Little Faith In Officials

The following are my impressions of what transpired at the Winchester Planning Board meeting Feb. 21 during the discussion surrounding the board’s decision to approve the asphalt plant.

I cannot believe professional courtesy between Winchester town employees is so lacking that when a letter was delivered to town hall asking the planning board to reconsider its approval of the plant, the letter was sent back via registered mail to the person who had already hand-delivered it in order to meet the deadlines for such appeals.

That’s right. Instead of walking the letter to the board’s chairwoman (who apparently works in the building), it was sent back (with costs incurred by the town to do so) without giving the deliverer a chance to respond to the alert left on their answering machine.

It was protested that the planning board doesn’t have any authority in what another town office does, which I would say is true. It was then suggested that the entire problem could have been avoided and all deadlines met had the deliverer brought the letter directly to the chairwoman.

Town Hall is Town Hall.

I don’t think missed deadlines (as perceived by the planning board) and the often cited RSA about appeal procedure supports the board’s position that “they don’t have jurisdiction” over the matter of their decision to approve the asphalt plant.

I guess that means the board considers their decision a done deal and I often heard them contend that it will require direction by the New Hampshire court system to re-open the question. When a board member questioned this decision, her motives for asking her question came under suspicion, rather than having the substance of her question addressed.

I agree with the same board member who said that, as a taxpayer, she would prefer the whole matter be resolved outside of a courtroom.

Look, I get it. This is a contentious issue that has taken up a huge amount of the planning board’s time. But, the seemingly passive-aggressive avoidance to review their decision weakens my faith that they are able to make balanced and fair decisions in the first place.

JENNIFER MARIE BELLAN
Ashuelot