Motorcycle club rejected in Greenland; claims discrimination

OFF THE WIRE
GREENLAND — A member of the Talon Motorcycle Club accused the Planning Board of discrimination Thursday night as it denied an application tied to the group's clubhouse.

The Talon MC is a new tenant of a warehouse at 1660 Greenland Road (Route 33) owned by Dennis Hayward of Hayward Realty Investments LLC. The club has been unable to hold meetings there the past couple of months, because the town found that use to be different from the commercial/warehouse use originally approved for the site in 2004.

At a meeting last month, the Planning Board asked Hayward to come forward with a new site plan review for Thursday night's meeting. However, Hayward did not have it ready and the board dismissed the application without prejudice, meaning the applicants may come forward again once they have the proper documents.

Roughly 10 Talon MC club members attended Thursday's meeting. A member who identified himself only as Bill, and who refused to give his last name for the town record, said he believes the board is discriminating against the motorcycle club.

He said there are more people in the other units on the property on a daily basis than the number of club members who attend meetings, which he said take place once or twice a week.

"I think we're being discriminated against, because we're the only ones being punished," he said.

Bill referenced a Portsmouth Herald article from Aug. 28 that revealed police consider the club to be affiliated with the Hells Angels, an infamous "outlaw motorcycle gang" the federal government describes as a worldwide "highly structured criminal organization" involved in drug dealing, assaults, murders, extortion and other illegal activities.

The article also pointed out that the Talon MC Facebook page, stating the club is based out of Salem, has as its profile picture the club's logo, alongside a button that says "Support 81 World." The term is slang for Hells Angels.

He called the article "offensive" and insinuated the negative picture it painted of Talon MC was influencing the board.

Board members said the Talon MC's reputation had nothing to do with their decision; rather, it was Hayward's inability to bring forward a new site plan review, as they had requested a month earlier.

"It's not the fault of the board that things weren't done correctly," said board member Deborah Beck.

Town attorney Peter Loughlin suggested the board could not accept the application because it did not have the necessary documents. He said, from a regulatory perspective, the board must consider the ramifications of allowing a clubhouse to be established in an environmentally sensitive area near wetlands.

"I don't know whether these issues can be overcome, given the location of the building and given the soils. I think it's going to be a tough row to hoe," he said.

Hayward said Wastewater Alternatives of Hampton Falls reviewed the site's septic system and found that if a second tank is added, the capacity could be increased from 320 gallons per day to 600. He said a plan for that addition was sent to the state for approval, which he said he likely would not get until November.

The issue has been playing out in Rockingham County Superior Court, as well, and a judge has agreed to continue the case until Oct. 28 in hopes the Planning Board might be able to resolve the issues.

An agreement made in court prohibits the Talon MC from using the warehouse until the issues are resolved. Board members said they have no authority to prevent the club from congregating on the site.

Bill declined to speak to the media following the hearing.

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