Walpole Planning Board Hears Preliminary Plans for Multiple Business Expansion

    Vicki Gohl, proprietor of the Walpole Village Market, summarized her plans for renovating the interior of the former gas station that houses the business in the center of town and for adding clapboard siding to the building, picnic tables and landscaping around the outside.  “I’m trying to do the most tasteful thing I can do”, said Gohl before promising to submit a complete site plan in the near future.  (Gohl has also developed the Ruggles & Hunt gift store across the parking lot from the Market.)

    Len-Tex Corporation, a manufacturer of commercial wall coverings, presented preliminary plans for a 17,000 square foot addition to its current office, warehouse and finishing facilities at 199 Main Street, North Walpole.  Len-Tex intends to move its laminating operation from its Church Street site into the new addition along with seven employees.  According to company president Don Lennon, this expansion may also result in up to five new jobs by the end of the year.  Lennon reported on Thursday that Len-Tex is “growing very happily” with expanding sales in North America, Eastern Europe and in Dubai and will soon open an “in-stock wall covering facility” in Moscow.  Using its pioneering water-based technology, Len-Tex claims to be “the most environmentally responsible commercial wallcovering manufacturer.”  See www.lentexcorp.com for further information.

     Bill Carmody, owner of Benchmark Custom Products, Inc, of Walpole, headquartered at 4 Ames Plaza Lane, announced his intention to develop 4-6 one-bedroom apartments and possibly two two-bedroom apartments on .6 of an acre of land he owns between his current business building and the rear parking lot of the Plaza.  Carmody, who also manages rental property in Keene, said he expects to develop a detailed plan soon, to seek necessary approvals but not to begin construction for a year or two.

    Bob Jasse, proprietor of Alyson’s Orchard on Wentworth Road, announced preliminary plans to add roughly 2400 square feet to the event center at the orchard that is used for weddings, receptions, parties, and meetings and to complete the entrance to the property off Route 12 in July (based in concept, he said, on an entrance he has seen at Mt. Rainier National Park) to be used 6-7 months each year.  Jasse said that he hopes to get necessary approvals and to complete the building addition by November.

    Peter Roos of Walpole, recent purchaser of the Long River Gardens property at the foot of Westminster Street, announced that he is developing plans to sub-divide, or at least adjust the boundaries within, the 30+ acre property for future uses.

    Planning Board Chair Jeff Miller announced that the town board of selectmen had hired counsel Gary J. Kinyon of Keene to represent the town in dealing with efforts of the owners of the Merriam Road area development to force Walpole to upgrade the road from Class 6 to Class 5.  The owners have apparently decided to try to force the selectmen to upgrade the road to facilitate their developing the site, but the selectmen have repeated said that they would need to put the matter to town vote

     In other discussion, John Hansel of Walpole Tomorrow asked about possible Board plans to update its Master Plan for Walpole.  Chairman Miller noted that the town had appropriated $2,500 for 2005 to fund updating its capital improvement plan and that he thought that should be done before taking on an update of the Master Plan.  Vice Chair David Edkins suggested that the chairman might talk with the Southwestern Regional Planning Commission, nevertheless, about making preliminary plans to consider the Walpole Master Plan next year

     In reply to Hansel’s offer of possible financial support for the town’s reconsideration of its Master Plan, Selectman Sheldon Sawyer, sitting as liaison to the Planning Board, said that “if you want the Master Plan to be seen as ‘non-biased’, it might be better to have it funded by public monies.”  Sawyer also noted that the Conservation Commission is looking right now at the problems and possibilities of where newcomers to Walpole might live in the next 20 years—an investigation that would play into any revision of the Master Plan.

    Edkins said that Charlestown, where he serves as Town Manager, had recently finished a survey of citizen attitudes toward development whose outcome had been “unexpected and eye-opening”, and he suggested that Walpole might wish to do a similar survey as part of a Master Plan reconsideration.  Edkins reminded the Board and audience that a Master Plan is not a regulatory document but rather a “direction or vision” for the town boards to use in their planning, zoning and other uses.

    At the close of the meeting, Chairman Miller announced with regret the resignation of Judy Trow, the board’s long-time secretary, and noted that steps would be taken immediately to seek a replacement.