Planning Board Backs Ball Fields Petition Warrant Article

Brad Knight was all smiles following the Planning Board vote earlier this week to support a petition warrant article that would allow private property owners to ask the town to create ball fields.

On Wednesday night, Knight said the Planning Board voted, 4-3, to officially support the first petition zoning warrant article when it appears on the Town Meeting ballot on March 11.

The Planning Board also voted not to support the second petition zoning warrant article with a 0-6 count and one no vote and unanimously rejected a third petition warrant zoning article that, if passed, would have nullified the first two articles if they were to be passed by Town Meeting voters.

Knight explained the Planning Board votes on Tuesday night at Souhegan High School will send a strong message to voters that the board supports the intent of the first two warrant articles and does not support the third article.

According to Knight, who owns land known as Acorn Fields, the first two petition warrant articles would amend the current zoning ordinance in the rural residential area to permit sports and recreational fields, which would allow the property owners to petition the town if they wanted to create them.

The third petition warrant article would supercede the first two warrant articles if they were passed by a majority vote at the March 11 Town Meeting. Even if voters passed the first two petition warrant articles to make it possible to create more sports and recreation fields, Town Administrator James O'Mara said if voters passed the third warrant article they would negate the first two warrant articles.