TOWN OF ALTON, NEW HAMPSHIRE SCENIC RESOURCE INVENTORY. NH Route 11 Scenic View, Alton, NH

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1 TOWN OF ALTON, NEW HAMPSHIRE SCENIC RESOURCE INVENTORY NH Route 11 Scenic View, Alton, NH DECEMBER 2008

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3 TOWN OF ALTON, NEW HAMPSHIRE SCENIC RESOURCE INVENTORY DECEMBER 2008 This report was developed by: Thomas Kokx Associates 165 Belknap Mountain Road Gilford, NH (603) and Lakes Region Planning Commission 103 Main Street, Suite #3 Meredith, NH Internet: Phone: (603) Fax: (603) Photographs courtesy of: Thomas Kokx Peter Bolster Alan Sherwood Bonnie Dunbar Dave Roberts

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7 TABLE OF CONTENTS SUMMARY STATEMENT...1 I. INTRODUCTION...3 WHY DEVELOP A SCENIC RESOURCE INVENTORY?...3 PURPOSE...3 II. COMMUNITY DESCRIPTION...5 III. PROCESS...9 SCENIC RESOURCE COMMITTEE...9 ADVISORY CONSULTANTS...9 EXISTING MAP AND DATA RESOURCES...9 PUBLIC OUTREACH...10 SCENIC RESOURCE INVENTORY PRODUCTS...10 IV. VIEWSHED ANALYSIS...11 DELINEATING THE SCENIC RESOURCE INVENTORY HIGH VISIBILITY AREAS...11 CO-OCCURRENCE OF THE SCENIC RESOURCE INVENTORY...11 VIEWSHED ANALYSIS...12 DATA LIMITATIONS...12 V. SCENIC RESOURCE INVENTORY APPLICATIONS...15 VI. MAPS AND PHOTO DOCUMENTATION...17 MAP 1. BASE VIEWSHED MAP...17 MAP 2. VIEWSHED AND CONSERVATION LANDS...19 MAP 3. ENTIRE VIEWSHED MAP...21 PHOTO DOCUMENTATION...23

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9 SUMMARY STATEMENT View from Roberts Cove Road The town of Alton, New Hampshire has a wealth of unique cultural and historic features. These include lakes, ponds, wetlands, streams, mountain peaks, valleys, agricultural land, byways, and historic buildings. The townspeople recognize the value of these resources and have taken steps to ensure these viewpoints, and corresponding viewsheds, are identified. A viewshed is the natural environment visible from one or more viewpoints. Identifying the locations of viewpoints and viewsheds will enable the development of strategies to preserve and conserve areas of high priority in town. The Alton Scenic Resource Inventory documents the purpose and process used to identify high priority viewpoints and viewsheds in town. Lakes Region Planning Commission Page 1

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11 I. INTRODUCTION WHY DEVELOP A SCENIC RESOURCE INVENTORY? The Lakes Region is facing increasing development pressures due to population growth, particularly around our lakes and rivers and on ridgelines. In order to better prepare for growth on or near these sensitive resources, a Scenic Resource Inventory will identify areas of high priority for conservation or special protection through zoning. The inventory will highlight the breadth of viewsheds in Alton and can provide a basis for determining priority sites. In this way the town of Alton can take a proactive, planned approach to land protection. Wetland off NH Route 28 PURPOSE The purpose of this inventory is to identify areas of high priority scenic quality within the town of Alton. Many of the viewsheds in town overlap due to topography and the number of mountain peaks and water bodies, creating areas of high visibility. Concerns have been raised by the scenic resource committee about the preservation of the scenic quality of the community potentially at risk due to development on ridgelines, steep slopes, shoreline, and conversion of agricultural lands. The Planning Board has noted a desire to work with landowners to create aesthetic buffers on identified properties to preserve views from, and of, the prevalent waterbodies and mountains in town. The inventory highlights these areas of high visibility in town in order to provide the foundation for making land use planning decisions that bring key scenic attributes and location under consideration. During the scenic resource inventory analysis, maps were created that illustrate the locations of viewpoints and high priority viewsheds. The maps provide an illustrative foundation for land use planning, such as potential overlay districts for high priority viewsheds, telecommunications towers, or other notable structures, conservation subdivisions, and steep slope and ridgeline development. Blueberry Fields off Halls Hill Road Lakes Region Planning Commission Page 3

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13 II. COMMUNITY DESCRIPTION Lake Winnipesaukee from Mount Major In a state rich with natural scenic resources, breath-taking mountain summits and crystal-clear lakes, the town of Alton possesses an unusually bountiful share. As one of the largest municipalities in the state in terms of area, with 63.9 square acres of land mass and 19.8 square miles of inland waters, Alton s allotment of vistas and resulting viewsheds is both extensive in size and dazzling in its scenic splendor and variety. In recent years, the Alton Master Plan update (c. 2007), Alton Natural Resources Inventory (c. 2002) and Main Street Improvements Charrette (c. 2001) collectively concur that identification and protected utilization of these natural resources (and their inherent viewsheds) are paramount. To preserve specified open land.including agricultural lands, forestry lands, scenic vistas, wetlands and other important open space areas establishing measurable criteria that defines Alton s rural character. (Alton Master Plan update 2007, Vision Chapter) Protect Alton s natural resources, watersheds, wetlands, viewsheds. (Alton Master Plan update 2007, Land Use Recommendations) While it is convenient and often necessary to separate natural resources into different categories it must be kept in mind that in nature nothing is separate, all is inter-related. (Alton Natural Resources Inventory- 2002) Create linkages through physical and visual elements such as architecture, open spaces and streetscapes. (Streetscape Improvement-The Village Area, Alton, NH 2001) Alton s scenic treasure chest includes the five-mile long, idyllic Alton Bay at the southeastern tip of Lake Winnipesaukee, the Broads section of the lake and southern side of Wolfeboro Harbor along with 11 named islands of varying sizes. Approximately 12,000 acres of the 44,586 acre lake (the largest in New Hampshire) and nearly 17 percent of the Lake Winnipesaukee watershed is located in Alton, the second largest percentage of any Lakes Region Planning Commission Page 5

14 community in the watershed. Alton enjoys over 35 miles of shoreline with many, and sometimes conflicting, opportunities for recreation, wildlife and lacustrine habitat and residential development. The fourth-order Merrymeeting River flows a short distance from Merrymeeting Marsh (12 acres in size) to Alton Bay, encompassing a wide variety of scenic wetlands including abundant aquatic plant life and related wildlife habitat. There are also six great ponds (over ten acres in size) partly or wholly within the town boundaries, including Sunset Lake in the headwaters of the Suncook watershed in Alton and Gilmanton, Halfmoon Lake in the Suncook watershed in Alton and Barnstead, Hills Pond just north of Sunset Lake, Gilman Pond located in the Winnipesaukee watershed in East Alton, Knights Pond in the northeastern portion of the Winnipesaukee watershed, and Bear Pond in the Merrymeeting watershed near the New Durham town line. The glacier that covered New Hampshire over 14,000 years ago carved hills and valleys in Alton, depositing raw material for wetlands and creating a great diversity of soil types for both forest and farmland. The melt water and sand and gravel deposits from this glaciation spawned incredible groundwater reserves in Alton with an abundance of stratified drift aquifers. The Belknap Mountain range and high hills surrounding Alton were also created during glaciation, and today provide breathtaking scenic views and a multiplicity of trails for hiking. Alton s elevations range from a few hundred feet at the Lake Winnipesaukee shoreline to over 1500 feet on the surrounding mountain summits. With such divergent topography surrounding the lake, Alton s settlement patterns over the last 212 years evolved into the creation of five, distinct village areas. Primarily settled as a farming community in the late 1700 s, Alton was fragmented by the enormity of the lake s size and developed distinct pocket villages as it evolved from a settlement of 445 residents in 1790 to the current population of over 5,100 people. The five villages include: Alton Bay The enclave at the southern tip of the lake was once a larger commercial center when goods were transported by water. Over time, the utilization of the lake for tourism and recreation became pre-eminent and continues today, with resultant land use patterns reflecting dense residential and seasonal residential property development. Alton Village The area housing municipal services, schools, goods and services. The Merrymeeting River and attendant Merrymeeting Marsh figure prominently in scenic and recreational uses in this area. East Alton An historic area known as Gilman s Corner near the New Durham/Alton town line which was located along the road north from earlier seacoast settlements such as Strawberry Banke in Portsmouth. The area was once home to many summer camps owing to its extensive Lake Winnipesaukee shorefront. Today this area is nearly all in private ownership due to recent development trends. Farmland and rolling hills are prevalent in this area. Page 6 Lakes Region Planning Commission

15 West Alton The area along NH Routes 11 and 11A encompasses significant Lake Winnipesaukee shore frontage in addition to a large measure of open space. Seasonal recreation development has created much density along the shoreline but forest cover and steep slopes also prevail, including the Mount Major Recreation Area. South Alton Although lacking a village center, South Alton is recognized to be a mostly residential area. The village is considered to be located south of Coffin Brook and the Merrymeeting River along NH Route 28 towards Halfmoon Lake. NH Route 28 is a gateway to Alton and the Lakes Region, as well as a major commuter artery to the Concord area and Interstate 93. Additional areas of significance include: Alton Shores A 600-lot subdivision near the Alton-Gilmanton town-line near Hills Pond and Sunset Lake. This older subdivision consists of single-family residences (predominantly vacation homes) on small lots with minimal roads. However, the remainder of the adjacent area is sparsely populated and consists of large, wooded parcels. Winnipesaukee Islands Consists of eleven named and several unnamed small rock islands, the majority of which have seasonal homes and are near build-out capacity. Current land use regulations provide for few additional docking facilities on the mainland. As these thumbnail sketches indicate; Alton is a town blessed with many types of land and water resources, linked with an abundance of varying vistas and viewsheds. All are dependent upon proper land use planning for preservation and maintenance of scenic integrity. The town of Alton has begun to see encroachment of development on ridgelines and hills surrounding Lake Winnipesaukee. Irresponsible development created in the absence of a comprehensive vista perspective impacts the views (and subsequent property values) of residents, tourists, and visitors, including the thousands who cruise the SS Mount Washington every summer and fall. The winter months offer a very different scenic opportunity as the leaf cover is gone and snowy mountains, hills, and valleys dominate the viewshed, offering a completely different palette and texture of scenery than in other seasons. Alton Bay also functions as a frozen, seasonal airstrip during the winter, when ice, bobhouses, snowmobilers, and ice fishermen cover its surface. Alton also has a significant number of farming vistas which are evidence of its past history as a somewhat isolated society where agriculture was the mainstay of the majority of the population. The majority of the agricultural land in town is small in acreage, but notable due to the predominance of forest cover which took over fallow fields. These remaining small, Lakes Region Planning Commission Page 7

16 open fields provide a glimpse of history in the rock walls, historic barns, and views. If the generations-old blueberry field on the high plateau is developed, its loss in scenery and agriculture will be made more regrettable since it is also viewed from the nearby hiking trail. Efforts such as this Scenic Resource Inventory provide not only the guidance to protect existing vistas, but also the initiative to locate other irreplaceable areas of cultural and historic value and incorporate them into the municipal landscape in the truest sense of the word. In order to preserve the rural character and irreplaceable viewsheds through all seasons, the town has the opportunity to implement guidelines and strategies for responsible development. ~Sharon Penney, Alton Town Planner December 2008 Page 8 Lakes Region Planning Commission

17 III. PROCESS Several organizations collaborated to develop of the Alton Scenic Resource Inventory. The inventory process was conducted by the scenic resource committee and advisory consultants. A number of existing documents and maps were used to identify cultural and historic resources throughout town. The inventory process itself involved several meetings, fieldwork, writing assignments, and viewpoint documentation and map generation. Alton Bay SCENIC RESOURCE COMMITTEE A scenic resource committee was identified by the Planning Board as a continuation of the Master Planning committee to work with consultants and provide insights regarding scenic resources. The task force included members of the Planning Board, Selectboard, Conservation Commission, interested citizens, and Town Planner. Each member of the task force conducted field work for the inventory process and provided valuable feedback for the development of the analysis and report. ADVISORY CONSULTANTS The consultants were composed of professional planners from the Lakes Region Planning Commission and scenic resource specialist Thomas Kokx, of Thomas Kokx Associates. The consultants were responsible for a number of tasks including: Public meeting facilitation Document research Providing guidance for the field work process Mapping and analysis Report writing EXISTING MAP AND DATA RESOURCES Several existing documents and resources were used to guide the identification of cultural and historic resources in Alton, including: Alton Natural Resource Inventory (town of Alton) Belknap Mountain Range Scenic Resource Documentation and Hiking Trails (Dave Roberts, Belknap Range Conservation Coalition) Natural Resource Co-occurrence Maps (Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests) Alton Parks Brochure (Peter Bolster) Cultural and Historic Sites Map (Lakes Region Planning Commission) Lakes Region Planning Commission Page 9

18 PUBLIC OUTREACH In order to improve the Scenic Resource Inventory, public meetings were held at the Alton Town Hall. At each meeting, feedback was received from the attendees that helped inform and direct the inventory development. : August 14, 2008 Initial Meeting, Inventory Process August 21, 2008 Committee Assignments, Data Collection and Map Exercise to identify initial scenic resources October 8, 2008 Review of Fieldwork Completed and Viewpoint Documentation November 25, 2008 Fieldwork Follow-up, Reviewed Draft Inventory and Community Description, Reviewed Data Visibility Map December 10, 2008 Final Report and Presentation SCENIC RESOURCE INVENTORY PRODUCTS A number of products were created through the Scenic Resource Inventory process that will be of benefit to the town for land use planning. These products will provide the foundation for future conservation strategies. Products include: Viewpoint/Viewshed Map Visibility Assessment and Analysis Photo Documentation of Viewsheds Community Description and Project Report Page 10 Lakes Region Planning Commission

19 IV. VIEWSHED ANALYSIS Wetland off Jesus Valley Road DELINEATING THE SCENIC RESOURCE INVENTORY HIGH VISIBILITY AREAS The scenic resource committee was presented with several maps showing topography, aerial photography, and community facilities. The committee identified approximately sixty locations that were thought to be important viewpoints, as well as more than a dozen locations comprising valuable viewsheds. The town was divided into sections to facilitate site visits/view verification and complete photo documentation by committee members. The sites visited and verified with images provided by the committee were supplemented with those taken by the consultants for a total of 41 documented locations (found on the attached CD in Chapter VI). All photographed locations were identified on the map using GPS coordinates. The direction and field of view were noted for each image. Unless a specific cone of vision was provided a standard of 80 degrees was assumed. A photographer height of five feet was also assumed. Using the Viewshed Analysis Tool in ArcGIS Spatial Analyst Extension and Digital Elevation Maps (DEM), the topography was analyzed for how many times each ten meter by ten meter (10m x 10m) area could be seen from the 41 documented locations. The analysis identifies areas where several views overlap, thus signaling locations visible from many points in town and potentially higher priority for protection. CO-OCCURRENCE OF THE SCENIC RESOURCE INVENTORY Co-occurrence mapping is created by layering a series of individual maps (i.e. datasets) on top of one another to create a graduated snapshot of the region. For the scenic resource inventory, datasets were used to create a snapshot of view areas based on topography and field of vision. The end-product is a map that uses graduated colors to illustrate where the areas of highest visibility are located within the watershed. This map can become the foundation for conservation planning efforts in the watershed. Lakes Region Planning Commission Page 11

20 VIEWSHED ANALYSIS The committee developed criteria to enable identification of priority viewpoints and viewsheds in Alton. These criteria were used to direct committee members in fieldwork and site documentation and include: Viewpoints located on, or areas viewed, from public land Areas of high visibility Represent key attributes of town character Locations identified as special places in town View from Alton Mountain Road Many areas in and around Alton are visible from multiple viewpoints; the most frequently viewed locations can be seen from nine or ten separate viewpoints. In order to better illustrate these high priority viewsheds, a co-occurrence map was created. The maps created for this report are found in Chapter VI (page 17) and large-scale versions are available at the Town Office. A description of the co-occurrence maps found in Chapter VI follows: Map 1: Base Viewshed Map The base viewshed map is the co-occurrence analysis resulting from the fieldwork and viewpoint documentation. The map highlights the high priority viewsheds with a graduated color scheme, i.e. the darker shaded areas represent areas that can be viewed from multiple locations in town. These darker shaded areas are the focus of the proposed applications listed in Chapter V of this report. The map also includes the documented viewpoints and direction of view, as well as undocumented, but identified viewpoints and locations. Map 2: Viewshed and Conservation Lands This second map is the base viewshed map with the identified conservation lands included. Two types of conservation land are denoted on the map; federal and state lands and town/county, private and other land. Most of the highly visible areas (darker shaded areas) are not located on conserved land and offer opportunities for protecting these resources. Map 3: Entire Viewshed Map The third map is the viewshed and conservation lands map with the addition of several documented viewshed photographs. The map illustrates in one snapshot the wealth and breadth of viewpoints and viewsheds throughout Alton and the surrounding region. DATA LIMITATIONS This report was developed using the best data and guidance available to LRPC. While this analysis provides an understanding of the location and status of certain viewsheds, additional points of interest and viewsheds may be identified as significant to the town at a later date. Page 12 Lakes Region Planning Commission

21 There are a number of viewpoints and sites of interest that were identified by the committee but not visited or photographed. Some potential viewpoints were rejected by the committee because public access to the site is limited and/or views were found to be very limited. Several sites relate to small open fields, important to providing elements of the rural environment in Alton. These sites are limited primarily to foreground views. If the town wishes to supplement the list of documented sites in the future, they may wish to visit the identified, but not yet visited, documented, or photographed viewpoints and sites of interest. As was noted at one meeting, viewing locations may change over time due to vegetative growth (obstructing views) or cutting on certain properties (creating new views). Lakes Region Planning Commission Page 13

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23 V. SCENIC RESOURCE INVENTORY APPLICATIONS View from Straightback Mountain The completion of the Alton Scenic Resource Inventory provides the foundation for future land use planning decisions to manage and/or preserve the town s important scenic resources. There are a number of applications that can build on the inventory process including: This scenic resource inventory should be coordinated with other town planning efforts, such as the Master Plan, Zoning Ordinance, and Natural Resource Inventory. A number of points of interest were noted during the inventory process but have not yet been documented. These sites should be evaluated, documented and added to the inventory in order to include all valued viewsheds. These sites are shown on Map 2 along NH Route 140 and in the southern part of town. Areas of high priority should be targeted for greater protection through programmatic and land use planning. Areas of high priority scenic resources adjacent to existing conservation lands should be of high priority for conservation planning, particularly if these areas could link lands currently in conservation to improve viewshed connectivity. A conservation subdivision ordinance and/or overlay district can be developed based on the viewshed analysis. This could require certain design characteristics or architectural standards in areas of high priority to preserve the natural landscape. A telecommunications overlay district could be created that identifies locations where towers may, or conversely, may not be located in town. Greater shoreline setbacks could be implemented to protect views of the lake from mountain slopes and boaters. A dark skies ordinance can be developed that protects the night viewshed. Lakes Region Planning Commission Page 15

24 A steep slope and ridgeline protection ordinance can be implemented to protect the sensitive soils and landscape of slopes greater than 15 or 25 percent. The ridgeline protection ordinance can also protect the community s viewshed, and thereby the rural character as it is noted as a vital element in the Master Plan. An agricultural preservation ordinance can be implemented to support current rural landscape characteristics throughout town. Regional cooperation among towns should be fostered to identify shared high priority viewsheds and develop strategies to preserve those areas through conservation and other land use planning techniques, such as those being conducted by the Belknap Range Conservation Coalition. The scenic resource inventory should be expanded in subsequent years as additional viewpoints are identified or to document existing sites that were not incorporated in this report (attached CD in Chapter VI). Page 16 Lakes Region Planning Commission

25 VI. MAPS AND PHOTO DOCUMENTATION MAP 1. BASE VIEWSHED MAP Lakes Region Planning Commission Page 17

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27 Town of Alton, NH Scenic Inventory December 2008 MAP 2. VIEWSHED AND CONSERVATION LANDS Lakes Region Planning Commission Page 19

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29 Town of Alton, NH Scenic Inventory December 2008 MAP 3. ENTIRE VIEWSHED MAP Lakes Region Planning Commission Page 21

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31 Town of Alton, NH Scenic Inventory December 2008 PHOTO DOCUMENTATION The attached CD contains the photo documentation for this project. Lakes Region Planning Commission Page 23

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