Vernon Family Farm soil testing and parking plan

Jun 15 · MinutesDecided

The commission received a resource protection (site) plan for the Vernon Family Farm and discussed it in May. It asked for 9 changes. The plan was updated and sent back, and the chair believes all 9 were addressed. One member recused herself from the discussion. Members disagreed about soil testing. One member said soil health questions were not fully answered and that the plan relies on observation. Members cited NRCS and UNH guidance on testing. She said tests such as soil compaction, infiltration, soil density and organic matter are quick and low-cost. Another member said the commission has asked for soil testing and bale counts and received neither. The chair said the commission has met its duties and the plan needs a vote. A commissioner said the town or state requirements should be followed. The Select Board liaison asked what would happen if testing showed soil damage. The chair said the plan says the soil would be repaired. The member who had recused herself spoke as a member of the public and said she was satisfied with the plan. No vote was taken because the meeting was improper.

No vote taken. The meeting was noted as improper because the notice rules were not met.

Jul 14 · MinutesDecided

The Board reviewed eight formal complaints sent between June 29 and July 2, 2026 by the operator of Vernon Family Farm about activity on abutting (neighboring) properties. The complaints covered excavator and mower noise, rocks placed over a property line, signs and lights at another property, a driveway onto Route 87, possible wetland impacts, an ATV and barking dogs. The chair said the Board found the excavator ran within allowed hours with a muffler. A police lieutenant found a small rock pile had gone one to two feet over a property line, and the rocks were moved back. The Board said the sign rules apply to businesses and found no violation. It said driveway access onto a state road is under the state Department of Transportation. It said wetland rulings belong to the state Department of Environmental Services (DES), and the Conservation Commission chair advised waiting for DES. The chair said the Town has spent over $100,000 in legal fees over the past year and a half, and about $8,000 on noise monitoring. A records request received July 10, 2026 seeks about 26 years of noise records, which Town Counsel ($250 an hour) must review. The chair said the complaints did not show ordinance violations and recommended treating the matter as closed. A commissioner agreed. Separately, the conservation chair said a DES wetlands director found no complaint on file for the property by address.

The chair recommended the matter be considered closed and another board member agreed; no formal vote was recorded.

Jul 20 · MinutesDecided

On July 20, 2026, the commission took this item out of order, and the chair stepped away from it. The vice chair read an email the chair had sent to the town's attorney. She said it raised concerns about the chair's impartiality. She then argued for soil testing at Vernon Family Farm. She said the conservation easement (a legal deal that limits how land can be used) calls for farm work to follow UNH Cooperative Extension and U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) practices. She said a 2015 farm plan listed soil testing but no test records exist. She said about 75 cars park there at up to 50 events a year, and that the engineer's plan relies only on observation. A commissioner said the Rockingham County Conservation District had called the newer plan thin. Members of the public said the farm should pay for testing and that UNH and NRCS can help write a request for proposals (RFP, a public request for bids). One commissioner said the commission could do the soil testing itself. Later the chair said the commission would likely need legal help, paid from its budget, because the town's attorney has a conflict and another attorney was named. A Select Board liaison agreed that talking to an attorney is worth it.

Motion to reach out to UNH and/or NRCS for help issuing an RFP for soil testing passed, all in favor, with the chair recused.

Sep 21 · MinutesDecided

On September 21, 2026, the Commission reviewed an updated parking plan for Vernon Family Farm (VFF). The updated plan includes changes the Commission asked for in May 2026. VFF's attorney said VFF objects to two commissioners taking part in the talk and vote. Neither commissioner stepped aside. A majority of commissioners had asked for soil measurements in the plan, not only visual checks. The commissioners talked about types and costs of testing. An engineer from Waterstone Engineering, PLLC, described the pros and cons of soil testing. A commissioner moved to accept the revised plan for 2026. VFF must send a report to the Commission by January 15, 2027. The Commission will find outside expertise to help review the report and decide whether the plan protects the easement (land protection agreement) or whether more soil testing is needed.

Passed. The motion to accept the revised plan for 2026 passed with all in favor.