The Keene Sentinel Tuesday February 12, 2008
by Sarah Palermo
Sentinel Staff
Winchester- The Winchester Planning Board has postponed a decision on Rindge developer Robert Van Dyke's 32 unit condominium development on Franklin Mountain Until April 7.
At the board's meeting Monday night, members requested Van Dyke secure certain agreements before they would consider granting conditional approval.
Because the project includes land underneath power lines owned by Public Service Co. of New Hampshire, the board asked that Van Dyke obtain approval from the company to do construction under the lines before the next meeting.
The board also wants to wait until the New Hampshire Dept. of Environmental Services agrees the site can support enough water and septic systems for the 32 planned units.
"I would be more comfortable if we waited until the DES approval was in.. I wouldn't just be hoping we made the right decision," board member Larry R. Hill said at Monday's meeting.
Before the April 7 meeting -- 7 p.m. at the town hall -- the board hopes to visit the site. The time and date of the visit will be posted at the town hall.
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6 comments:
Once again, the board has granted Mr. Van Dyke another long delay in order to provide them with what he should have had from the beginning; how is this being fair to the abutters who hired an attorney to advise and represent them at these meetings to ensure accountability by the planning board and it's members and the applicant, that all decisions reached comply with the law. Attorneys cost money and each time Mr. Van Dyke is given more time it costs these citizens in legal fees.
I was at the last meeting and know that M. Sharra did not fully comply with that lawyer Little's request for all communications she has had with other board members about this Van Dyke. He should have also asked for everything she has been sending to the other members by regular mail. From what I have seen it is quite alot and has to do with these hearings.
If you have information you'd like to share, please speak with attorney Silas Little. He can be reached directly at 924-3363 ext.#14. He also has access to this blog and can read comments posted. I hope this is an effort on your part to bring forth the truth and not just an anonymous comment to bring trouble to someone on a personal note.
...I really have to question some of the decisions regarding some of these recent applications for projects in our town. I am not just talking about the planning board here. We must ask ourselves, is someone benefiting from the use of their office when a department head fights like Margaret Sharra and approves one of these projects. You only have to look around town to see the planning board's handy work; this project of Van Dyke's behind Shamrock Reality resembles a strip mine operation, then down Route 10 another of the planning board's poor decisions, a cement plant with the piles and piles of dirt by the road; where no one questions landscaping. Further down Route 10 is the bone yard for Mack trucks and parts. A 5 acre subdivided lot, where in a commercial zone, requirements of 10 acre lots and 500 feet of frontage are required. It just happens the land was owned by Earl Beaman and Gary Beaman who also employed Margaret Sharra as a real estate agent. Then just behind that is the motocross track where Margaret Sharra tells everyone she loves to race and defends them to the hilt, yet it's in a wet land, flood plan and the town's, well protection area. Across Route 10 is another race track, that Margaret Sharra defends and I might add; it's on town conservation property, according to the University of NH Conservation overlay site, in the well protection area and only feet from our town's wells. Then, out on Route 119, Van Dyke has another approved subdivision by this planning board, that also resembles another strip mining operation. My question is: Who are these planning board members working for? Some, if not all of these projects surely do not benefit our town. Not all of the members are backing these bad decisions; but they should do more to stand up for our town and it's people. We put our trust in these members to do what's best for our town; hopefully in this matter, they'll uphold their denial of this application.
I went by that site next to the Shamrock office on my way home from work today and am appalled that the town didn't make him do something about the runoff and erosion running down to the road. You're right Bob, it does look like a big mess up there. Why hasn't our code enforcement officer or someone from one of these boards made him do something about that?
The site on Route# 119 looks just as bad. Van Dyke was ordered by the Planning Board to grade, seed or apply a landscape matting to the site long before winter set in to prevent erosion and run off; yet, as anyone can see he did not comply. It is my guess too, that he has not been cited or fined for not following their directive. Why not?
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