Wolfeboro Zoning Board votes to continue Poplar Island hearing for on-site visit

The Wolfeboro Zoning Board of Adjustment voted to continue a hearing on variances and a special exception for a lot on Poplar Island in Lake Wentworth and scheduled a site visit to the property.

Board Chair Suzanne Ryan opened the June 9 meeting and described the item as a “continued hearing” for an application involving 11 Poplar Island and a request for two variances and one special exception. Ryan moved to continue the hearing so board members could inspect the island in person, saying, "I'll make a motion to continue this hearing to do a physical site visit of Poplar Island, Walk 11." The motion passed by a 4–1 vote, and the board added a date, time and meeting place for the site visit.

The move to visit the island came after multiple board members said they could not evaluate the application from the submitted photos and a brief video. Audrey Klein, vice chairman, said she was "personally not sure we should hear the case tonight" and that she "feel[s] like I need to physically visit the site" to assess how the proposal fits the neighborhood. Other members similarly said shorefront lot coverage, the size and placement of a shed, and the relationship of existing structures to the proposed house required in-person inspection.

Board members set the site visit for "Friday the thirteenth" at 3:00 p.m., to meet at Mass Landing (8 Silver Street) and travel by boat to 11 Poplar Island. A board member or island resident offered transportation and said, "I can provide transportation. I'll just I'll figure it out. I'll make sure that we have a large enough boat for everyone." The continuation to permit the site visit was the formal action taken; board members also agreed to reconvene on the regular meeting schedule to take further testimony and act on the application.

The record shows the application asks for two variances and one special exception under local zoning provisions; the board packet referenced "article 175, section 64 c" and noted Shorefront Residential maximum allowable lot coverage of 30 percent. The applicant and island residents told the board they faced time constraints because of seasonal access and earlier permitting delays; one participant asked the board to schedule the site visit promptly because of the limited summer season.

For the record, the board voted 4–1 to continue the hearing to permit the site visit. The transcript does not record a complete roll-call vote listing all members by name for each recorded yes/no vote. The board also confirmed it would take up remaining agenda housekeeping (minutes) at a later meeting.

The Zoning Board of Adjustment will revisit the Poplar Island application after the site visit and at the board’s next posted meeting.