New Ipswich Planning Board grants waiver for dead-end street in 29-unit development
The New Ipswich Planning Board granted a waiver on Wednesday to allow a dead-end road in a proposed 29-unit development on the corner of Appleton and Maki roads, and continued the remainder of the discussion to September.
The proposal has been in front of the board for several months. Developer Brook Haven Farm LLC initially asked for a total of 33 units, but after review of the yield plan, the number has been reduced to 29.
The board spent the majority of Wednesday’s meeting discussing a new issue for the development, as engineer Chuck Ritchie showed plans for a new configuration that had a dead-end road, rather than a loop that started on one end of the property and exited onto Maki Road at the other end. The developer requested a waiver for the road, which was longer than the 1,000-foot maximum allowed by the town’s zoning.
Though the change was based off a previous conversation with the board where they mentioned the possibility of a dead-end, the town’s engineer, Burt Hamill, said he wasn’t a fan of the design. He acknowledged that there are several roads in town that are dead end and longer than 1,000 feet, some significantly so, but said it is increasingly becoming discouraged.
“Why are we continuing a bad practice?” Hamill asked, pointing out that multiple communities surrounding New Ipswich have similar rules around cul-de-sacs and dead-end roads, and some are even more restrictive.
Ritchie argued that the new configuration eliminated about 900 feet of road, which is less to maintain if the town takes ownership of the road, and creates greater open space and less covered surface.
“It’s a benefit to all parties here,” Ritchie said.
Mike Maki, one of the neighbors to the development, said he supported the concept of a dead end road, rather than two entrances, although he still had other concerns with the proposal’s lots.
Although board members approved the waiver, they added that there may be further conditions down the line that would impact the road relating to access for emergency vehicles, how the end of the road turnaround would look and some kind of provision to ensure the road isn’t lengthened in the future.
The board continued the discussion on the merits of the application to Sept. 4 at 7:15 p.m., at the New Ipswich town office. Chair Dee Daley said the board requested additional information as far back as May, including information on test pits, a traffic study, a conservation easement agreement, a copy of the homeowners association agreement and a contingency plan for the completion of the road, none of which have been submitted.
“These were things we let you know well ahead were expected. These weren’t surprises or anything,” Dailey said, emphasizing that she wanted to see forward motion on those items by the next scheduled meeting. — Ashley Saari, Monadnock Ledger-Transcript
Max Murray, 14, of Harrisville skates the old Keene Skate Park on Gilbo Avenue in August 2021. The city has begun work on a new skate park on Water Street. (File photo by Hannah Schroeder, Keene Sentinel)
Construction of new Keene skate park begins
After years of planning, construction of a new Keene skate park is underway.
The project at 160 Water St. was supposed to begin last year, but was delayed as the city sought — and later received — grant funding for the project. Work began on July 20, the city’s Parks and Recreation Department announced on Facebook.
Deputy City Manager Andy Bohannon previously estimated the project would take roughly two months to complete.
The new, approximately 8,000-square-foot skate park in East Keene comes after the city invested more than $1 million in improvements associated with nearby Patricia Russell Park, formerly known as Carpenter Field, including two playgrounds, an updated athletic field and community green space.
The former skate park on Gilbo Avenue was constructed in 1997 and fell into disrepair, closing permanently in 2022.
In a deal with Growers Outlet LLC in September 2022, the city exchanged the parcel on Gilbo Avenue for the one on Water Street and paid $150,000 in money from unspent funds in the previous year’s city budget, City Manager Elizabeth Dragon said at the time.
The latest effort for the new skate park began about six years ago, led by Kathleen Burke and the Keene Skate Group.
Community support has been key for the new skate park, with the Keene Skate Group amassing $247,000 in donations as of May 2024.
The city also received $225,000 in federal grant money, $100,000 of which was combined with a $130,000 grant the city received last year to fund tearing down the vacant Findings building on the Water Street property. Of the remaining $125,000 in the federal grant, Bohannon said $55,000 will go directly to enhancing the skate park, while the rest will cover other site improvements, such as installing fencing, asphalt paving and a sidewalk. — Keene Sentinel staff
Stebbins Commercial Properties LLC sells former St. Elizabeth Seton School
Mike Reed, president of Stebbins Commercial Properties LLC, announced the sale of the former St. Elizabeth Seton School at 16 Bridge Street, Rochester, NH from Roman Catholic Bishop of Manchester to the City of Rochester.
Mike Reed of Stebbins Commercial Properties LLC represented the seller and assisted the buyer in this transaction. According to the Registry of Deeds, the sale price was $1,700,000.00.
For more information on this transaction or other properties for sale or lease, please contact Mike Reed at Stebbins Commercial Properties LLC at (603) 669-6323 x104.
