[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6401222,"mediaKeyId","2065456-4d7ece09cf02c515c760c28cee12eab5","parentId",2065456,"title","Planning board presents wetlands conservation amendments proposing 75-foot upland buffer and setbacks","audioSeconds",2667,"startMs",2927000,"endMs",5594000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2065456-4d7ece09cf02c515c760c28cee12eab5&start=2927&end=5594","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2065456-4d7ece09cf02c515c760c28cee12eab5/thumbnail_2927000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6401222/West-Swanzey/Cheshire-County/New-Hampshire/Planning-board-presents-wetlands-conservation-amendments-proposing-75-foot-upland-buffer-and-setbacks","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6401222-d964c509d1388e40ef07e39338c165a4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771204243&Signature=DH8EeasweBdlgLi3pkI7IQC0QwKpxtetzV1Txsmnt~9o27ic8l18~-I0mSGFebe3I0CXTqXoSo7gXXgb7P3BfVlgytI3cxZtzb~JfpmqSrtu0wEoBfN3mD8SWO9SD15Hcn4YbuWETuY6Bah1zfX~m10cVhHfgE22oLe7zRk-lKrCvgdGjaidbqOo-WveXGohoxbKt-9lTpEztzffVh91wwBw8sOeG0u0NpRXkSyZf0kyETvDW0vsiliuqcoF3P3fI4u1wovY6FH0O-YI3ucPWwUl7P69BJyAOuOnWTV2lwxUQ4iB8E27pG3KtrEkgWsLmkNPwp524EXAyfMsp4xzow__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Town Council of West Swanzey NH","date","2025-01-02T19:50:50Z","article","The Swansea planning board reviewed a package of proposed amendments to the town’s Wetlands Conservation District that would add a 75-foot upland buffer and strengthen development setbacks and allowed uses near wetlands.

Sherry, a planning board member presenting the amendments, said the changes were prompted by a townwide wetlands evaluation conducted for the conservation commission by Moosewood Ecological. \"Most of our wetlands’ functions are compromised due to the loss of a naturally vegetated buffer,\" she said, and the amendments aim to restore that protective upland zone.

Key changes described by Sherry include: establishing a 75-foot naturally vegetated upland buffer as a development setback; allowing certain low-impact uses inside the buffer such as footpaths, wildlife habitat management, small farm ponds permitted by the Department of Environmental Services (DES), and maintenance of existing lawfully located structures; and prohibiting construction of new leach fields or septic components, parking areas, dumping, underground fuel storage and lawns with regular mowing or pesticide/herbicide use inside the buffer. The draft also limits new buildings within 75 feet to structures no larger than 100 square feet and permits agricultural uses consistent with best-management practices.

On septic setbacks, the draft would reduce the town’s current 125-foot septic setback to the state standard of 75 feet for new systems, while still requiring exceptions or variances in cases of failure or demonstrated need. Sherry framed the change as a compromise to align the town with evolving septic technology where appropriate.

Planning staff member Adam told the board the town maintains a GIS wetland overlay layer supplied by the state and that maps exist to show affected parcels. Several board members and residents pressed for clear mapping and direct notice to property owners whose parcels might be affected; one board member said residents should be able to look up parcel-level impacts before a final vote.

Residents and board members discussed property-rights concerns, the tax effect of designating wetland buffers, and the administrative burden of enforcement. Sherry and staff noted that wetlands and buffer acreage are already assessed at lower rates and that sections of the shoreland protection district covering major lakes and rivers were intentionally excluded from this amendment to avoid overlapping rules.

The planning board set a public hearing for Jan. 9 and said the formal ordinance language as noticed at the hearing must remain unchanged unless the board calls a second hearing. Board members also encouraged additional outreach and cross-committee coordination — including updating the town’s open-space plan — before finalizing a warrant article.

What’s next: The planning board and conservation commission will continue outreach; the Jan. 9 public hearing will be the formal venue to receive public comment and to vote whether to recommend the amendment for the warrant.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Swanzey Select Board: December 30th, 2024","oneSentenceSummary","The Swansea planning board reviewed proposed amendments to the Wetlands Conservation District that would add a 75-foot naturally vegetated upland buffer and restrict certain activities within that buffer.","taxTitle","West Swanzey, Cheshire County, New Hampshire","taxId",75717,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6401226,"Selectmen hear West Swansea TIF advisory report recommending district, purchase of water company",1570,304000,1874000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2065456-4d7ece09cf02c515c760c28cee12eab5&start=304&end=1874","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2065456-4d7ece09cf02c515c760c28cee12eab5/thumbnail_304000.jpg","/articles/6401226/West-Swanzey/Cheshire-County/New-Hampshire/Selectmen-hear-West-Swansea-TIF-advisory-report-recommending-district-purchase-of-water-company","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6401226-73382f198397e86ff730ac3123975531/orig.mp4?Expires=1771204243&Signature=ZG~BOqA4nBgHDToVFdePQNNriXKrujnIKogUmYcwsNt0Tyx6FPlYGcq9JwLa7kgCbtWr~LE41fdleiN3HlyrdsdCTxDHYqrIpXXfR6hKceHz4FXsdRRu8wy7X2J9aae83Pyr036CQ7BrWIAWilCLtxHDybsgp9stRHtV~~YXicqnT86xzKBgtoMl88wi4bJVViAilF9e9m4FGeq80wiyaVlegwMXIg1ZdJyH4rk55DuJre3nc0gHohR1Ovxru8lyMY1p6ZDjv8u5-yRRpQ8jxyrKusBUkWZnPLGgD9HdPG45g33USCYZnKwxEiy2greWbZMHLF2dhHn87jBJq6xBYw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Swansea selectmen heard a final report from the West Swansea tax-increment financing advisory committee that recommended forming a TIF district, acquiring the West Swansea Water Company and staging infrastructure work to encourage commercial development along Route 10.

The advisory committee, presented by TIF member Steve Bridal, recommended three related warrant articles: (1) a $6.4 million authorization to purchase the water company; (2) creation of a TIF (tax increment financing) district to capture subsequent assessed-value growth; and (3) a $1 million borrowing authorization to extend piping along Route 10 to connect properties that committee members said are required to attract higher-value commercial development.

The committee said the purchase-and-improvement package is viable only if the town secures substantial grant funding and the state’s drinking-water loan program that the committee expects will provide a loan with approximately 40% principal forgiveness. \"If you stretch the debt to 30 years, it would bring the annual debt service down to about $200,000,\" Bridal said in describing financing scenarios. \"At 20 years and 4% interest, $3.6 million of net debt implies roughly $260,000 a year in annual debt service.\" The committee’s pro forma treats the 40% as forgivable principal; the smaller remaining principal is the town’s debt burden under the plan.

Bridal and others emphasized that the TIF alone would not generate the revenue needed to pay the debt unless piped water is extended along Route 10 to open sites for meaningful commercial development. \"To bring in meaningful, high-value commercial properties, you need public water,\" Bridal said. He told the board the engineering estimates used by the committee did not originally include a Route 10 pipeline and that adding that pipeline is the key to making the TIF work.

Selectmen and committee members discussed staging the work: buy the system first, delay some or all improvements, or pursue the full package at once to capture the state forgivable portion of the loan. Staff said the state program could reallocate the forgivable portion to other projects if the town does not apply this year. A staff member summarized the committee’s three-part recommendation: purchase and approve the water system; form the district; and authorize up to $1 million in borrowing for pipe extensions that would drive property-value increases.

Board members also flagged risks. One selectman urged caution about placing a $3.6 million debt burden on a marginally operating system, noting the water system currently “charitably breaks even.” Other members favored moving ahead to public hearing this year to avoid losing the forgivable loan ranking. Staff told the board that if the board chooses to proceed, public hearings must be noticed by the end of the week to meet legal timelines for warrant articles.

The report also touched on broader grant prospects: participants said bringing the nearby Viewpoint mobile home park into a public water system would be a strong grant- and lender-positive factor, and the committee identified potential federal and state funding sources and a state loan program they expect to use.

The discussion ended with no formal vote to put the articles on the warrant at this meeting; staff requested direction from the board on whether to proceed to public hearing for one or more of the proposed warrant items so necessary notices could be posted.

The committee’s written report, included in the packet, also notes the town’s existing TIF will wind down in 2026–27 and that the district’s prior authorized but unissued bonding authority remains part of the town’s financial picture.

What’s next: staff asked the board to state whether it wants public hearings scheduled for the purchase authorization, TIF formation and the pipe-expansion borrowing so the hearings can be noticed.

","A TIF advisory committee recommended forming a West Swansea tax-increment financing district and pursuing purchase and staged improvements to the West Swansea Water Company, including a $6.4 million purchase proposal that committee members said would rely on a 40% principal-forgiveness loan and new pipeline work on Route 10 to make a TIF viable.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6401218,"Selectmen approve routine items; new code-enforcement officer confirmed; petition seeks second polling location and $15,000 for machines",248,7000,255000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2065456-4d7ece09cf02c515c760c28cee12eab5&start=7&end=255","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2065456-4d7ece09cf02c515c760c28cee12eab5/thumbnail_7000.jpg","/articles/6401218/West-Swanzey/Cheshire-County/New-Hampshire/Selectmen-approve-routine-items-new-code-enforcement-officer-confirmed-petition-seeks-second-polling-location-and-15000-for-machines","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6401218-95bacee31833f6acb0991667fdf65a0f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771204243&Signature=Cd4M-qZ~0HaHexRmGbDGpE7Ce11HgnfN2z837Bc6nbwupcdnGEQvOFvsubslBdQIRjW3aYgTZG~ZeiupOZ-77ZAnaHdBDIytCspDWIwpuROdL2AQD4Kd1dlBQV2TiJUgNHSTLotOvixinMVjM5ms4EBowajwMVKkc1MXqufiI8XjvdTrDgHMAmQMGJ0KoMlNQZvtlceYWJ13nwzTE3d53Q0Pw558yp--TGBuw00c7FWfGp5HI0BD9sScQevDQMPCnYhE7c3-uZrW5-fmFDGK2omEvY14sIb12SqcCwuGmkqMQsdgTpK0sVOKPzg4gcqk40BCvfBltFAIoVQhzeKSZA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the start of the meeting the board approved routine procedural items by voice vote: a motion to approve the minutes of the Dec. 18 regular meeting, a motion to hold a non-public meeting on Dec. 18 under RSA-authorized exemptions, and the consent agenda. Each motion was seconded and approved by voice vote with members responding \"aye.\"

The board acknowledged and the town welcomed Chris Levy as the new code enforcement officer. Levy addressed the board and said he appreciated their \"vote of confidence to take this job.\" Levy said he retired from federal government service in Washington, D.C., and moved to northern New Hampshire to be near family. \"I look forward to getting to work here,\" he said.

During public input a resident who identified themselves as a petitioner presented a petition to the board asking for a second polling location (one in Swansea Center and one at the town’s main location) and said the petition gathered what the petitioner estimated was about 160 signatures. The petitioner said the petition sought $15,000 to acquire additional voting machines and to pay staffing and programming costs. \"We also, in the petition, tried to raise $15,000 to get voting machines and to pay the help and to have them programmed,\" the petitioner said. The board took the petition and discussion included questions about logistics and voter-notification processes; no immediate vote on the petition occurred.

Motions recorded at the meeting (voice votes): approval of Dec. 18 minutes (motion made and seconded — outcome recorded as \"aye\"), motion to hold non-public session on Dec. 18 (made and seconded — voice vote \"aye\"), and consent-agenda approval (seconded and approved by voice vote). The meeting record does not name motion mov ers or seconds in the minutes excerpt.

What’s next: the petition for a second polling place will be processed under the town’s petition rules; staff indicated budget and location questions would be addressed before any warrant article or implementation step. No financial commitment was made at the meeting.

","The board approved routine motions by voice vote, acknowledged and confirmed Chris Levy as the town’s new code enforcement officer, and heard a petition from a resident seeking a second polling location and $15,000 to buy voting machines. The board also made motions to approve minutes and to enter non-public sessions from Dec. 18.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Planning board presents wetlands conservation amendments proposing 75-foot upland buffer and setbacks

Selectmen hear West Swansea TIF advisory report recommending district, purchase of water company

Selectmen approve routine items; new code-enforcement officer confirmed; petition seeks second polling location and $15,000 for machines