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Planning Board presses Glen Aggregates on 20,000-cubic-yard stump piles, urges safety review
Summary
At its April 6 meeting, the Bartlett Planning Board questioned Glen Aggregates owner Sean Shannon about large stump and debris piles—estimated by members at roughly 20,000 cubic yards—raising fire-safety, permitting, and reclamation concerns and asking staff to seek legal and fire-safety guidance.
Scott Grant, chair of the Bartlett Planning Board, opened a wide-ranging discussion on stump and debris piles at Glen Aggregates after board members reported observing extensive material on site.
David Shedd said the piles ‘‘looked like quite a pile almost to the extent that it could be a fire danger’’ and asked how the operation would respond if a fire started. Board members estimated the volume at about 20,000 cubic yards and asked whether the pit’s status as a ‘‘grandfathered’’ gravel pit limited the board’s regulatory authority.
Sean Shannon, representing Glen Aggregates, said material arrives from ‘‘all over Bartlett’’ and possibly nearby towns. He said he plans to ‘‘fill in that embankment’’ with stumps and pursue stump grinding and repurposing options rather than simply increasing the active pile, and that he is ‘‘not opposed to coming up with a plan’’ to address safety while preserving revenue.
Board members pressed practical and legal next steps. David Patch asked whether state gravel-pit statutes allow the town to regulate incoming stumps; the board’s secretary was asked to research the RSA language and request guidance from the New Hampshire Municipal Association. Vicki Garland agreed a legal interpretation was appropriate, and members suggested asking the State Fire Marshal to inspect the site if safety cannot be assured.
Kevin Bennett, who had visited the pit with board members, urged immediate physical steps, requesting that Shannon ‘‘put two fire breaks in the pile’’ to allow emergency access. Burr Phillips, the town’s consulting engineer, explained that burying stumps on site may be allowed but that hauling stumps off-site could trigger solid-waste permitting requirements; Shannon said he does not currently hold a solid-waste permit.
The board and Shannon discussed possible markets and processing options for the material, including stump grinding and converting material for landfill daily cover or loam production. Michael Galante suggested exploring contractors that grind and treat stump material for sale or exchange.
The board did not enact a formal restriction at the meeting. Members concluded they would seek legal guidance on the RSA language, consider a State Fire Marshal inspection, and ask Shannon to provide a written plan that identifies how he will manage existing piles and whether he will accept additional stump material while mitigation steps are in place.
