Walpole Planning Board Weighs Commercial Developments
by Chuck Bingaman, Contributing Writer
Tonight’s 7:00 p.m. Walpole Planning Board session in Town Hall includes public hearings on a gas station/fast food site plan and a proposed zoning change, both of which raise town development issues.
Champlain Oil, the Burlington VT company that already operates the Jiffy Mart in North Walpole, is due to have its public hearing on a new plan to open an expanded gas station/convenience store on the west side of Rt. 12 next to the new Dollar Store that is currently going up. The new Jiffy Mart would include gas pumps near Rt. 12, a 4,000 square foot store, tentatively including a Dunkin Donuts and a Subway, and a 24-hour pump for diesel fuel behind the store. Both fast food outlets would have drive-up windows.
The Champlain site application has drawn a number of questions in its preliminary form based on traffic and environmental concerns.
In addition, Planning Board members have raised concerns about the safety of building a gas station--with its large underground fuel storage tanks--on top of the aquifer supplying the majority of the town’s water. Champlain has assured the town that modern storage tanks present no danger to the aquifer, that dangers of surface level spillage are slight and that alarm systems will be in place to give immediate notice of any fuel spills. (Champlain Oil was, however, fined $20,000 in August 2011 by the state of Vermont when state inspectors discovered that leak detection documentation was either unavailable or not maintained at seven facilities in that state. At one facility the inspector observed deficiencies in the secondary containment serving the facility’s four tanks. Subsequent tests revealed two of the four tanks had failed and were taken out of service. While no releases occurred, the failure to properly document release detection and maintain secondary containment increased the risk of harmful hazardous material being released to the environment.)
The Board will also hold a public hearing on whether to propose that the town insert a building height limitation of three stories or 35 feet to the commercial district for future development consistent with the limits already in place in other zoning districts n the town.
While the 35 foot limit may already govern buildings in the commercial district according to town attorney Jeremy Hockensmith, Planning Board alternate Steve Dalessio has suggested that the language in the commercial section of the ordinance should be made parallel to that in the multi-family and retirement overlay districts.
The height or story limit question grew out of recent updating of the town’s master plan and site plan regulations and consideration of the proposed Avanru Development condominium project. The Planning Board sought advice of counsel on its authority to add height limitations to the site plan regulations and interpreted the advice it got as authorising it to make such regulations. Avanru and others challenged this interpretation and the resulting draft warrant article to put the matter to the voters is the board’s effort to put the matter to the voters.
It appears that neither the condominium buildings nor what has been called Building D proposed by local development group Avanru would be affected by the 35-foot or three story limit because they have already been approved. Others such as a building for the proposed cooperative food store have only been presented in concept form to date.
by Chuck Bingaman, Contributing Writer
Tonight’s 7:00 p.m. Walpole Planning Board session in Town Hall includes public hearings on a gas station/fast food site plan and a proposed zoning change, both of which raise town development issues.
New Gas Station/Convenience Store
Champlain Oil, the Burlington VT company that already operates the Jiffy Mart in North Walpole, is due to have its public hearing on a new plan to open an expanded gas station/convenience store on the west side of Rt. 12 next to the new Dollar Store that is currently going up. The new Jiffy Mart would include gas pumps near Rt. 12, a 4,000 square foot store, tentatively including a Dunkin Donuts and a Subway, and a 24-hour pump for diesel fuel behind the store. Both fast food outlets would have drive-up windows.
The Champlain site application has drawn a number of questions in its preliminary form based on traffic and environmental concerns.
While initial discussions looked into shared entrances off Rt. 12 for the Dollar Store and the Jiffy Mart, it now appears that each will have its own entrance and traffic will be entering and leaving the highway at two nearby places . This will necessitate an added turn lane for the Jiffy Mart and possibly added traffic danger and congestion according to some.
In addition, Planning Board members have raised concerns about the safety of building a gas station--with its large underground fuel storage tanks--on top of the aquifer supplying the majority of the town’s water. Champlain has assured the town that modern storage tanks present no danger to the aquifer, that dangers of surface level spillage are slight and that alarm systems will be in place to give immediate notice of any fuel spills. (Champlain Oil was, however, fined $20,000 in August 2011 by the state of Vermont when state inspectors discovered that leak detection documentation was either unavailable or not maintained at seven facilities in that state. At one facility the inspector observed deficiencies in the secondary containment serving the facility’s four tanks. Subsequent tests revealed two of the four tanks had failed and were taken out of service. While no releases occurred, the failure to properly document release detection and maintain secondary containment increased the risk of harmful hazardous material being released to the environment.)
Clarified Building Height Limitation
The Board will also hold a public hearing on whether to propose that the town insert a building height limitation of three stories or 35 feet to the commercial district for future development consistent with the limits already in place in other zoning districts n the town.
While the 35 foot limit may already govern buildings in the commercial district according to town attorney Jeremy Hockensmith, Planning Board alternate Steve Dalessio has suggested that the language in the commercial section of the ordinance should be made parallel to that in the multi-family and retirement overlay districts.
The height or story limit question grew out of recent updating of the town’s master plan and site plan regulations and consideration of the proposed Avanru Development condominium project. The Planning Board sought advice of counsel on its authority to add height limitations to the site plan regulations and interpreted the advice it got as authorising it to make such regulations. Avanru and others challenged this interpretation and the resulting draft warrant article to put the matter to the voters is the board’s effort to put the matter to the voters.
It appears that neither the condominium buildings nor what has been called Building D proposed by local development group Avanru would be affected by the 35-foot or three story limit because they have already been approved. Others such as a building for the proposed cooperative food store have only been presented in concept form to date.
ERZ Meeting
In a possibly related development, Avanru participants at the December 1 selectmen’s meeting asked the board to meet with representatives of the New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development Community Economic Revitalization Zone program to explore possible projects for the future. The board agreed and is setting up a meeting.
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