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Warner Board of Selectmen Meeting Minutes Tuesday, July 21, 2010 Chairman
Hartman opened the public hearing at 3:05 p.m. In Attendance:
Selectman David Hartman – Chairman, Selectman David Karrick,
Jr., Selectman Clyde Carson & Town Administrator – Laura Buono Others present: Rebecca
Courser, Paul Violette, Richard Strickford 1. Bound Tree ATV Club Request After the June 28th Public
Hearing and during the July 6th Selectmen’s meeting,
Selectman Karrick suggested a trial period for the request as submitted.
Selectman Carson was edging towards doing something more limited
from Bound Tree corner around Bear Pond and exclude the extension down
to Old Henniker Road up Badger Lane and Daisy Hollow. Chairman Hartman
suggested something more in the middle.
All Board members agreed upon a trial basis for a year with the
potential of an extension. Chairman
Hartman also suggested using Old Henniker Road to avoid using the part
of Cunningham Pond Road that is under water. Chairman Hartman said that he has been contacted by numerous
people living in the area of School House Lane and Cross Road who were
not in favor of Chairman Hartman’s suggestion. Selectman Karrick said he spoke to a Fish
& Game Warden who said the Bound Tree ATV Club is the model for all
ATV Clubs in the State; they have shown themselves to be very
responsible. The Fish &
Game Warden covers and area from Kearsarge Mountain all the way down to
Peterborough; he said he would appreciate the help of the ATV Club.
Chairman Hartman asked what kind of a role the ATV Club would
play in terms of enforcement. Selectman Karrick said not enforcement just the clubs
presence in the Minks. Selectman Carson has spent some time
assessing the areas that the ATV Club has requested to use; how the area
is/should be used, environmental impacts and he’s had several contacts
about sanctioning concerns. Selectman
Carson feels that it is not the Bound Tree Club the Board has to worry
about it’s the other traffic. He
commented on how great the area is around the Contoocook Water Precinct
area were the Bound Tree ATV Club has trails, it has very good signage
and there are areas that are protected and barred off.
Paul Violette who is a member of the Bound Tree ATV Club asked
Selectman Carson if he felt the trail itself looked good.
Selectman Carson said for the most part the trails looked good
except for Sanborn Road which is a rough road.
Mr. Violette said when a club is the main domain the trails are
not torn up especially when one of the roads is blocked off to keep
jeeps and trucks off the trail, it gives a different perspective and
speaks well of the club and what they have done. He also feels proper signage will only help to get other
people to follow the rules. Selectman
Karrick asked Mr. Violette for an estimate on how many times club
members would be on the trails if access is granted in Warner.
Mr. Strickford answered once or twice a week. The Club would appoint trail masters to represent Warner;
they would be in charge of checking on the signage. Selectman Carson said the current Bound
Tree ATV Club trail is mostly on private property; he also asked if the
Club takes home sites into consideration when laying out the trails.
Mr. Strickford explained that the Club makes an effort to stay
away from homes. For
example Mr. Strickford would be against riding down Henniker Road
because there are too many houses; the Club does not like to impact
somebody’s home. Selectman
Carson asked how a loop would be created to avoid those areas with
homes. Mr. Violette said
the Club has looked at the area that is flooded on Cunningham Pond Road
presumably by beavers which the Club could spend money to rectify the
problem with permission from the Town.
The Town cannot spend taxpayer’s money on Class VI roads. Chairman Hartman said the Town of Henniker
does not allow ATV’s on Class VI roads and he knows there are roads
from Warner into Henniker that are Class VI which are designated by the
Club. Mr. Strickford said
the trail turns off at the Henniker Town Line onto private property. On
Bear Pond Road to Bound Tree the trail turns off to a left and about
30’ is Henniker; the trail then goes about 200 yards, takes a right to
Bear Pond which is on an easement that Contoocook Village Precinct owns.
Chairman Hartman wants to make sure the Selectmen of Henniker are
OK with this travel; he is not sure how the easement is written, if
there is an exclusion clause. Chairman
Hartman asked if the Club has a contract with a property owner named
Reese; Mr. Strickford explained that the Club does have a contract with
Mr. Reese. Chairman Hartman
knows of an instance; a logging operation that went on before the
Reese’s purchased their property, the logger built a road on the
Reese’s property and never came back to reestablish the road on the
Class VI right-of-way. The proposed ATV trail in Warner was
shortened to 3.8 miles eliminating the area that is covered in water and
adding a portion of Dummer Road without affecting any homes.
The Board has agreed to a trial agreement up to December 2011.
Mr. Strickford said it will take a little time for signage and he
talked about fixing some culverts as well.
The Selectmen will move forward and develop an agreement. Selectman Carson will be hiking the new proposal which is
Dummer Road, Judy Town Road up to the Bound Tree gate, Sanborn Road out
to the Hoyt School House and then turning down Hoyt Lane to the Henniker
Town Line (3.8 mile). 2. Adjournment At 4:11 p.m. a motion was made and seconded to adjourn. David E. Hartman - Chairman Respectfully submitted, Mary Whalen Recording Secretary
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