Category: News

The Select Board will soon be appointing 5 members to a Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) to carry out the duties of the Emergency Temporary Zoning Ordinances. The application deadline for this new ZBA is August 21 at noon. Letters of interest, background and experience are required, and this is open only to Dalton residents. Full details are available on the town website.

The Select Board needs an Administrative Assistant and the Planning Board needs a Secretary. Both positions require taking meeting minutes. Keeping accurate and detailed minutes of town board meetings is critical, as our neighbors in Bethlehem found in their court battles against Casella. This is a way to help the Town with a small investment of time and residency is not required for these part-time positions.

For more information, see the pages on the town website for the Select Board and Planning Board.

NCABC Friends and Supporters,

Tonight the Town of Dalton adopted the provisions of RSA 674:24-29, Emergency Temporary Zoning. This means that Dalton has zoning through at least the March 2021 Town Meeting! This is an important victory for the Town and for the North Country.

To preserve this victory at the local level it is now time to work toward a permanent zoning ordinance so that Dalton can continue to have control of its future development. NCABC will help with this in any way we can. Thank you for your support!

On June 22, 2019, at its annual meeting, the Forest Lake Association special meeting voted unanimously to oppose the proposed Casella landfill. Welcome aboard FLA!

The Dalton Select Board will be holding a public hearing on July 23, 2019, at 7:00 PM to discuss the Emergency Zoning ordinances (attached below, RSA 674:24-29). On July 30, 2019, at 7:00 PM, there will be a Special Town Meeting in Dalton to vote on enacting those provisions as zoning ordinances for the town. Anyone can participate in the public hearing (on the 23rd), but only Dalton residents may participate in the Special Town Meeting (on the 30th).

These ordinances would provide defense for the town against new constructions such as a landfill. A couple of relevant sections of the ordinances:

674:25 Districting Under Interim Zoning Ordinance

For the purpose of regulating the use of land and the location and construction of buildings, any town adopting the provisions of an interim zoning ordinance shall be considered as one district with the following regulations and restrictions:

I. It shall be a district of residential agricultural use only. Business, commercial and industrial uses are prohibited in this district except as hereinafter provided.

[…]

674:27 Commercial Exceptions Under Interim Zoning Ordinance.

 Business, commercial or industrial ventures other than those mentioned in RSA 674:25 or 674:26 may be given special exception by the board of adjustment upon submission and approval of a site plan; provided, however, that the following regulations and restrictions shall be observed:

I. No business, commercial or industrial venture or use shall be permitted which could cause any undue hazard to health, safety or property values or which is offensive to the public because of noise, vibration, excessive traffic, unsanitary conditions, noxious odor, smoke or other similar reason.

[…]

Get reminders when these meetings are coming up by marking that you are “Interested” on these event pages on Facebook:

• July 23rd hearing
• July 30th vote

NCABC was featured in articles in the Coos County Democrat and the Littleton Courier on June 12, 2019. These articles outline our concerns regarding the proposed landfill in Dalton and quote group member Sarah Doucette.

You can read the articles on page A9 of the June 12, 2019 edition of the Littleton Courier and pages A1/A17 of the June 12, 2019 edition of the Coos County Democrat.

On May 20, 2019 a petition was delivered to the Dalton Select Board seeking Emergency Temporary Zoning. The petition, signed by over 100 residents, calls for a Special Town Meeting to vote on whether the Emergency Temporary Zoning and Planning Ordinance found in RSA 674:24-29 should be adopted. The Emergency Zoning would be in effect until the March 2021 Town Meeting or a permanent zoning ordinance is adopted, if that comes sooner.

NH RSA 674:24-29