To:  Conservation Commission Members                    cc: Selectboard and Public Notice

From:  Larry T. Spencer, Chair

Date:  3 October 2006

Re:  Commission Meeting held on the 20th of  September 2006 meeting  at 7pm, in the town hall, downstairs meeting room

 

Minutes of the Meeting

  1. Minutes from the May  meeting (these are posted on the website: http://www.holdernessconservationcommission.org) were approved as distributed
  2. Permits and other matters
    1. Webster Land Corp., parcel 207-9, Perch Pond Road, approved 07 July
    2. Charles Lawrence, parcel 254-lot 6, East Holderness Road, 25 July
    3. Dussault, parcel 255-9, Approved 21 July
    4. Renyi, parcel 102/54, pending
    5. Lake Forest Property Owners Association, granted 6/15/2006, Remove existing season dock and install two 4x30 season docks
    6. Jacque asked—“How can the CC get input into permits before the permit comes to the Selectboard?” The commission discussed this for a while. The outcome was the idea that as soon as the Town Clerk receives the permit, she should notify Anne Packard by phone or e-mail. Anne would then have a chance to look at the permit and provide the Selectboard with input.
  3. Up Coming Meetings and courses:
    1. 4 November 2006—Annual meeting of the NH Association of Conservation Commissions
    2. 11 November 2006—Rivers meeting in Concord
  4. Old Business
    1. Butternut Lane matters—Chair mentioned that he had stopped by the property and that the matting and vegetation on the slope was doing very well and that the siltation fence was also preventing material from going into the nearby wetland. It appeared that nothing had happened with respect to the access road to Theresa’s property, nor had anything be done along the transition zone between the driveway and the downslope. Barbara mentioned that she would try to stop by to see the property. (Since that time I have received an e-mail from Peter. Theresa has not formally agreed to the changes negotiated last spring. Siding on house is almost finished and Peter/Angie has contacted the contractor about the landscaping issues. Chair responded that he would be willing to talk to all parties on this matter)
    2. Letter to William Russell re property on Mt. Prospect (Chair)—Chair mentioned that he had sent another letter to Mr. Russell, but has still not received any response. After a brief discussion, it was thought that perhaps the chair should call him again.
    3. Progress with respect to future trail work on Pilote Property (Reggie).  Materials have been picked up and are being stored at the Town Maintance Sheds. Reggie is trying to get a hold of the “trail experts” and will determine on the basis of their availability, when the work can be done. It was also noted that David Moore had contacted the Chair and has some picnic tables. Chair will pick those up in November.
  5. New Business or reports of summer happenings
    1. Meeting and work schedule for the Fall—Jacque and Anne have conflicts with respect to a Wednesday meeting. How about the 3rd Thursday of the month? After brief discussion, it was decided that the 2nd Tuesday of the month (at least for the Fall) would be the best time for everyone. Thus our next meeting will be on the 10th of October.
    2. Testimony at the July Plymouth Planning Board hearing on the Lowe's development—Chair distributed and briefly described what he had said at the July meeting of the Plymouth Planning Board
    3. Site visit with the McClouds on Squam Lake—Chair made a site visit to the McCloud’s property on Big Squam Lake.  The McClouds desire to reface a concrete square at the right side of their property that previously held a wind generator. Chair saw no problem with the refacing as the structure is an existing structure. He also wanted to increase in height on the left side of the property a concrete pier and to extend the pier shorewards. Chair thought the increase in height was legal as again it was an existing structure. Chair didn’t thing the extension to the shore would be okayed by DES and noted that on the permit when he signed it.
    4. Boundary marking with Tom Stepp on the Pilote Forest-Chair has been talking with Tom Stepp and hopes to do this sometime this Fall.
    5. LChip forms for conservation properties—Chair mentioned that forms had been received and will fill them in after he and Tom have done the Pilote Property project.
    6. PRLAC request for support to obtain a grant to do a co-occurrence map of the Pemi Watershed—Chair mentioned that he had sent a letter in support of the grant request (this was copied earlier to all members). He also mentioned that he had seen Dave Jeffers and that they had gotten some funds for their request)
    7. Chair’s participation in Spatial Analyst class sponsored by the Cooperative Extension in Manchester.—Chair mentioned the details of the workshop. It used an extension for ArcMap, Spatial Analyst, to perform some watershed analysis. Workshop was very good and provide the chair with information as to how the Squam Lake Co-occurrence maps were done. Chair will be asking reimbursement for the workshop from the town. Some discussion was had about submitting a grant to ESRI that would involve Holderness School, Holderness Central School and the Commission. Reggie and the Chair will look further into the matter.
    8. Questions from the Highland Links Community Association about easements—Nancy Conklin of the Association would like to talk to us about this matter—Nancy Conklin attended our meeting. The property consists of 54 acres (34 units, some of which are single other duplexes). Each owner owns 1/34th of the common property (golf course/swimming pool, etc). Presently the golf course is leased for a minimal amount. Nancy had gotten permission from the Association to talk to us about easements, etc. It was the feeling of the commission, that the property in its present state would not “qualify” as a conservation easement.  Some suggestions were that it would make a good recreation property for the town and that perhaps down the road, the Association could talk to the town about purchase or lease of the property for recreation purposes. The commission suggested that Nancy/Association talk to the Pemi-Baker Land Trust group or to a lawyer that deals with easements.
    9. Lighting on pass way on the new Holderness-Plymouth Bridge—Chair was contacted by the town administrator on this matter. He suggested simple lights that perhaps were turned on by presence of person passing under the light.
    10. Comments on the Natural Resources section of the Master Plan? Anne looked at the plan. She had questions on the statement about lead at the Pemi Fish and Game and also about steep slopes. Jacque will talk some more to Anne about this. It seems that the document was going to be examined and okayed at the Planning Board meeting the next night and that any additional input we might have might be too late unless we attended that meeting.
  6. Other Business
    1. The question of who should contact Beede Road people about access across their property to get to the lower reaches of the Town Forest was briefly discussed. No action was taken, although we all realize that someone needs to make contact and briefly discuss the situation with those land owners.
    2. The Chair mentioned that he will be out of the country from the 11th to the 30th of October.

 

Fall Meeting Schedule:

10 October 2006

 

 

 

 

CC members in attendance:

Barbara, Jacque, Reggie and myself.  Guest:  Nancy Conklin.