Winnipesaukee Forum - View Single Post - "Meredith voters: islands not all the same"

fatlazyless · 03-12-2008, 10:10 PM

This warrant question, Meredith Article 2, was still way too over my head by the time I got to the voting booth, so I voted NO because I thought that having a totally undeveloped and heavily treed island definately improves the view. Having kayaked around the island (believe it is Sheep Island) at the center of this lengthy litigation. Just look at Timber Island, Winnipesaukee's 7th largest island, and picture that all built out!

Having read the letter below from the Planning Board chairman, on Monday the day before the election, I was still plenty confused. So, I figured....all things considered....what the heck...Dean Dexter writes some good historical NH articles so I'd go NO.
..........

From yesterday's March 10, 2008, Laconia Daily Sun, letters to the editor

To the editor,

A recent letter to the editor by Dean Dexter states that the Meredith Planning Board's proposed Article 2 zoning amendment would "exempt all islands in Meredith from the special exemption process...." This is simply untrue. The article would only exempt islands that are served exclusively by boat, with no motor vehicle access, from a statutory requirement that currently specifies all building lots must have access to a street. Further, Article 2 would not permit commercial developement on islands, as he claimed, nor would it preclude or avoid Planning Board review of safety, town services, or environmental and quality of life issues falling within the Planning Board's authority. And, it has nothing to do with special exceptions, as he also incorrectly implied.

In a court case in which Mr. Dexter and others have sued the town and others, the Superior Court said that "...an absolute requirement of street frontage on (an island accesible only by boat) would be absurd..." but that absurdity could be avoided by either obtaining an exemption (not a special exception) from the Zoning Board of Adjustment, or by having the town create a statutorily available general exemption to street access on islands where there are no streets. That is what Article 2, if adopted, would provide.
Such a general exempion as provided by Article 2 would avoid the necessity of ZBA proceedings solely to provide relief from the street access requirement where the requirement would be absurd, and from the expense to the town of litigation that might follow.

Herb Vadney, chairman
Meredith Planning Board
.............
This is so far over my head I have nothing intelligent to say about it

Article 2, island zoning development requirement - results: 509-yes (48.5%) vs 540-no (51.5%)

One side question that it raises for me is why is it that this Article #2 needed just a a 50% majority, while the two SB-2 Articles, #1-school and #7-town, required a 60% majority?

03-12-2008, 10:10 PM	#28
fatlazyless Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 9,174 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 310 Thanked 1,103 Times in 812 Posts	This warrant question, Meredith Article 2, was still way too over my head by the time I got to the voting booth, so I voted NO because I thought that having a totally undeveloped and heavily treed island definately improves the view. Having kayaked around the island (believe it is Sheep Island) at the center of this lengthy litigation. Just look at Timber Island, Winnipesaukee's 7th largest island, and picture that all built out! Having read the letter below from the Planning Board chairman, on Monday the day before the election, I was still plenty confused. So, I figured....all things considered....what the heck...Dean Dexter writes some good historical NH articles so I'd go NO. .......... From yesterday's March 10, 2008, Laconia Daily Sun, letters to the editor To the editor, A recent letter to the editor by Dean Dexter states that the Meredith Planning Board's proposed Article 2 zoning amendment would "exempt all islands in Meredith from the special exemption process...." This is simply untrue. The article would only exempt islands that are served exclusively by boat, with no motor vehicle access, from a statutory requirement that currently specifies all building lots must have access to a street. Further, Article 2 would not permit commercial developement on islands, as he claimed, nor would it preclude or avoid Planning Board review of safety, town services, or environmental and quality of life issues falling within the Planning Board's authority. And, it has nothing to do with special exceptions, as he also incorrectly implied. In a court case in which Mr. Dexter and others have sued the town and others, the Superior Court said that "...an absolute requirement of street frontage on (an island accesible only by boat) would be absurd..." but that absurdity could be avoided by either obtaining an exemption (not a special exception) from the Zoning Board of Adjustment, or by having the town create a statutorily available general exemption to street access on islands where there are no streets. That is what Article 2, if adopted, would provide. Such a general exempion as provided by Article 2 would avoid the necessity of ZBA proceedings solely to provide relief from the street access requirement where the requirement would be absurd, and from the expense to the town of litigation that might follow. Herb Vadney, chairman Meredith Planning Board ............. This is so far over my head I have nothing intelligent to say about it Article 2, island zoning development requirement - results: 509-yes (48.5%) vs 540-no (51.5%) One side question that it raises for me is why is it that this Article #2 needed just a a 50% majority, while the two SB-2 Articles, #1-school and #7-town, required a 60% majority? __________________ .... Banned for life from local thrift store! Last edited by fatlazyless; 03-13-2008 at 06:30 AM.