Atkinson panel advises Selectmen against selling several wetlands parcels, recommends sale of small nonconservation lots

The Atkinson Conservation Commission on Jan. 28 reviewed a request from the Board of Selectmen to comment on proposed sales of multiple town-owned parcels and issued parcel-by-parcel recommendations focused on conservation values.

Chair Paul Wainwright said the Commission’s role under New Hampshire law is to advise the Selectmen on environmental concerns and that some parcels may be ineligible for sale if they were donated or designated as Conservation land. The Commission worked from a draft letter and a parcel map and voted on each lot during the meeting.

The Commission unanimously recommended against selling Map 9, Lot 34-10 (the 5.8-acre “Maple #3” parcel), noting tax-card entries that list the parcel as “TOWN/CONSERVATION” and “DONATED,” the parcel’s adjacency to the Little River cluster open space and a NH Fish & Game–documented wildlife corridor, and its role protecting Bryant Brook and Blunts Pond water quality. The Commission’s recorded vote was 0 in favor of sale, 7 against.

Commissioners also recommended the town not sell Map 18, Lot 70 (the 4.0-acre “Maple #6” parcel), describing it as roughly 95% Sawmill Swamp prime wetland and noting the parcel is already committed under the requirements of a replacement culvert grant; the recommendation was unanimous.

Other parcels drew mixed opinions. The Commission recommended selling several small, noncontiguous lots it identified as not in areas of conservation interest, including Map 7, Lot 123 (unanimous sell vote) and Map 2, Lot 13 (sell 6, not sell 1). By contrast, members split on Map 17, Lot 11 (previously considered for a police station) where the vote was 5 to sell, 1 not to sell and 1 abstention, and on Map 17, Lot 94, where the Commission voted 1 to sell and 6 not to sell, citing wet soils and connector value.

Member Charlie Pitts and others urged caution before selling parcels that provide wildlife connections or contain wet soils; Pitts said one small parcel “could be valuable for wildlife.” Chair Wainwright said the Commission would forward its edited letter to the Town Administrator for the Selectmen’s review.

The Commission’s recommendations reflect only environmental and conservation considerations; buildability and conformance with the Master Plan, the Commission said, were matters already addressed by the Planning Board. The Selectmen must hold two public hearings before any sale, and petitioned warrant articles remain subject to electioneering restrictions the Commission described at the meeting.

What’s next: Chair Wainwright will finalize the Commission’s letter and provide it to the Town Administrator for delivery to the Board of Selectmen.