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Board questions whether new plan truly reduces nonconformity, cites massing concerns
Summary
During deliberations, Exeter ZBA members said replacing three existing structures with five new buildings increases built mass and sightline impacts and does not clearly reduce nonconformity despite a reduction in unit count; those concerns shaped the denial vote.
During deliberations the board examined the five variance criteria and repeatedly returned to whether the proposal reduced nonconformity. Several members said that while the number of dwelling units would drop from seven to five, the plan increases building footprint and mass and introduces additional principal structures on the lot — a change several members described as a 'creep' into the R2 district.
Board members also discussed the lack of independent evidence on property-value impacts and noted the absence of a market appraisal. One member summarized the concern as a tension between unit counts and structural mass: "We're moving from three modest ... outbuildings ... to five large structures that ... dominate the lot," a member said during deliberations. The board found those considerations persuasive in concluding the application failed to meet criteria related to public interest, spirit of the ordinance, and unnecessary hardship.
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