Survey snags Kimball Castle application

GILFORD — A capacity crowd filled a meeting room on Monday night expecting to hear plans for the revitalization of Kimball Castle, but the Gilford Planning Board ruled that the application was incomplete.

It was the lack of a usable survey that stalled the project. The surveyor who mapped the property at 59 Lockes Hill Road two decades ago said he could not vouch for its accuracy today.

Acceptance of a complete application is required before the Planning Board can proceed with a hearing.

Property owners Patrick and Melissa Starkey, along with their agent, Tom Selling of T.R. Selling Engineering of Laconia, proposed to restore and update the stone castle and other buildings to serve as a wedding and special events venue, taking advantage of the spectacular views from the property. The Starkeys have said that, in addition to weddings, they hope to offer corporate retreats, and have been talking with the owners of Patrick’s Pub about holding charity events, including activities for veterans.

The plan calls for increasing the lodging at the caretaker’s cottage from two to three units, and having nine guest rooms – plus a commercial kitchen – in the castle. The garage and “shed” would have single-unit guest rooms.

The Starkeys purchased the property last fall with hopes restoring the castle, which has been dormant for nearly 60 years and has fallen into disrepair. It has also been vandalized several times over the years.

Planning Board Chair Wayne Hall said it would cause confusion for the board and those attending to discuss a plan without accurate information, or to try to verbalize concerns that might change when more details are available.

Vice-Chair Carolyn Scattergood agreed, saying the applicant needs to apply for some waivers and present a completed application “so we can deal with the issues at hand.”

Selectmen’s liaison Dale Channing Eddy said he would like to move forward as expeditiously as possible, but without a survey it would be impossible to address the town’s and abutters’ concerns. In moving to not accept the application, he asked for a current survey and completion of the missing checklist items.

Eddy also said he would like to make a site visit to better understand the layout of the land.

The town’s Site Study Committee had questioned whether the soils constitute prime farmland and whether the parking area allowed for adequate backing space for vehicles. There were other questions about traffic flow and the need for a stop sign at the end of the driveway.

A traffic study indicated that, at full operation, the venue would generate no more than 500 vehicle trips per day on Lockes Hill Road, while such a road can typically handle 2,000-3,000 vehicle trips per day.

There were questions about floor plans for the living quarters and the capacity and size of the tent they planned to use for weddings and other functions.

Planning Director John Ayer said the missing information must be submitted 21 days prior to a hearing, but once it is received, abutters would be notified of the new hearing date.