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Neighbors contest proposed house relocation in Hammerbeam subdivision amendment
Summary
At a May 28 hearing, Hammerbeam Holdings LLC (applicant Kevin Moyer, agent Scott Baker) proposed moving a house site and extending a driveway; southwest and north abutters objected to the new, more exposed location while other neighbors supported the change. The DRB accepted the materials as complete and closed the hearing for deliberation.
The Town of Starksboro Development Review Board on May 28 reviewed a subdivision amendment and conditional-use application from Hammerbeam Holdings LLC to relocate a proposed house site and extend the existing driveway. Agent Scott Baker described grading and benching measures to limit earthwork (reported maximum fill of about 4–5 feet and cut of 1–3 feet) and said the new siting would allow a walk-out basement and reduce disturbance to steeper slopes.
Several abutters objected. Bill Norland said the proposed house location would move the house out of the woods and into the open field closer to his property; Kevin Kelley said the relocation would put the top floor and roof plainly in his main view and expressed concern about impacts on property value. In contrast, neighbor Jenny Austgen and visitor Lexy Thompson said they favored the proposed location because it reduced potential wetland impacts and provided better spacing for a future accessory dwelling unit.
Board members and staff asked technical questions about the building envelope, noting the application used a 2.2-acre envelope where the bylaw lists a 2-acre maximum; the applicant and agent explained perimeter constraints (setbacks, septic, wetlands) that informed the envelope. The agent said the driveway extension is approximately 100 feet and that steep grades exist in parts of the lot (about 20% in locations). The board voted that the application materials were complete (motion: E. Boardman; second: L. McCarthy; vote: all in favor), closed the hearing at 8:41 p.m., and moved to closed deliberations.
