Campton Ballot Measures
Warrant Article Documents
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- 2019 Warrant Articles for Town Election and Town Meeting
- 2019 Warrant Article Explanations
- 2019 Proposed Municipal Budget
- 2019 Budget Presentation
Sample Ballots
Art. 2: Zoning Ordinance Amendment Question #1:
Are you in favor of a citizens petition to amend the existing Sign Ordinance, Article III, Section N- Real Estate Signs, Adding Sub-Section # 10, to allow two directional sale signs to be permitted at the nearest main roads or routes. The sign may not exceed one square foot (6” X 24”). The message shall be limited to address, arrow, distance, and description of sale. Example – Home for Sale or Lot/Land for Sale with Realtor’s name on sign.
Current Zoning Ordinances can be found HERE. Article III, Section M, Subsection N is on page 51.
Are you in favor of a citizens petition to amend the existing Sign Ordinance, Article III, Section N- Real Estate Signs, Adding Sub-Section # 10, to allow two directional sale signs to be permitted at the nearest main roads or routes. The sign may not exceed one square foot (6” X 24”). The message shall be limited to address, arrow, distance, and description of sale. Example – Home for Sale or Lot/Land for Sale with Realtor’s name on sign.
Current Zoning Ordinances can be found HERE. Article III, Section M, Subsection N is on page 51.
Comments on the Proposed Amendment
Comment
My reading of the Real Estate Sign section of the Ordinances and the amendment brings me to conclusion that this amendment creates a new category of sign i.e. “directional sale sign” for the purpose of negating the regulation of existing ordinances that govern the usage of “Sale Signs” which state that signs may not be off-premises and define time limits to their posting.
Realtor.com states that Campton currently has 107 properties on the market with a median of 172 days on market. That could mean a lot of signs for a very long time.
Name
Ron Goggans
Comment
"Disclaimer: I would like to make it clear that my comments are “my comments” and in no way represent the Board of Selectmen’s position or any other individual member of the board.
The Board of Selectmen’s duties comprise “managing the prudential affairs of the town” which includes proposing an operating budget and other appropriate warrant articles to the voters at the annual town meeting. Each year, the selectmen work hard to keep the municipal budget as “flat” as possible, i.e. with minimal increases, in order to try and keep the tax rate as stable as possible.
With that said, one of my concerns is relative to the budget (spending) impact of the Petitioned Zoning Amendment with regards to allowing off-premise real estate signage. This proposes to be an administrative nightmare for the town. It will impact the Selectmen’s office administration with increased handling and processing applications for signage. Selectmen administrative staff is already maxed, and as more duties are added to the daily workload there may become a need to add to staff in the near future!
I think it will greatly impact the Town’s Compliance Officer who has to enforce compliance. For example, if sign permits are approved for 60 days and there are 50 approved sign applications, the Compliance Officer is going to be a pretty busy person. My point: there will be an adverse budget impact for increased hours worked. The Compliance Officer is an “as needed” position – only on duty when called.
Name
Sharon Davis
Comment
Campton is a beautiful town. Two attributes are it’s cleanliness and lack of clutter. Allowing these signs will result in the same kind of mess we see during elections with all the candidate signs. Picture that as a permanent condition around town. No thanks!
Name
Janet Lucas
Comment
The way the real estate section of the Town Sign Ordinances is now written (the real estate 'for sale' sign can be posted only on the property involved) I believe proves to be an asset to the Town and ultimately to the real estate businesses whose sales depend upon the public's perception of it. Real estate people: don't shoot yourselves in the foot! It's the rural character of the Town that allows you to make those sales. This proposed amendment would allow "2 directional sale signs (per property for sale)to be permitted at the nearest main roads or routes." One source says there are 107 properties for sale in Campton; x 2 signs each equals potentially 214 additional signs that could be posted throughout the Town--possible multiples on every corner! How would that contribute to our 'rural character'?! I agree with the previous comments--passage of this would just mean added clutter and additional costs for the Town to implement.
Please VOTE AGAINST this amendment on March 12th.
Name
Carol Lenahan
Comment
I agree that this zoning ordinance amendment would result in a burdensome increase in management costs for the town as well as a mess of signage clutter that would detract from the scenic nature of our town.
I will VOTE AGAINST this amendment on March 12th.
Name
Dave McGraw
Comment
The most important reason I will vote against this on March 12th is the mess it can create in our town. It would also be very difficult to manage violations of the ordinance. I also believe that with today's technology that these signs are not necessary for potential buyers to find homes for sale.
Name
Dan Boynton
Comment
There seems to be no compelling reason to burden the town with the expense or the tacky clutter this signage would impose. I am opposed.
Name
Stephanie Osborne
Comment
This proposed amendment seems to be arriving a day late and a dollar short. Vague wording aside, with all of the current GPS and internet capabilities, it seems that the majority of people looking to buy a house no longer rely on wooden signs, balloons or no balloons! The data on house sales in Campton seem to support that finding properties for sale is not an issue.
Name
Jess Halm
Comment
I do not support allowing ANY increase of ANY signage in town. I feel strongly that off site signage for real estate sales will only add clutter to the viewscape we all cherish. As a former owner of a reality company I can attest that few if ANY sales generate from this type of signage. Perspective buyers look mostly on MLS services and then go to addresses that are of interest supplied by those services. Any GPS will provide directions to any site for sale and directional signage offsite is not necessary. Of concern to me would be the maintenance of these signs and the prompt removal once a property is unlisted or sold. There is a significant potential burden placed on the town to monitor and police these signs as well. Will realtors pay a fee for this monitor service? For cleanup or disposal of old signs? For removal if overdue to be removed? Who will date the erection and set removal dates? This is a can of worms best left untouched in my opinion.
Name
Timothy Harvey
Comment
My reading of the Real Estate Sign section of the Ordinances and the amendment brings me to conclusion that this amendment creates a new category of sign i.e. “directional sale sign” for the purpose of negating the regulation of existing ordinances that govern the usage of “Sale Signs” which state that signs may not be off-premises and define time limits to their posting.
Realtor.com states that Campton currently has 107 properties on the market with a median of 172 days on market. That could mean a lot of signs for a very long time.
Name
Ron Goggans
Comment
"Disclaimer: I would like to make it clear that my comments are “my comments” and in no way represent the Board of Selectmen’s position or any other individual member of the board.
The Board of Selectmen’s duties comprise “managing the prudential affairs of the town” which includes proposing an operating budget and other appropriate warrant articles to the voters at the annual town meeting. Each year, the selectmen work hard to keep the municipal budget as “flat” as possible, i.e. with minimal increases, in order to try and keep the tax rate as stable as possible.
With that said, one of my concerns is relative to the budget (spending) impact of the Petitioned Zoning Amendment with regards to allowing off-premise real estate signage. This proposes to be an administrative nightmare for the town. It will impact the Selectmen’s office administration with increased handling and processing applications for signage. Selectmen administrative staff is already maxed, and as more duties are added to the daily workload there may become a need to add to staff in the near future!
I think it will greatly impact the Town’s Compliance Officer who has to enforce compliance. For example, if sign permits are approved for 60 days and there are 50 approved sign applications, the Compliance Officer is going to be a pretty busy person. My point: there will be an adverse budget impact for increased hours worked. The Compliance Officer is an “as needed” position – only on duty when called.
Name
Sharon Davis
Comment
Campton is a beautiful town. Two attributes are it’s cleanliness and lack of clutter. Allowing these signs will result in the same kind of mess we see during elections with all the candidate signs. Picture that as a permanent condition around town. No thanks!
Name
Janet Lucas
Comment
The way the real estate section of the Town Sign Ordinances is now written (the real estate 'for sale' sign can be posted only on the property involved) I believe proves to be an asset to the Town and ultimately to the real estate businesses whose sales depend upon the public's perception of it. Real estate people: don't shoot yourselves in the foot! It's the rural character of the Town that allows you to make those sales. This proposed amendment would allow "2 directional sale signs (per property for sale)to be permitted at the nearest main roads or routes." One source says there are 107 properties for sale in Campton; x 2 signs each equals potentially 214 additional signs that could be posted throughout the Town--possible multiples on every corner! How would that contribute to our 'rural character'?! I agree with the previous comments--passage of this would just mean added clutter and additional costs for the Town to implement.
Please VOTE AGAINST this amendment on March 12th.
Name
Carol Lenahan
Comment
I agree that this zoning ordinance amendment would result in a burdensome increase in management costs for the town as well as a mess of signage clutter that would detract from the scenic nature of our town.
I will VOTE AGAINST this amendment on March 12th.
Name
Dave McGraw
Comment
The most important reason I will vote against this on March 12th is the mess it can create in our town. It would also be very difficult to manage violations of the ordinance. I also believe that with today's technology that these signs are not necessary for potential buyers to find homes for sale.
Name
Dan Boynton
Comment
There seems to be no compelling reason to burden the town with the expense or the tacky clutter this signage would impose. I am opposed.
Name
Stephanie Osborne
Comment
This proposed amendment seems to be arriving a day late and a dollar short. Vague wording aside, with all of the current GPS and internet capabilities, it seems that the majority of people looking to buy a house no longer rely on wooden signs, balloons or no balloons! The data on house sales in Campton seem to support that finding properties for sale is not an issue.
Name
Jess Halm
Comment
I do not support allowing ANY increase of ANY signage in town. I feel strongly that off site signage for real estate sales will only add clutter to the viewscape we all cherish. As a former owner of a reality company I can attest that few if ANY sales generate from this type of signage. Perspective buyers look mostly on MLS services and then go to addresses that are of interest supplied by those services. Any GPS will provide directions to any site for sale and directional signage offsite is not necessary. Of concern to me would be the maintenance of these signs and the prompt removal once a property is unlisted or sold. There is a significant potential burden placed on the town to monitor and police these signs as well. Will realtors pay a fee for this monitor service? For cleanup or disposal of old signs? For removal if overdue to be removed? Who will date the erection and set removal dates? This is a can of worms best left untouched in my opinion.
Name
Timothy Harvey
