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Portsmouth commission approves wetland permit for ADU stair at 323 Jones Avenue with conditions
Summary
At its March 2026 meeting the Portsmouth Conservation Commission approved a wetland conditional-use permit for 323 Jones Avenue to allow a south-side ADU entry stair, adding stipulations for crushed stone beneath the stairs, 1/4–1/2-inch spacing for deck/stair boards, and wetland boundary markers along the buffer.
The Portsmouth Conservation Commission on the March 2026 meeting approved a wetland conditional-use permit for 323 Jones Avenue to allow an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) entry stair on the home's south side, subject to three staff-recommended stipulations.
Pete Evans, the applicant, described the project as an ADU with an entry stair on the home's south side. "I'm trying to do an ADU with stairs on the south side of the house," Evans said, explaining the stairs will be the main entry and exit for the unit. Evans did not identify an affiliation beyond ownership.
Julie Myers, who said she is Evans's wife, answered commissioners' questions about the stair footprint and substrate beneath the stairs. "It's currently grass. I'm just going to put gravel down or you know, stepstones," Myers said. She confirmed the applicants will follow the staff memo's guidance on spacing between deck boards to preserve permeability.
Commissioners pressed for detail about how close the stairs come to the wetland and how to mark the wetland boundary for landscapers and future maintenance. The commission's standard stipulation—setting small wetland boundary markers at 50-foot intervals measured from the 25-foot buffer—was added to the approval. Commissioners also asked that crushed stone be installed beneath the stairs and that stair/deck boards use 1/4–1/2-inch spacing to allow water permeability.
The motion to approve the conditional-use permit passed on a roll-call vote. Voting recorded in the meeting: Talia — yes; Alice — yes; Barbara — yes; Brian — yes; Oliver — yes; Lynn — yes; Chair — yes.
The permit includes the three stipulations discussed at the meeting: crushed stone under the stair footprint, the specified spacing between deck/stair boards to allow drainage, and placement of wetland boundary markers along the buffer. The applicants agreed to include plantings where feasible but noted poor soil and deer browse may limit success.
Next steps: staff will incorporate the stipulations into the official permit language and the applicants may proceed once the conditions are satisfied and any required building permits are in hand.
