated they are in favor of the development, it is well thought out, and their concerns of not connecting the property and drainage are being taken care of.
Ms. Lisa Wanta, 153 Range Road, stated that Derry is trying to bring back the charm and prettiness to their Main Street area. Windham has charm and the Board should make sure the building fits in. She asked about signage, property values will be affected by the look of the Town, and decision needs to be made very carefully to keep Windham’s charm.
Mr. Mike Spinelli, 6 Lakewood Road, stated that the site design is overkill; one or two of the items should be removed. He then read a portion of the long range-planning document which stated that commercial development along Route 111 and 111A should be limited to local service neighborhood businesses. Water usage needs to be looked at as it is already a problem in Town.
Ms. Donna Morgan, 5 Edgewood Road, thanked the Board for their work in not letting a shooting range be in Town and for the design review. She stated that the appearance of the structure needs to be looked at, the development is overkill for the site, is there enough parking for a 60 seat restaurant, are five gas pumps really needed, there is car wash down the street, and this development should help the neighborhood not the tourists. She asked if the state could take the property because the traffic is a nightmare, and has the Board considered how all the housing development and the potential development of the shooting range property will impact the traffic. She also asked about how many tanks go in the ground to supply the 5 pumps and are the tanks alarmed.
Mr. Dennis Root, 36 Harris Road, native of Windham, stated that if native residents had their way most people wouldn’t be here, there is no way to stop the development, and the new building will look better than what’s there now.
Ms. Gail Webster, 2 Marblehead Road, stated she sees all the locals gassing up at 5:30 in the morning at Klemm’s, and we cannot stop people from coming into Town without getting law suits.
Mr. Bob Leonard, 88 Meetinghouse Road, stated he is not a native, but lives here and has a right to his say. The development is overkill, it is too much for the area, and traffic needs to be looked at. There are 62 parking spaces, what happens if you want to wait for gas, and it’s a lot for a small space. The Klemm’s have every right to develop their property, but it should blend in with the Town.
Mr. Jack McStravock, 11 Edgewood Road, stated the development is not being done for the Town; it is for people travelling on route 93. Cars with trailers carrying boats and snowmobiles will be a problem, the car wash doesn’t have enough room for cars to line up, the project is overkill, the Board needs to consider the magnitude of the project, there are safety concerns, and he urged the Board to reject the project.
The Board discussed the architecture, showed photos of a Mobile station in Gilford with a colonial type building, reconsider colors and architecture, and concerned about signs.
Mr. Dick Landry, Landry Architecture, explained the signage difference between the Londonderry McDonalds and the proposed Windham McDonalds. The Board discussed signs, canopy, building design, traffic problems, diesel trucks will block areas, colors, traffic concerns, site circulation, ask police about the crime rate, noise factor, consider not putting in a car wash, flag pole location, building design consistency, reposition gas pumps because of cars with trailers, drainage, traffic flow simulated on a computer, the clean up of the site is a plus, there are visual and traffic impacts, and concern for people getting off the property.
Mr. Turner asked the Board to comment on staff recommendations, grease trap maintenance, moving telephones, and reflector poles on median. The Board discussed moving the telephone, maintenance gas separators on the plan, and there was a consensus for widening Range road.
Mr. Kolodziej made a motion to adjourn. Seconded by Mr. McLeod. Passed 7-0. Meeting adjourned at 11:05 pm.
These minutes are in draft form and have not been submitted for approval.
Respectfully submitted, Nancy Charland
Back to main pageCopyright © 2002 All Rights Reserved