Max Ledoux: ZBA responsibility is to benefit the town, not the Castle

To The Daily Sun,

Moultonborough's Zoning Board of Adjustment is considering whether Castle in the Clouds qualifies for a permanent special exception to the "Residential/Agricultural" zoning regulation for "high impact" events, such as concerts, athletic events, and fairs. There's a hearing scheduled on Aug. 5 (a Wednesday) at 7 p.m.

The ordinance states: "The applicant shall have the burden to demonstrate substantial compliance" with the conditions of a special exception. Yet town employees are working with the applicant to help it meet the criteria.

For instance, the July 15 minutes state: "[Town Planner Chuck] Wise agreed to prepare the line-by-line criteria sheet with the applicant." I attended that meeting, and it was clear that Wise, Austin Wakefield (code enforcement officer), and Clayton Titus (land use technician) are working closely with the applicant to ensure that the ZBA grants the exception. At one point, one of the town employees inadvertently stated, "We came before the Board" before correcting himself: "The Castle came before the Board."

The Castle and its agent, Dari Sassan of Brown Engineering (and the former town planner), have a goal of hosting "high impact" commercial events that bring profit specifically to the Castle; the town's responsibility is to make decisions that benefit the town as a whole, which would most definitely include preserving the natural and historical jewel that is the Castle as well as the Lakes Region Conservation Trust land surrounding the castle. People can see rock concerts and car shows anywhere. The Castle and the LRCT land are one-of-a-kind treasures. Do we really want a 5,000-car parking lot lined by porta-potties as the hallmark of summer at the Castle?

Max Ledoux

Tuftonboro