Planning board continues Lake Ellis Country Inn hearing after neighbor raises bridge and traffic concerns

The Dover Planning Board on Thursday continued the public hearing for an application to convert an existing residential parcel at Lake Ellis into a small retreat lodging operation and extended the applicant’s submission deadline to June 24.

Planner Warner told the board the proposal would adapt multiple existing structures on a 236-acre parcel in the RU zoning district into lodging: the main house would become a 12-unit lodging building and the garage (the annex) a six-unit lodging facility. The applicant emphasized the use was intended for week- or weekend-long retreats rather than transient, nightly lodging and that events would be limited and primarily intended to supplement the applicant’s business.

Neighbor Ara Shelby, who identified herself as the owner of Falconwood Farms at 188 Lake Ellis Road, told the board she is the nearest private neighbor and asked that the board investigate traffic and bridge safety if larger events are permitted. “The bridge has recently undergone a change… It used to be stack stone. Now it’s back to concrete,” Shelby said, adding she has observed unreported accidents involving ATVs and golf carts and asked whether the single-lane bridge can safely handle concentrated arrivals and departures for events.

Planner Warner and Engineer Burgerer said the town received a fire department letter earlier that day and that the applicant, planner and fire and highway staff will meet on-site this week to address outstanding safety and access questions. The board asked for a written response to the fire department’s comments for the record before advancing the application.

Board members discussed potential numerical limits and timing controls for events; staff said an upper annual limit on the number of events and more precise per-event caps remain under negotiation. The applicant has proposed a 200-person maximum for an event as a possible upper bound but staff and board members noted that 200 people would not equate to 200 cars and that traffic flow and single-lane access remain the primary concerns.

Member Emma Williams moved to continue the public hearing to the next meeting; the motion was seconded and carried. The board also voted to extend the application's deadline to Wednesday, June 24 at noon to allow the applicant to provide revised materials and the written response to the fire department. The public hearing will remain open to additional written and in-person comments once the requested agency responses are received.

Next steps: staff will circulate the fire department and highway superintendent comments to the applicant; the board intends to consider the revised site plan and a finalized event-limit proposal when the materials return to the agenda.