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fatlazyless · 12-19-2007, 08:55 PM

Hot off the presses from this morning's Laconia Daily Sun, it's another gigundic, block-buster, earth-shattering, Lakes Region totally-relevant story. And no, you probably wouldn't be reading a story like this in one of the other papers. If it were not for the LaDaSun, all these local Lakes Region issues would just all go unnoticed. Three cheers for the Laconia Daily News....hip-hip hurray....hip-hip hurray, and one more time here.... a great big hip-hip hurray.....(get the message)!!!
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Petition aimed at Ames Farm called 'spite zoning'

Gilford Planning Board will decide on Jan. 7 whether to recommend change along Rte. 11 to voters

By Adam Drapcho
The Laconia Daily Sun

GILFORD - The Planning Board held a public hearing Monday night on a petition-driven zoning amendment that asks voters to re-zone a section of the town's Resort Commercal district to Single Family Residential. They heard two sides of the story, but put off picking which side they believe to be right until their January 7 meeting.

The chunk of land in question is a 2,000- foot wide band that runs along the Southwest side of Rte 11, from the intersection of Highland Drive to the Alton town line. It entails about 335 acres, and the Ames family owns about 80 acres within the affected area. The land is directly across Rte 11 from the now controversial Ames Farm Inn.

Because the amendment to the zoning ordinance was brought forward by a petition, the Planning Board is only deciding whether to recommend the amendment or to not recommend it; the board cannot change one word of the amendment before it goes to the voters. As Planning Director John Ayer told the board. " It'll be on the warrant either way."

Riley Road resident Steve Nix spoke in favor of the zoning amendment. "A majority of this area is already built as residential homes," he said. He counted about 70 residential units in the area, and currently there hasn't been much if any commercial developement there. Any existing commercial operations would be "grandfathered" and allowed to continue, Planning Board members stated.

By re-zoning the area to single family residential, Nix stated, it would prevent the scenario wherein an unsightly commercial operation, such as a boat storage faciliy, could be built in the middle of a residential neighborhood. "It makes no sense from a planning standpoint...What has happened on the ground is not what it is zoned for."

Highland Drive was chosen as the Northwestern border of the rezoned area, Nix said, because commercial developement exists beyond that.

Rod Dyer, an attorney representing Ames Farm Inn, said the petitioned amendment is motivated for all the wrong reasons, and is an attempt by the neighbors of Ames Farm Inn to take out some of their frustrations relating to perceptions of improper busness practices. Ames Farm Inn is currently being sued by the town for expanding the operation's use of the land beyond what was described in a site plan review dating back to the 1980s. "Let's be frank," Dyer said, "this petition wouldn't be in front of you if we hadn't had the brew-ha-ha with Ames Farm that is currently before the Planning Board."

Dyer quoted a portion of the town's Master Plan that states that the town should encourage economic developement and the services that make Gilford a friendly place for visitors. He said the re-zoning would be a "Trojan Horse" that would, by removing commercial zoning and replacing it with residential, ensure the future of Gilford as a "bedroom community."

Furthermore, Dyer said that "spot zoning" - rezoning exercises that entail small, specific parts of town - is generally suspect. Due to the association with ill feelings of some in town towards Ames Farm Inn, Dyer said it isn't even "spot zoning' but "spite zoning."

"It simply would be inappropriate for this matter to go forward wih the recommendations of the Planning Board," Dyer said. He added that he would request "findings of fact" from the board if they did recommend the amendment.

Board members were conflicted over this issue. As member John Morgenstern put it, "These people built houses, they knew they were in the Resort Commercial zone, now they want us to change it. I have a problem with that. On the other hand, I live in this zone, and I would like to see it all residential because it is residential."

Chairman Polly Sanfacon said "I am really on the fence with this myself. It's a lot to digest. I want some time to think about this."

Adam Drapcho
Laconia Daily Sun, December 19, 2007

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
What's interesting to me is that
Gilford uses the SB-2 style of voting on town issues so when it comes to the town deciding how it feels about a zoning change, it has a warrant vote. Voters get to read and decide in the privacy of a voting booth with a paper 'warrant explanation' right alongside their choice of a yes or a no vote. Polls typically are open from 7am -7pm.

Meredith uses the Town Meeting style of voting on a zoning change issue. In the open town meeting room, people get to express their opinions about the proposal, and afterwards a public vote is held with a show of hands. In the case of very close votes, a hand count is taken.

And the difference between an SB-2 poll and a Town Meeting poll can result in a very different vote result ...............how about that?....................hey remember the voice of Howard Cosell.,,,,...huh?

12-19-2007, 08:55 PM	#70
fatlazyless Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 8,787 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 300 Thanked 1,022 Times in 744 Posts	...in today's newspaper! Hot off the presses from this morning's Laconia Daily Sun, it's another gigundic, block-buster, earth-shattering, Lakes Region totally-relevant story. And no, you probably wouldn't be reading a story like this in one of the other papers. If it were not for the LaDaSun, all these local Lakes Region issues would just all go unnoticed. Three cheers for the Laconia Daily News....hip-hip hurray....hip-hip hurray, and one more time here.... a great big hip-hip hurray.....(get the message)!!! ................................... Petition aimed at Ames Farm called 'spite zoning' Gilford Planning Board will decide on Jan. 7 whether to recommend change along Rte. 11 to voters By Adam Drapcho The Laconia Daily Sun GILFORD - The Planning Board held a public hearing Monday night on a petition-driven zoning amendment that asks voters to re-zone a section of the town's Resort Commercal district to Single Family Residential. They heard two sides of the story, but put off picking which side they believe to be right until their January 7 meeting. The chunk of land in question is a 2,000- foot wide band that runs along the Southwest side of Rte 11, from the intersection of Highland Drive to the Alton town line. It entails about 335 acres, and the Ames family owns about 80 acres within the affected area. The land is directly across Rte 11 from the now controversial Ames Farm Inn. Because the amendment to the zoning ordinance was brought forward by a petition, the Planning Board is only deciding whether to recommend the amendment or to not recommend it; the board cannot change one word of the amendment before it goes to the voters. As Planning Director John Ayer told the board. " It'll be on the warrant either way." Riley Road resident Steve Nix spoke in favor of the zoning amendment. "A majority of this area is already built as residential homes," he said. He counted about 70 residential units in the area, and currently there hasn't been much if any commercial developement there. Any existing commercial operations would be "grandfathered" and allowed to continue, Planning Board members stated. By re-zoning the area to single family residential, Nix stated, it would prevent the scenario wherein an unsightly commercial operation, such as a boat storage faciliy, could be built in the middle of a residential neighborhood. "It makes no sense from a planning standpoint...What has happened on the ground is not what it is zoned for." Highland Drive was chosen as the Northwestern border of the rezoned area, Nix said, because commercial developement exists beyond that. Rod Dyer, an attorney representing Ames Farm Inn, said the petitioned amendment is motivated for all the wrong reasons, and is an attempt by the neighbors of Ames Farm Inn to take out some of their frustrations relating to perceptions of improper busness practices. Ames Farm Inn is currently being sued by the town for expanding the operation's use of the land beyond what was described in a site plan review dating back to the 1980s. "Let's be frank," Dyer said, "this petition wouldn't be in front of you if we hadn't had the brew-ha-ha with Ames Farm that is currently before the Planning Board." Dyer quoted a portion of the town's Master Plan that states that the town should encourage economic developement and the services that make Gilford a friendly place for visitors. He said the re-zoning would be a "Trojan Horse" that would, by removing commercial zoning and replacing it with residential, ensure the future of Gilford as a "bedroom community." Furthermore, Dyer said that "spot zoning" - rezoning exercises that entail small, specific parts of town - is generally suspect. Due to the association with ill feelings of some in town towards Ames Farm Inn, Dyer said it isn't even "spot zoning' but "spite zoning." "It simply would be inappropriate for this matter to go forward wih the recommendations of the Planning Board," Dyer said. He added that he would request "findings of fact" from the board if they did recommend the amendment. Board members were conflicted over this issue. As member John Morgenstern put it, "These people built houses, they knew they were in the Resort Commercial zone, now they want us to change it. I have a problem with that. On the other hand, I live in this zone, and I would like to see it all residential because it is residential." Chairman Polly Sanfacon said "I am really on the fence with this myself. It's a lot to digest. I want some time to think about this." Adam Drapcho Laconia Daily Sun, December 19, 2007 ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' What's interesting to me is that Gilford uses the SB-2 style of voting on town issues so when it comes to the town deciding how it feels about a zoning change, it has a warrant vote. Voters get to read and decide in the privacy of a voting booth with a paper 'warrant explanation' right alongside their choice of a yes or a no vote. Polls typically are open from 7am -7pm. Meredith uses the Town Meeting style of voting on a zoning change issue. In the open town meeting room, people get to express their opinions about the proposal, and afterwards a public vote is held with a show of hands. In the case of very close votes, a hand count is taken. And the difference between an SB-2 poll and a Town Meeting poll can result in a very different vote result ...............how about that?....................hey remember the voice of Howard Cosell.,,,,...huh? __________________ ... down and out, liv'n that Walmart side of the lake! Last edited by fatlazyless; 12-19-2007 at 09:37 PM.