Lack of Quorum cause of appeal board cancellation
NORTHEAST HARBOR , April 6 - A member of the Zoning Board of Appeals had an unexpected visit to the hospital which led to the cancellation of the meeting Tuesday to consider the application of 11 Barnacles Way.
The board had two other members who recused themselves from consideration of the application, so it was left to the minimum number of five. With another member out, it could not muster a quorum.
This application has been in front of the town boards since June 2020 when it was approved by the planning board. The decision then was appealed to the appellate ZBA Last August. The appeals board canceled meetings for two months for a lack of quorum until it finally heard the appeal in November and then kicked it back to the planning board for clarification.
Bill Ferm, chairman of the appeals board and moderator of the town meeting, does not return phone calls to The Quietside Journal, which would have asked him for his latest plan to have a workable appeals process for the Town of Mount Desert.
I have written about the problem of declining volunteerism on boards and committees. https://theqsjournal.com/2020/11/21/boards-committees-services-atrophy-as-volunteerism-fades/
It’s anyone’s quess whether Heather Evans or William and Marjorie Grace will have their say in front of a board with a reasonable response time in town.