Most meetings in Truro are remote. Go to truro-ma.gov and click on the meeting you want to watch. The agenda includes instructions on how to join.
Thursday, April 7
- Economic Development Committee, 9:30 a.m.
- Beach Advisory Committee, 4:15 p.m.
Monday, April 11
- Local Comprehensive Plan Committee, 10 a.m.
- Energy Committee, 4:30 p.m.
- Bike and Walkways Committee, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, April 12
- Council on Aging, 9 a.m.
- Board of Assessors, 10 a.m.
Wednesday, April 13
- Planning Board, 5 p.m.
Conversation Starters
Boathouse Limbo
January storms did a number on the Ballston Beach bluff, on which the house at 133 South Pamet Road sits. Thomas and Kathleen Dennis, the owners of what they call the Boathouse, hurried to secure emergency certification from the conservation commission, and on Feb. 2 the house was moved back from the edge of the dune to a spot that straddles the Dennises’ 133 South Pamet property and Thomas Rocco’s 131 South Pamet property. (The Dennises had received Rocco’s permission to do this.)
This location is temporary. The owners have had 12 weeks since the move to get approval from the zoning board of appeals for the exception they need to move the house to the spot where they would like it to stay: 127 South Pamet Road — a property the Dennises bought on Dec. 17. They need zoning relief because this move would put two dwellings on one property, which is not permitted under Truro’s zoning bylaws.
The Dennises have yet to receive a special permit or a variance for this move. Their ZBA hearing began on Nov. 22 and the matter has been continued several times, first to Dec. 20, then to Jan. 24. They are now waiting out another 90-day continuation.
While the Dennises have been hitting walls with the ZBA, they had better luck with the town’s building department. On Feb. 23, their lawyer, Ben Zehnder, submitted a proposal to Rich Stevens, the building inspector, suggesting a move to the 127 South Pamet lot could happen without zoning relief — if the Dennises remove the kitchen from the Boathouse structure. This would render it a “habitable studio,” rather than a second dwelling, resolving one zoning issue.
Stevens issued a building permit on March 8, allowing the relocation only. The house is not to be occupied until the couple resolves any zoning issues that remain. On March 28, the ZBA, Thomas Dennis, and Zehnder gathered to discuss this, but only four voting members of the board were present. Technically, this constitutes a quorum, but the board voted to hold off on hearing the case in hopes that a fifth member can be present at the next meeting. —Jasmine Lu
