Open Space Trail System Plan
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OPEN SPACE TRAIL SYSTEM PLAN Placeholder for color photo of a local trail FOR THE TOWN OF MYTOWN, NEW HAMPSHIRE Produced by the Mytown Conservation Commission and Trails Steering Committee and by the Central NH Regional Planning Commission through funds from the NHDES Regional Environmental Planning Program (REPP) OPEN SPACE TRAIL SYSTEM PLAN Placeholder for color photo of a local trail FOR THE TOWN OF MYTOWN, NEW HAMPSHIRE July, 2001 insert Produced by: Mytown’s Mytown Conservation Commission and logo Trails Steering Committee Mytown Address Mytown, NH 03000 and Central NH Regional Planning Commission 28 Commercial Street Concord, NH 03301 Through the Year-Four Regional Environmental Planning Program with funding from: NH Department of Environmental Services 6 Hazen Drive Concord, NH 03305 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This Plan was made possible through funding from the NH Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) through the fourth year Regional Environmental Planning Program (REPP) partnership with the Central New Hampshire Regional Planning Commission (CNHRPC). It was created through a cooperative effort of volunteers and staff of the Town of Mytown, the CNHRPC, and NH Department of Resources and Economic Development (NHDRED). The Mytown Conservation Commission/Trails Steering Committee met on a monthly basis for five months and provided review and comment in the interim. Members of the public and of municipal boards participated in one or more meetings, with a core group of Conservation Commission members. The Steering Committee, representing a variety of interests within the Town, was comprised of many of the following individuals who participated in the planning process: Conservation Commission: <list names> Planning Board: <list names> Board of Selectmen <list names> Private Property Owners/Interested Persons: <list names> Page ii Open Space Trail System Plan - Town of Mytown, NH ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The staff of the Town of Mytown assisted with collection of data: <list names> The CNHRPC staff provided the format, content, and publication of the Plan: <list names> The NH DRED staff previously provided review and comment on the process and of the Plan: Bob Spoerl, Trails Bureau The former legal staff of the New Hampshire Municipal Association (NHMA) previously provided review and comment on some of the technical explanations in the IMPLEMENTATION MEASURES chapter: Bernie Waugh, Chief Legal Counsel. Open Space Trail System Plan - Town of Mytown, NH Page iii TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................................... i TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................................ ii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................ V I. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................ 1 Mytown Master Plan Findings ........................................................................................ Methodology ................................................................................................................ Goals of the Open Space Trail System Plan for Mytown .................................................. II. OPEN SPACE AND RECREATION ................................................................................................ What is Open Space? ...................................................................................................... Importance of Open Space and Recreation ..................................................................... Value of Open Space ...................................................................................................... Open Space Resources in the Town of Mytown ............................................................... Current Use .................................................................................................................... Open Space Vs. Development ......................................................................................... Regional Population and Development Trends in the 1990s ............................................. Summary ........................................................................................................................ III. INVENTORY OF PUBLIC LANDS, EASEMENTS, AND RIGHTS-OF-WAY ............................................. Conservation Land Easements and Permanently Protected Lands ..................................... Public or Private Parcels for Potential Public Use ............................................................. Rights-of-Way Parcels .................................................................................................... IV. INVENTORY OF EXISTING TRAILS ............................................................................................ Non-Motorized Trails .................................................................................................... Motorized Trails ............................................................................................................ Summary of Existing Trails and Rights-of-Way ................................................................ V. PROPOSED OPEN SPACE TRAIL SYSTEM ..................................................................................... Former Railroad Corridor .............................................................................................. Powerline Corridor ........................................................................................................ Conservation and Public Land ........................................................................................ Class VI Roads ................................................................................................................ Snowmobile Trails ......................................................................................................... Potential Trails or Trail Linkages on Private Land ............................................................. Summary of Proposed Open Space Trail System .............................................................. VI. IMPLEMENTATION MEASURES ................................................................................................ Landowner Partnerships ................................................................................................. Official Trails Designation .............................................................................................. Trails Management ........................................................................................................ Open Space Management .............................................................................................. Grants and Funding Programs ........................................................................................ Open Space Trail System Plan - Town of Mytown, NH Page iii TABLE OF CONTENTS APPENDIX A: SAMPLE LEGAL DOCUMENTS ...................................................................................... Sample Landowner Agreement ....................................................................................... Sample Conservation Easement Deed ............................................................................. Sample Warrant Articles ................................................................................................. APPENDIX B: REFERENCED NH STATUTES ....................................................................................... 31:95-b Misc: Appropriation of Funds…During the Year (Powers & Duties of Towns) .......... 36-A:5 Appropriations Authorized (Conservation Commissions) ....................................... 79-A:1 Declaration of Public Interest (Current Use Taxation) ............................................ 79-A:4, II Powers and Duties of the Board; Rulemaking (Current Use Taxation) ................... 79-A:25 Disposition of Revenues (Current Use Taxation) ................................................... 79-A:25-a Land Use Change Tax Fund (Current Use Taxation) ............................................. 80:80, V Real Estate Tax Liens (Collection of Taxes) .......................................................... 212:34 Duty of Care (Liability of Landowners) ................................................................. 215-A:1 Definitions (Off Highway Recreational Vehicles and Trails) ......................................... 215-A:34 Posted Land (Off Highway Recreational Vehicles and Trails) ....................................... 228:67 Disposition of Acquired or Abandoned Rail Properties (Admin of Trans Laws) ...... 231-A:1 Class A and B Trails (Municipal Trails) ................................................................ 231-A:2 Reclassification of Highways (Municipal Trails) .................................................... 231:A:4 Public Trail Use Restrictions (Municipal Trails) .................................................... 231-A:5 Acquisition of New Trails (Municipal Trails) ........................................................ 231-A:8 Liability Limited (Municipal Trails) ...................................................................... 231:93 When Municipalities not Liable (Cities, Towns, and Village District Highways) ............ 260:61 Credit Provided; Liability Insurance