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Zoning board grants five‑year extension on guest house sunset at 19 South Baptist
Summary
After hearing testimony from the applicant and an objector, the Zoning Board extended the previously recorded two‑year sunset on a guest‑house special use permit for 19 South Baptist to five years (effective from the current sunset end), rather than removing the sunset permanently.
The Newport Zoning Board of Review voted 4–0 to amend a previously recorded special‑use permit by extending the original two‑year sunset to five years for a guest house at 19 South Baptist Street. The applicant, John McCarthy, had sought permanent status after two years of operation without formal violations; neighbors submitted mixed statements with one objector citing noise and lighting concerns.
Attorney J. Russell Jackson said McCarthy had operated the guest house responsibly and supplied letters of support from nearby neighbors. McCarthy testified there had been no city citations or noise violations since his approval and provided client and operation details, including a two‑car maximum, three‑night average stays and an age minimum for renters.
Neighbor Stephanie Guinan objected, saying the approval would devalue adjacent property and complaining that previously imposed conditions (a six‑foot landscape buffer and dark‑sky lighting) had not been implemented. The board discussed whether to apply the newer 'category 2' special‑use standards retroactively and ultimately compromised on a five‑year extension so staff can monitor operations under current policy changes.
The board instructed staff and counsel to incorporate the five‑year timing in the recorded decision; the extension takes effect from the end of the initial two‑year period (January 2025). The applicant was told future annual registration with the clerk's office remains necessary and failure to maintain required registrations or approvals could result in loss of the nonconforming right.
