Belmont Zoning Board to hear 4 requests at Wednesday’s meeting

BELMONT — Building a cottage close to the shore of Lake Winnisquam and expanding a contractor's yard to allow space for repossessed vehicles are among the topics the town's Zoning Board of Adjustment will take up at their meeting this week.

Other items on the agenda for the meeting, slated for 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 22, largely focus on sheds.

Representatives of the Susan Condodemetraky Revocable Trust, which shares an address with Tradz, a vehicle repossession company at 194 Gilmanton Road, are seeking to amend an established special exception to expand the existing contractor's yard to include towing of vehicles on a flatbed truck in the rural zone.

At the Sept. 24 meeting, Zoning Board Vice Chair John Froumy recused himself from deliberations for mundane reasons, he wrote in an email to The Laconia Daily Sun.

“The reason for my recusal on September 24 was unrelated to any bias, or personal, business, or legal relationship with this applicant,” he wrote. “I and my fellow ZBA members make a strong effort to provide applicants with absolutely the fairest climate in which to make our decisions and recusal can sometimes be the best way to accomplish that goal.”

Ethan Wood of Normandin, Cheney & O’Neil in Laconia, attorney for the trust, said at the meeting his clients wanted to present to a full board, so the hearing was pushed until the October meeting. Zoning board members Dana Silcock and Mark Mastenbrook were absent, and alternates Susan Bouthiette and Thomas Ceniglio sat in their places.

Wood said his clients have no comment on the matter. According to information from the Secretary of State's office, Jocelyn Maloney is listed as the manager of Tradz.

Also set to be heard is Carolyn Buckley's request to install a 8x12-foot storage shed at 198 Gardners Grove Road, and a variance so she can put it closer to the side lot line than allowed, due to a well on her property.

Without the variance, the shed needs to meet the requirements for setbacks of 12.5 feet.

Board members had questions still about whether or not she could put the shed in another location on the lot, but it either failed to meet the setback requirements in those locations, too, or was too close to the well.

A conversation followed about whether or not denying the variance would cause hardship to Buckley, and Stewart indicated knowing the distance from the proposed shed to the well would help determine that.

According to the meeting minutes, “The Board determined that they would like to continue this until the next meeting in order to allow the applicant to provide the distance from the proposed shed location to the well, the location of the proposed addition, and the direction that the doors of the proposed shed will open and the relationship to the well.” The board will take it up again this week.

The zoning board will also hear the cases of Trustee Gerald Crump for the Lake Time Trust, and John Tremblay.

Crump is seeking to remove and replace the 18x36-foot cottage at 11 Island Drive, and requesting a variance to a wetlands ordinance to put the cottage closer to the water than allowed, in addition to variances to place the cottage closer to the side and front lot lines.

Tremblay is proposing to install a model home with a deck, three-season room and shed at 5 Berkshire Drive. He needs variances to place the structure closer to the front lot line than allowed, and one for placing the new shed closer to an unrelated structure than allowed.

The Wednesday meeting agenda and additional information can be found at belmontnh.gov.

At the September Zoning Board of Adjustment meeting, several cases were heard and approved, including Stephen Carlucci’s request for a variance to install a new second-story deck and a replacement shed in his yard at 29 Sargent Lake Road.

Both items needed variances due to their close proximity to the water and side lot line.

During the public hearing, Karen Gilbert of Center Lake Road asked if Carlucci had applied for a shoreline permit due to the downing of trees, but Carlucci explained they don’t yet know if they need to cut down any trees.

Nearby abutters to the Carlucci property, Cecille and Ralph Valliere, wrote a letter, read by Town Planner Karen Santoro: “After reviewing the proposal, I believe the planned improvements — a new deck and replacement shed — are reasonable and in keeping with the character of the neighborhood. The proposed deck will replace an existing structure and provide safe, functional outdoor space for the owners, while the new shed represents a practical upgrade from the smaller structure currently on the lot.”

Both variances were approved unanimously.

The board granted another variance for a property owned by the Sterling Messer Revocable Trust of 153 Main Street, for a 24x32-foot addition closer to the side setback than allowed.

Messer was present for the hearing and informed the board previous buildings on the lot have been closer to the setback than he is proposing.

The variance was approved.

Finally, the board reviewed an application by Shawn and Tricia Beauchesne to extend a variance for a veterinary clinic or canine day care and boarding facility in their existing residence and fenced-in yard at 677 Union Road.

The Beauchesnes were not present at the hearing. Their request stated they could use the time to work on the site plans, which needed tweaking per the direction of a recent planning board hearing.

Ceniglio moved to grant a one-year extension of the variance, which was seconded by Liz Stewart. All members except Froumy voted in favor.

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Katlyn Proctor can be reached at katlyn@laconiadailysun.com or by calling 603-524-0150.