STATE OF
MARCH 13, 2007
ARTICLE 1: To elect the following officers: One Selectman for a term of three years; One Treasurer for a term of three years; One Fire Ward for a term of three years; Two Trustees of Trust Funds for a term of three years; Two Library Trustees for a term of three years; One Library Trustee for a term of one year; Two Planning Board Members for a term of three years; One Planning Board Member for a term of two years; Four Budget Committee Members for a term of three years; Two Budget Committee Members for a term of two years; One Budget Committee Member for a term of one year.
SELECTMEN FOR 3 YEARS
Gregory E. Palmer ..................................................................................................... 402
Charles A. Hart ....................................................................................................... 547*
TREASURER FOR 3 YEARS
Jayne E. Ramey ..................................................................................................... 799*
TRUSTEE OF TRUST FUND FOR 3 YEARS
Peter D. Coffin ..................................................................................................... 766*
Brad Maxwell ...................................................................................................... 19*
LIBRARY TRUSTEE FOR 3 YEARS
Judith L. Lukas ..................................................................................................... 713*
John L. Chasse ...................................................................................................... 661*
LIBRARY TRUSTEE FOR 1 YEAR
Anthony L. Whitcomb .............................................................................................. 732*
FIRE WARD FOR 3 YEARS
Kent Walker ..................................................................................................... 764*
PLANNING BOARD FOR 3 YEARS
Michael F. Norton ...................................................................................................... 495
Scott H. Ouellette .................................................................................................... 547*
Richard G. Wilson ..................................................................................................... 500*
PLANNING BOARD FOR 2 YEARS
Daniel M. Mastroianni .............................................................................................. 683*
BUDGET COMMITTEE FOR 3 YEARS
Sandra Seaman ..................................................................................................... 655*
Edward W. Conant .............................................................................................. 681*
Carla Crane ............................................................................................................ 620*
Mary K. Fidler .................................................................................................... 627*
BUDGET COMMITTEE FOR 2 YEARS
Ronald Conant ..................................................................................................... 710*
Roger Clark ...................................................................................................... 7*
BUDGET COMMITTEE FOR 1 YEAR
Joy G. LePage ..................................................................................................... 344*
Roger C. Clark .................................................................................................. 383*
March 24th, 2007 Recount
PLANNING BOARD FOR 3 YEARS
Michael F. Norton ...................................................................................................... 495
Scott H. Ouellette .................................................................................................... 545*
Richard G. Wilson ..................................................................................................... 502*
ARTICLE 2: Are you in favor of the adoption of Amendment Number 2 as proposed by petition for the existing Town Zoning, Building and Land Use Ordinances as follows:
Amend Commercial Zone C-II and Rural Residential Lots R-33-21, 21-1 and 21-2 and R-34-1, 1-1 and 2 to add under permitted uses:
4.90.5.6 Supermarkets and grocery stores
4.90.5.7 Banks and other financial institutions
4.90.5.8 Multi-store retail business complexes
This article would allow the above
uses in C-II which is the commercial zone along Route 125 north of
ARTICLE 3: Are you in favor of the adoption of Amendment Number 3 as proposed by petition to the existing Town Zoning, Building and Land Use Ordinance as follows:
A) Amend the Article IV District Regulations to add a new Workforce Housing Overlay District by Conditional Use Permit section.
Summary of Workforce Housing Ordinance Purposes and Provisions:
Local employers continue to have trouble attracting and
retaining employees because of the lack of affordable housing ownership
opportunities for their employees.
Teachers, police officers and others employed locally, as well as young
adults who have grown up in Town and would like to stay or return, usually
cannot afford to purchase a house in
This Workforce Housing Ordinance requires that at least 20% of a proposed development project’s units be set aside for purchase at a price that doesn’t require a purchaser of moderate to medium income to spend more than 30% of their income on the mortgage payment, taxes and related expenses. The Workforce Housing Ordinance has built-in income and sales price restrictions so that for 30 years the homes must remain affordable to successive purchasers. Workforce Housing homes cannot exceed 1800 square feet in area and can have no more than 2 bedrooms. Owner occupancy is required and tenants or renters are not permitted. The Workforce Housing Ordinance generally follows the land use development standards that were adopted by the Town for Elderly Housing developments at the 2006 Town Meeting.
Full copy of Ordinance follows;
WORKFORCE HOUSING
OVERLAY DISTRICT
BY CONDITIONAL USE
PERMIT
I.
Purpose:
The purpose of the Workforce Housing Overlay District is to
encourage and provide for the development of workforce housing within
It is intended to ensure the continued availability of a
diverse supply of home ownership opportunities for moderate to median income
households. A diverse supply of housing
will better enable the adult children of
The workforce housing overlay district is designed to
establish minimum development standards to ensure that the housing needs of the
general population are met, to provide locations for workforce housing which
are compatible with the needs of a family with a median family income, and to
encourage workforce housing by permitting an increased density above that which
is allowed in the underlying zone. The
form of the dwelling unit can consist of attached or detached dwellings, with
ownership including, but not limited to, condominium or fee simple.
This ordinance allows Workforce Housing to be developed in
conjunction with an existing or proposed recreation use. The judgment to permit this mixed
recreational and residential use reflects the fact that the permanent
preservation of recreation space as open space benefits the community by
ensuring land will be available for recreational or open space land forever.
II.
Authority:
This innovative land use control Article is adopted under
the authority of RSA 674:21, and is intended as an “Inclusionary
Zoning” provision, as that term is defined in RSA 674:21, I(k)
and 674:21,IV(a). Consistent with the
provisions of RSA 674:21, the ordinance provides for a use incentive that
permits increased densities and development flexibility.
III.
Location: Workforce Housing shall
be a permitted use in the following Zoning Districts but limited to the
following lots;
Commercial III: R-3, Lots 4, 4A, 4B, 4C, 13;
Rural Residential: R-8,
Rural Residential, Elderly: 4-33, Lots 28, 29, 30;
SFR/AG R-35,
For those lots within the Commercial III District, Workforce
Housing shall be a permitted mixed use to proposed or
existing outdoor recreation uses, such as a golf course use. This will permit a more useful and flexible
pattern of housing in conjunction with other proposed or existing uses. This Workforce Housing use is permitted by a
conditional use permit issued by the Planning Board when the requirements of
this ordinance have been met.
IV. Definitions:
Workforce Owner-Occupied Housing—where the total cost
of mortgage principal and interest, mortgage insurance premiums, property
taxes, association fees, and homeowner’s insurance does not exceed 30 percent
of the maximum allowed income of the purchaser.
The calculation of housing costs shall be based on current taxes, a
30-year fixed rate mortgage, a 5 percent down payment, and prevailing mortgage
rates within the region.
Area Medium Income (AMI)- is
the median income of the greater region, either the HUD Metropolitan or
Non-Metropolitan Fair Market Rent Area to which
Net Family Assets--As defined by 24
CFR Part 5, subpart F 5.603 and as amended from time to time.
Bedroom—shall mean a room (other than a bathroom)
with an interior door and closet.
Market Rate Housing—any unit within a development,
that is intended to be available for sale or occupancy at the prevailing market
value for the area similar to comparable real estate transactions.
Moderate Income—a household income
that is more than fifty percent (50%) but does not exceed eighty percent (80%)
of the area median income.
Moderate to Median Income—a household that is more
than eighty percent (80%) but
does not exceed one hundred twenty (120%) of the area median
income.
Owner-occupied Housing—is any dwelling intended to be
conveyed in fee simple, condominium or equity-sharing arrangement such as
community housing land trust and limited equity cooperatives.
V. General
Standards:
All Workforce Housing developments shall conform to the
following standards:
A. A Site Plan
or Subdivision Plan shall guarantee a minimum set aside of twenty percent (20%)
of units reserved for Workforce Housing.
Of the units set aside for Workforce Housing, 75% shall be sold for a
price that can be afforded by a household with an annual income of not more
than the Moderate to Median Income for the Kingston PMSA, as published by the
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; and, 25% shall be sold for a
price that can be afforded by households with an annual income of not more than
the Moderate Income for the Kingston PMSA, as published by U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development. Net
Family Assets shall be considered in determining applicant eligibility for
Workforce Housing Unit purchases. The
Developer shall identify for the Planning Board the proposed independent third
party (e.g. N.H. Housing Finance Authority or some other company or
organization), who is capable and will undertake to examine the eligibility of
proposed Workforce Housing unit buyers for compliance with this ordinance’s
income and asset eligibility criteria.
B. For an
existing commercial recreational use that proposes a mixed
Workforce Housing use, the open space land within the
existing recreation use (e.g., the golf course or other recreational land use
area) may be used to support the gross tract area density calculations set
forth herein; however, any such land so used in the density calculation shall
be designated open space in conjunction with any Planning Board approval and
shall create an RSA 674:21-a conservation restriction.
C. General
Standards:
All Workforce Housing developments shall conform to the
following standards:
1)
Dimensional,
Density and Other Requirements:
a)
Density:
six (6) units per acre, but no more than seventy five (75) units per site.
b)
Minimum
acreage: 25 acres.
c)
Maximum
building height: thirty five (35’) feet, measured at the top of the roofline.
d)
Maximum
building floors/stories: two (2) (excluding basement).
e)
Minimum
f)
Minimum
g)
All dwelling units shall have a minimum floor
area of 600 sq. ft.
h)
Units/homes
shall have a maximum of two bedrooms.
Buildings shall be separated by a minimum space of forty (40) feet, with
an additional ten (10) feet of building separation for each additional unit in
the building. There shall be a maximum
of four (4) units per building. No
individual unit shall exceed 1,800 square feet of living space.
i)
Adequate on site space shall be provided for off-street
parking for two vehicles per unit.
j)
Except as noted subsection r) below, all such housing
developments shall comply in all respects with the Town and Kingston’ Site Plan
Review Regulations and/or Subdivision Review Regulations, though the Planning
Board may grant waivers from such regulations; however, Workforce Housing
projects shall be exempt from any growth control regulations because Workforce
Housing is deemed to meet a presently underserved housing need in
Kingston. Applicable Impact Fees shall
apply to Workforce Housing.
k)
Units
shall be owner occupied. Occupancy of
any Workforce Housing unit by a renter or tenant shall violate the terms of
this ordinance. Notice of this
restriction shall be disclosed in writing by the seller or its successors and
assigns to any proposed Workforce Housing unit purchaser.
l)
The design and site layout of all such Workforce
Housing developments shall compliment and harmonize with the rural character of
the Town of
m) Workforce Housing development shall make
provisions for pedestrian access within he development
and, to the extent reasonable, to any existing off-site pedestrian networks.
n)
All
such Workforce Housing developments shall be landscaped to enhance their
compatibility with surrounding areas, with emphasis given to the utilization of
natural features whenever possible.
o)
The
perimeter of all such Workforce Housing developments, or the portion of an
existing use that is proposed to add Workforce Housing as a mixed use
development project, shall be treated with a landscaped buffer zone of a
minimum of twenty-five (25’) feet which may consist of whole or in part of
existing growth. Nothing in this section
shall restrict the applicant, in its sole discretion, from erecting suitable
fencing to augment, by not as a substitute for, the landscaped buffer set forth
above.
p)
The
Planning Board may require that all roads within the Workforce Housing
development shall be privately owned and built according to town
standards. The applicant shall be
authorized to propose private roads built to town standards.
q)
The
Planning Board retains the right to approve the specific road construction and
road width and structure layout for the purpose of health, safety and welfare
of the Town as well as for efficiency and aesthetic variety and quality design.
r)
The
provisions of this Workforce Housing ordinance shall supersede any other
inconsistent or conflicting dimensional or density provisions of the Kingston Zoning
Ordinance, Subdivision or Site Plan Review Regulations.
VI. Common
land/Open Space:
In every Workforce Housing development, common land/open
space shall be set aside and covenanted to be maintained permanently as open
space.
For existing recreational uses that are proposed for a mixed
use Workforce Housing development, the recreational land used to support the
development’s density calculation shall be permanently covenanted for
recreational use; however, in the event
that the existing commercial recreational use is abandoned or otherwise
discontinued for a period one year, the Town shall have the right to enforce
the open space covenant to restore some measure of recreational use to the land
so covenanted, whether that use be
walking, running, winter sports, off road bicycling or other appropriate
recreational uses by the public, which shall continue until a commercial
recreational use is resumed on the covenanted land or until the owner of the
land so covenanted makes a suitable arrangement with the Town to restore a
permanent recreational use to the covenanted land.
The required amount of open space for a Workforce Housing
development shall be calculated as follows:
a)
All
wetland in the project plus a minimum of 1/3 or 33% of the total project upland
area shall be set aside as open space, of which forty percent (40%) shall be
contiguous.
b)
In
calculating common/open space area, the following shall not be included: public
or private rights of way, soils with slopes over 25% and parking lots. For developments with interior lot lines, the
areas inside the lot lines shall not be included in open space calculations.
VII. Use of Open
Space/Common Land:
a)
Such
common land/open space shall be restricted to recreational uses such as the
existing or proposed recreational use, park lands, swimming pool, tennis court, golf course, walking trails or
conservation. The exterior boundary
property setbacks shall be considered part of the common land/open space.
b)
The
Homeowners’ Association or Condominium Association legal documents shall state
what portion of the common land/open space shall be accessible by the
residential owners/tenants.
c)
The
open space/common land shall be permanently restricted for recreation, open
space or conservation uses. It shall not
be re-subdivided but may contain accessory or utility structures and
improvements necessary for the development or for the utilization of the
recreational, open on common land use. The land depicted on the plan as open
space shall constitute a conservation easement as that terms is used in RSA
674:21-a and it shall be used consistent with the plan and the terms and
purposes of this ordinance; however, nothing in this Ordinance or conservation
restriction shall limit an existing or proposed recreational use from altering,
reconfiguring, maintaining, improving or otherwise managing its existing or
proposed recreation use.
d)
All
agreements, deed restrictions, organizational provisions for a Homeowners’
Association and any other method of management of the common land shall be
established prior to or as a condition of Planning Board final approval.
VIII. Timing of
Development of Workforce Units: To
ensure that the Workforce Housing development is completed as permitted, the
dwellings qualifying as Workforce housing shall be made available for occupancy
on approximately the same schedule as a project’s market units (though the
applicant may complete them earlier), except that the certificates of occupancy
for the last ten percent (10%) of the market rate units shall be withheld until
the certificates of occupancy have been issued for all of the Workforce housing
units. A schedule setting for the
phasing of the required Workforce Housing units shall be established prior to
the issuance of a building permit for any development subject to the provisions
of this ordinance.
IX. Legal
Documents: It shall be the
responsibility of the Workforce Housing applicant or its assign to establish a
Homeowners’ Association or Condominium Association and to prepare and adopt
appropriate Articles and By-Laws and covenants to ensure compliance with the
eligibility, ownership and occupancy requirements of this Workforce Housing
ordinance, which shall be submitted in advance to the Planning Board and Town
Counsel for their review and approval.
X. Assurance of
Affordability:
To ensure that only eligible households purchase the
designated Workforce housing units, the purchaser of a Workforce unit must
submit a purchase eligibility application that includes copies of their last
three years’ federal income tax returns along with written certification
verifying their annual income level, and net family assets, which shall not
exceed the maximum established by this Ordinance in section V, A. A copy of the written certification of income
and assets eligibility must be submitted to all parties charged with
administering and monitoring this Ordinance, as set forth in sections XII of
this article, at least 15 days prior to the transfer of title.
All applicants under this Ordinance must submit the
following data to ensure project affordability:
1. Calculation of
the number of units provided under this Ordinance and how it relates to its
provisions.
2. Description of
each Workforce unit’s size, type, estimated sales price and other relevant
data.
3. Documentation of
household eligibility as required in section XI of this Ordinance.
4. All agreements
established as part of sections XII of this Ordinance.
5. List of required
variances, conditional use permits, and special exceptions including
justification of their necessity and effectiveness in contributing to
affordability.
XI. Assurance of Continued Affordability:
In order to qualify as Workforce housing under this
Ordinance, the developer must make a binding commitment that the Workforce
housing units will remain so for a period of thirty (30) years. This shall be enforced through a deed
restriction, restrictive covenant, or a contractual arrangement through a local,
state or federal housing authority or other non-profit housing trust or
agency. Beyond the thirty (30) year
term, the deed restriction, restrictive covenant, or contractual arrangement
established to meet this criterion must also make the following continued
affordability commitments:
A. Workforce
housing units offered for sale shall require a lien, granted to
B. Documentation
of all deed restrictions; restrictive covenants; or contractual arrangements
related to dwelling units established under this Ordinance must be documented
on all plans filed with the Kingston Planning Board and the Registry of Deeds.
XII. Administration, Compliance and Monitoring:
A. This
Ordinance shall be administered by the Planning Board. Applications for this Workforce Housing use
as provided for under this Ordinance shall be made to the Planning Board and
shall be part of the submission of an application for either Site Plan or
Subdivision Plan approval.
B. No certificate of occupancy shall be issued for a Workforce housing unit without written confirmation of the income eligibility of the buyer of the Workforce housing unit and confirmation price of the Workforce housing unit as documented by purchase and sale agreement. There shall be no subsequent sale or transfer of a Workforce Unit other than to a surviving spouse or surviving co-owner until verification has been provided to the Town by the independent verifying agent of the Buyer’s compliance with the Workforce Housing ordinance’s income and asset eligibility requirements.
C. Ongoing responsibility for monitoring the compliance with resale restrictions and covenants on Workforce units shall be the responsibility of the Homeowners’ Association or Condominium Board or their designee.
YES 223 NO 742
ARTICLE 4: Shall the Town vote to raise and appropriate as an operating budget, not including appropriations by special warrant articles and other appropriations voted separately, the amounts set forth on the budget posted with the warrant or as amended by vote of the first session, for the purposes set forth therein, totaling $4,290,242.00? Should this article be defeated, the default budget shall be $4,067,173.00 which is the same as last year, with certain adjustments required by previous action of the Town or by law; or the governing body may hold one special meeting, in accordance with RSA 40:13, X and XVI, to take up the issue of a revised operating budget only.
YES 643 NO 322
ARTICLE 5: Shall the Town authorize the Tax
Collector to allow a 1 ½% deduction from Town Property Tax when payment is made
within 30 days of billing?
YES 951 NO 34
ARTICLE 6: Shall we rescind the provisions of RSA
31:95-c that was adopted to restrict 100% of revenues from the operation of the
Kingston Landfill to expenditures for the operation and future closing of the landfill? All monies remaining in said fund shall lapse
to the general fund. This Warrant
Article is contingent on the passage of Article 7 (General Trust Fund) and
Article 8 (Capital Reserve Fund). If
either Article 7 or Article 8 do not pass, this
Warrant Article becomes moot and is of no effect. It is intended that Articles 6, 7 and 8 be
linked, co-dependant, and contingent on passage of all three Articles. A failure of one Article causes all three to
fail. In order for the Town to take advantage of the Landfill Revenue Fund
and/or the Interest, Articles 6, 7 and 8 must all pass. This Article will have no tax impact.
YES 632 NO 332
ARTICLE 7: Shall the municipality vote to create a
general trust fund under the provisions of RSA 31:19-a II to be known as the
Town of Kingston infrastructure development, improvement and maintenance fund,
for the purpose of building, expanding, improving and maintaining town owned
structures and improvements and to raise and appropriate the sum of Six Million
($6,000,000.00) Dollars, such sum to come from revenue from the discontinued
special revenue fund in Article 6 and no amount to be raised by taxation? The initial sum of Six Million
($6,000,000.00) Dollars shall remain in Trust, and will not be invaded. Only monies earned, through investment,
including but not limited to interest and dividends will be available to
support the purpose of the trust fund.
The Selectmen are appointed agents to expend earnings of the trust fund
for the purposes of the trust, after a posted public hearing. The intent of
this Article is to create a Revocable Trust, generating annual earnings for the
benefit of the town in perpetuity. This
Warrant Article is contingent on the passage of Article 6 and Article 8. If either Article 6 or Article 8 do not pass (Rescission of the “Kingston Landfill Fund” and
Capital Trust Fund) the Warrant Article becomes moot and is of no effect. In
order for the Town to take advantage of the Landfill Revenue Fund and/or the
Interest, Articles 6, 7 and 8 must all pass.
This Article will have no tax impact.
YES 584 NO 395
ARTICLE 8: Shall the municipality vote to establish
a Capital Reserve Fund under the provisions of RSA 35:1 for the purpose of
satisfying the municipality’s obligation to monitor and maintain the closure of
the Kingston Landfill as required by the State of New Hampshire or otherwise
and to raise and appropriate the sum of One Million Four Hundred Thousand
($1,400,000.00) Dollars with revenue from the discontinued special revenue fund
in Article 6 and to appoint the Selectmen as agents to expend from this
Kingston Landfill Closure Fund? This
Warrant Article is contingent on passage of Article 6 and Article 7. If either Article 6 or Article 7 do not pass,
(Rescission of “Kingston Landfill Fund” and General Trust Fund); the Warrant
Article becomes moot and is of no effect. In
order for the Town to take advantage of the Landfill Revenue Fund and/or the
Interest, Articles 6, 7 and 8 must all pass. This Article will have no tax impact.
YES 622 NO 345
ARTICLE 9: Shall the municipality vote to discontinue the following Capital Reserve Funds with said funds with accumulated interest to date of withdrawal, to be transferred to the municipality’s general fund? The Outside Detail Capital Reserve Fund created in 2001 with a balance of $153,471.59 and the Ambulance Capital Reserve Fund created in 2001 with a balance of $152.33 (Majority Vote Required).
YES 698 NO 212
ARTICLE 10: Shall the Town authorize the Board of
Selectmen to accept a donation of land (not to exceed 16,500 square feet) to
the Town, at no cost to the Town, by Marilyn B. Bartlett from her
YES 865 NO 85
ARTICLE 11: Shall the Town raise and appropriate $100,000
to renovate the downstairs of the Town Hall, including eliminating the Town’s
only conference room by replacing it with additional office space for the Board
of Selectmen and Town Inspectors, and to authorize the withdrawal of $100,000
from the existing expendable Trust Fund to repair, maintain and improve Town
buildings? In the past, the upstairs
Hall has been able to be used for community events while the conference room
was used by the Town Boards. Removing
the conference room essentially eliminates this multiple use of the Town Hall. This
article has no tax impact.
YES 650 NO 290
ARTICLE 12: Shall the Town vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $75,000 to be placed in a previously approved Capital Reserve Fund for the future replacement of Highway Equipment?
YES 648 NO 294
ARTICLE 13: Shall the Town vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $80,000 to be added to the Fire Apparatus Replacement Capital Reserve Fund?
YES 625 NO 316
ARTICLE 14: Shall the Town vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $100,000.00 to be added to the Fire Department’s Building Replacement, Upgrade and Refurbishment Capital Reserve Fund?
YES 518 NO 420
ARTICLE 15: Shall the Town vote to raise and
appropriate the sum of $11,955.00 for the purpose of funding technical
consultant services to provide the Kingston Fire Department and the Town of
Kingston with recommendations regarding Fire Department space requirements,
station renovation and/or construction planning, station location options, and
authorize the withdrawal of $11,955.00 from the Fire Department’s Building
Replacement, Upgrade and Refurbishments Capital Reserve Fund? This
article has no tax impact.
YES 562 NO 378
ARTICLE 16: Shall the Town vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $50,000 to be placed in the Land Acquisition Capital Reserve Fund for the future purchase of development rights, conservation easements and other land acquisition to stabilize the tax base, maintain large tracts of land as such, and to help ensure that the development of additional large multi-house subdivisions do not have significant impact on taxes for town services such as education, fire and police?
YES 645 NO 296
ARTICLE 17: Shall the Town vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $30,000 to be used to provide Dental Insurance Coverage for Town Employees? Said monies to be administered by the Board of Selectmen in the same manner as the Health Care Benefits.
YES 525 NO 419
ARTICLE 18: Shall the Town vote to raise and
appropriate the sum of $15,000 to be added to the existing Kingston Recreation
Capital Reserve Fund? Funds
to be earmarked for the construction of new ball fields,
YES 574 NO 371
ARTICLE 19: Shall the Town vote to raise and
appropriate the sum of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) to be added to the
existing Nichols Memorial Library Capital Reserve Fund for Future Library
Expansion and name the Nichols Memorial Library Board of Trustees and the
Kingston Board of Selectmen as agents to expend?
YES 584 NO 390
ARTICLE 20: Shall the Town vote to add the following
property, Tax Map R7,
To
authorize the Conservation Commission to manage this parcel as part of the
The purpose
of this warrant article is to designate this property which is already under
the supervision of the Kingston Conservation Commission, as
YES 830 NO 134
ARTICLE 21: Shall the Town change the membership of the Zoning Board of Adjustment from appointed positions to elected positions in accordance with RSA 673:5 beginning with the March 2008 elections?
Note: Election of ZBA board members will bring this board in line with other high level elected boards such as the Selectmen, Planning Board and Budget Committee. This change will foster an open, participatory and democratic process.
YES 722 NO 239
ARTICLE 22: Should the Hannaford Supermarket decision be
overturned, shall the Town authorize the Selectmen to form a committee to
pursue purchasing the land located in Historic District I, on the corner of
Main Street and Rte. 125 (referenced by Tax Map R34-71B), for the purpose of a
future Town Use? Should this article
pass, the expectation is that this committee would come back before the voters
with an exact $ amount to be voted on by the residents of Kingston. This lot consists of approximately 11 acres
and abuts approximately 5 acres of Town land that is currently land
locked. This would give the Town
approximately 16 acres of land for future town expansion. It would be prudent for the town to pursue
this land while it is undeveloped. The
town will be hard pressed to find another parcel this big, so close to the town
center. 16 acres could easily host a
Town Use such as: a future town complex
consisting of Town Offices, Police, Fire, Library, Community Center, Park or a
combination of these. A Town Use or
As a side note: Having the town purchase this piece of property would also put an end to the exorbitant legal bills that the town is paying in order to defend itself against the constant development pressure on this corner.
YES 592 NO 360
ARTICLE 23: On petition of 60 registered voters of
the Town of
Shall the Town go on record in support of effective actions
by the President and the Congress to address the issue of climate change which
is increasingly harmful to the environment and economy of
These actions include:
1.
Establishment of a national program requiring
reductions of
2. Creation of a major national research initiative to foster rapid development of sustainable energy technologies thereby stimulating new jobs and investment.
In addition, the Town of
The record of the vote on this article shall be transmitted
to the New Hampshire Congressional Delegation to the President of the
YES 592 NO 360
ARTICLE 24: To transact any other business that may legally come before the meeting.
Given under our hands and seal this 17th day of January, 2007.
Charles A. Hart, Chairman Mark A. Heitz Peter V. Broderick
Selectmen of