From:	Karen Edwards
Sent:	Monday, March 07, 2016 12:44 PM
To:	Karen Edwards
Subject:	FW: ZBA March 8 | Boley/Zych application to build at 80 Wiswall 
Road



From: RobinM []  
Sent: Monday, March 07, 2016 12:18 PM 
To: Karen Edwards 
Cc: Audrey Cline; Rob Swift; Ann Welsh 
Subject: ZBA March 8 | Boley/Zych application to build at 80 Wiswall Road

Greetings, Karen --

Please forward this note to the Zoning Board of Adjustment for tomorrow night's meeting. Thank 
you.

*

Zoning Board of Adjustment
Durham, NH 03824

                        RE: PUBLIC HEARING on a petition submitted by Jennings & Celie Boley, 
Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on behalf of Terry W. & Linda E. Zych, Intervale, New 
Hampshire, for an APPLICATION FOR SPECIAL EXCEPTION as per Article IX, Section 
175-29(B) of the Durham Zoning Ordinance to construct a house and septic system on an 
existing lot of record within the Wetland Conservation Overlay District.  The property involved 
is shown on Tax Map 14, Lot 27-2, is located at 80 Wiswall Road, and is in the Rural Zoning 
District.


Dear Members of the ZBA --

As a former member of the Conservation Commission and one who has advocated for the 
protection of our wetlands and shoreland over the past 9 years, both as an individual and as a 
member of the Town Council, I write to ask you to urge the applicant to reduce the size and/or 
configuration of the proposed house so as to avoid entirely any encroachment into the 
wetland setback.

Wetlands are not just a developer's nuisance. They play important functions, including providing 
us with cleaner drinking water (as in this case, along the Lamprey) and mitigating flooding. 
While each case before the ZBA must be considered on its own merits, the cumulative effect of 
granting exceptions and waivers for our shoreland and wetland protection is significant.

Purchasers of land within Durham cannot help but be aware of the broad dispersal of wetlands 
throughout the community and the related building challenges. Thus, even for purchases made 
prior to the adoption of our Wetlands and Shoreland protection overlays, there had to be a 
willingness by the buyer to take on a *caveat emptor* risk: one might not be able to do exactly 
what one wanted on that given property.

Please take seriously the concept of *death by a thousand cuts* threats to our WPO and SPO 
zoning. Where it is a question of *want* or *like to* on the part of a property owner who comes 
up against the common good, please urge the applicant to consider alternative solutions.

For example, couldn't the two areas of encroachment shown on the site plan be eliminated (1) by 
shortening the length of the porch and moving the garage in/tighter or (2) by creating a chamford 
corner (cutting it on the diagonal) -- perhaps with an attractive window -- on the house? Or could 
the size of the structure be reduced entirely? (The site plan does not show these measurements.)

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely yours,

 
Robin Mower 
Durham, NH 03824 
 
* * *