Joseph Cormier: Looking forward to upcoming land for cemetery hearings

To The Daily Sun,

Attended the Moultonborough Planning Board meeting and was surprised to hear the selectmen are executing the required RSA 41:14-a requirement of obtaining recommendations of buying land (for a cemetery). The required recommendations of the planning board, heritage commission, conservation commission are not binding on the selectboard decision to buy a property and are just a formality. There's a lot of land for sale in Moultonborough that could be used for cemeteries ... without a view lot.

That new subdivision barely passed approval on a 4-3 vote because the meeting was filled with abuttung folks that didn't want the view property to be sold and lose their nice view when they drive by. Did these folks persuade the selectboard to spend what will probably be "big bucks" for the lot 2.3 cemetery? I brought up lot 2.4, abutting lot to 2.3, already has a private cemetery. Why not buy that lot? Oh ... It might not preserve the view if someone puts a home on lot 2.3.

RSA 41:14-a requires two public hearings prior to the selectboard vote. The selectboard does not legally have to bring the vote to Town Meeting. The 2003 Town Meeting, Article 33 gave the authority to the selectboard, although a petition was placed last Town Meeting to rescind that authority, but failed to pass. The selectboard said they "always bring it to Town Meeting."

I went to this meeting thinking there was confusion with the Conservation Commission negotiating with the property owner to give the town some of lot 2.6 and/or lot 2.7 for a wildlife corridor and maybe a conservation preservation. I have property across the street. I thought I'd help work through other statutes like RSA 36-A:4 for ConCom buying land (not the selectboard) or RSA 477:45-47 for conservation easements.

Looking forward to the public hearings.

Joseph Cormier

Moultonborough