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Zoning Board of Adjustment

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What I was so bad right now, not data centers, the distribution centers, you know, like going on up there, and it's just, plus they're trying to widen it, and it's just so bad down there right now, that an uncle lives there, and I would never go there.
I used to go to Lowell, you know, and that was 53 miles, but, you know, not bad, you don't take 13 all the way down, I have a hot coffee in the morning, and, you know, but I didn't have to go in every day.
It's amazing what you get used to.
When I first started practice that I was in Massachusetts, and I lived in a city called Wal-Bam,
and it was only 13 miles west of Boston, like having, say, at 9 o'clock,
and if I didn't leave Wal-Bam by 6 a.m., I'd be sitting on Starro Drive, literally, for 2.5 hours.
So you'd leave really early, and you'd get in there in a half an hour.
This is really early.
And, like, now, even at its worst, I think anywhere commuting in New Hampshire is nothing confined to get into it.
I remember that sign at Sterro Drive?
If you lived off now.
Yes, yes, yeah.
I did more apartments than that was a great marketing story.
So, uh.
Yeah.
You're trying to find a parking space, and then the whole bit, I just...
Undergroom is the only way to go in Boston.
Could never get the stops right now.
I'd just, like, be sick.
there a hour later.
Here's the thing you guys, I understand, up on the top, there was a rock, okay?
And the pilgrims went around the rock.
So the road still goes around.
Rock's gone, but the road, so everything underneath goes around where there used to be a rock.
Yeah, but the person in it doesn't know we're not to get off on the right stop.
So she just keeps going around.
For the June 17, 2026, rehearing on DBA case 20-603.
five-member board and under our rules of procedure when that happened right to
continue their hearing for a full five-member board and I understand from the
applicant that that is their decision but I will let you make that on the record
good evening my name is Laurie Brent here representing okay well we will continue
it toward July meeting and we will send out emails in advance and hopefully be able
to tell you I can't ever guarantee when we will have a full five-member board but
We don't even have any of us. We don't have another office.
We'll activate you. When is our July meeting date?
My calculations is the 15th, one, two, three, the third?
The 15th. Okay. All right. Ron has a speedy recovery, whatever the issue is.
You're in guarantee you're going to have four. We will continue it to the 15th and if
something changes and we will not be able to have a. Oh, were we hearing or do we have
No, we have minutes.
But I didn't have a copy of the minutes.
You didn't get a copy of them out?
You can find them and you can give them to you.
We didn't have minutes to review.
There you go.
Oh, and we also have your report on fees.
We should act on both, right?
Nothing further from the two of you.
I'm so sorry.
Sorry.
Good evening.
Thank you.
You'll get to visit Henneker again.
We'll read the meeting, meeting minutes.
Let's talk a little bit about the staff report.
report. We got a report saying that we have 2018.
A bargain. A recommendation from is that we keep the administrative appeal fee the same, 150,
but on applications that we hear the most, either equitable waiver, special exception, or variance, that we move those from 125 to 150,
and otherwise we keep everything the same.
And then the...
Right. So it was not tied to the...
the Postal Service before.
Well, right, so it is, so we don't have to come back.
Discussion or thoughts on whether we should move on this, whether we should have different fees,
what are people's thoughts?
I don't understand why we charge him in the first.
To pay for, as I understand it, to defray Mark's cost to the town.
Oh, shit. Fire him.
That's not our choice.
It's the select board.
I had to take it, Mark.
I'll second that.
You know I'm kidding.
But that's...
my understanding, that and the paperwork for...
Well, you know, our staff is here.
What are they? Can you reframe? I don't have that in front of me.
The proposal is to go from $125, to go up $25 to $125 to $125 to $1.50.
The other thing is...
2018 to 2026. How many years is that?
Somebody, math?
Eight.
Trying to think of the cost of inflation in that amount of time.
Okay.
$0.000.
It's just...
In tax, everything.
More increases very reasonable.
Well, I think increasing the burden on people, the financial burden on them, to exercise their rights to
now he's had to engage a lawyer.
It's already expensive enough.
I don't, none of us knew this was coming when we signed up for zoning, fees like this.
Ever increasing fees.
Not that they're ever increasing.
I just think philosophically and morally it's wrong.
to exercise their rights to the initial fees that I've been around.
And I certainly object to increasing them.
No, no. I understand inflation. I understand all of that.
I'll increase at $25 over eight years, which is like $3 a year.
And I think when, unfortunately, when you live in a town, there are fees.
They pay so much money for a building permit that is close to $1,000,
when I live in a small town and it's a two-minute visit when you can get the building inspector
to come with the two-week notes.
But I understand it hurt us in the long run, not me personally meaning it hurt the town
when we didn't have a building inspector because then there was no one to give a seal.
So I just think that fees come naturally, and I don't think taxpayers should pick up that small
amount, our taxes are high enough.
I just don't think it's unreasonable for $25.
I think everything should be free, like Bob does.
Oh, no, I don't think everything.
You know, but...
No, no, no, I mean, I can see what you're saying.
But, I mean, even as far as him hiring an attorney, that's his choice.
Sure.
I mean, I don't think we're so intimidating that you really need counsel for something.
But if that's your choice to hire counsel, that's your choice.
My opinion.
T.G., any thoughts on the fee schedule?
So it does cost money to do it.
You know, I mean, we're a deal.
We're a bargain.
But, I mean, it does cost money to process the paperwork, print it out, get it,
notify, notification, somebody on the phone that can answer questions.
But those people are on staff.
They're being paid all the time.
They're not charging extra for this.
You're here.
But we have to have a certain amount of staff to do that.
Right.
And thus far, we do.
You have a postage, printing mark?
I don't have a problem with it going up $25.
I don't either.
I knew you.
You're a lawyer.
So I make a motion that we approve the increase in the increase in fees as set forth in
the staff report dated June 10th, 2026. Do I have a second?
Second the motion. Okay. All in favor? Aye. Aye. I. I'll oppose. Carries. Now, the minutes.
Have folks had a chance to look at the minute. Actually, can I just ask another question?
What does they have, what do you, what is the planning board charge for stuff?
It depends on the size of the project.
So there's charges for the, for planning board stuff too. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, okay.
That doesn't. It doesn't say minutes, but that's what they are.
That's why I got confused. Let that be the first comment. Okay. Well, we can...
The minutes on title minutes? No. No. It's not like a memo. That's why I thought it wasn't the minutes.
Yeah, I had to read it before I figured out. Wait a minute. These are the minutes.
Yeah, that's what it's true. Where is it anyway?
Amend them to, to caption them minutes so that everyone can figure out what they, what they are.
Minutes for them. It was May 20.
It was May 20th, 2026. It does have the date.
Oh, yeah, it does. Yeah. Reading through.
We heard that night, missions or errors or supplementation that you believe we need to add in?
I don't.
The driveway was pretty short. It was simplification.
It was a re-hearing discussion, right?
The comments about safety. There is safety mentioned in here, but it's about people crossing the street.
across the street and cross the street. I made a comment about the unsafe issue of entering the thoroughfare at an angle.
Oh, is that for this one or?
No, this is Frank Chen.
Oh, well, wait a minute. You said the driveway, too.
The drive, I don't know, the parking is fine.
We had a rehearing notice, remember.
You thought this was the drive.
No, this is the special exception. This is the Brooklyn.
This is the Brooklyn.
for a re-hearing, which we granted. They immediately moved to credit that.
Okay. There's nothing about her discussion on.
No, that's the prior meeting.
Yeah. Okay. All right. One of the things that makes these hard is that...
These are the minutes. They don't say a minute.
And then the second page and the minutes, third page is a minute. And then the fourth page is a new document.
Yep. I did like when we used to get them and be able to print them out and they were all on one page.
It wasn't back to back.
wasn't back to back. To me, it was easier to follow. Like I didn't, you know, I read it online
when I got the email. I didn't even realize it was the minutes.
Before we get sidetracked, can I have a motion to approve the minutes of May 20, 20, 26?
Motion.
Oh, with the caption, minutes.
Yeah.
Okay. Second.
We're talking briefly about minutes and sort of protocol.
I think Hank started to do it, and it may be because he's been
now, but it's very helpful. I think if we can get the draft minutes sent to all the board members by email as soon as they're typed, because by the time we come back here a month later, it is hard to remember specific comments.
And, you know, I think by incorporating the video into our minutes, that's helpful.
But it may be also that there are specific comments that folks made that should be in the minutes, and we're not going to remember that.
We will try to do that.
and with that I'll take a motion to adjourn.
So move.
Second. Thank you very much for coming in.