Vicorjh, so that was you, eh ? The chair did inform everyone that the meeting would be recorded both public “and private. “
I now believe that ZBA meetings can be added to sausage making and politics as things you may not want to see in action. But you do need to see it.
I found myself questioning club lawyers strategy at beginning, but as events unfolded they appear to have correctly anticipated where the ZBA and neighbors were going to try to take it, and for most part cut it off.
Disclaimer. IANAL, and have no information other than being at last nights meeting, (and not having attended prior ZBA hearing felt a bit like I came in middle of a movie ). But from my observation the club legal position was the club was only there to discuss the current permit application. That legally the ZBA cannot use any alleged or actual past transgressions of zoning , permitting, or any other past activities in making their decision, that the ZBA can only base their decision on information in the application and from the hearing, and the club will only answer questions regarding the application. This defined a narrow box for discussion.
I suspect the ZBA was annoyed ( kind of human nature) being told want they can and can’t do, and that their limited role was to approve or deny the application and it is not to regulate the club. To the ZBA credit it did not show.
While the club declined to answer some questions. the town council did bring up the elephant in the room that we were here because of litigation in state land court and suggested we answer questions on the 1000 yard range. Club response was they are still separate issues and a not so veiled if we aren’t successful here we would be happy to return to land court but wouldn’t it would be better if both sides resolved it here and spent our $$ on other things?
To ZBA chairs credit, he did attempt to restrict neighbors comments to current application on the two shelters, and cut them off when they went after past issues or other issues. That eliminated 90% of their comments. Last neighbor did highlight site plan in package was not stamped by surveyor. It was resolved that club has submitted site plan with surveyors stamp.
I can’t tell you which way this will go. A lot of legal fencing at times. I believe club offer of site visit was both timely and necessary. I believe ZBA was flexible in scheduling it ASAP while keeping with notification requirements of open meeting laws. Site visit by ZBA is NOT open to public, so they cannot deliberate there. Meeting will resume immediately after site visit.
We shall see.
Again this is just my personal opinion of what I think transpired having been observer in the room. I do not represent GB&GC or anyone else. I could be entirely wrong.
