Accountability posts

Here's what happened at Sunapee's Zoning Board of Adjustment meeting on March 26, 2026 — and why residents should pay attention to a few specific issues.

**Conflict of interest concern over a board candidate.** Community member Ann Bordiano used public comment to flag that applicant Lisa Hoekstra is the founder of a short-term rental corporation that filed a lawsuit in January 2025 challenging the legality of Sunapee's short-term rental ordinance. Bordiano's concern: appointing someone in active litigation against town ordinances to the very board that adjudicates those cases would undermine the board's impartiality. The board took this seriously enough to go into a closed (non-public) session under RSA 91-A:3, which allows private deliberation on matters affecting the reputation of individuals. The session minutes were sealed. When the board returned, it appointed three alternates — Arthur Melville, Kirk Bishop, and Stuart Greer — and Hoekstra was not among them. The sealed minutes mean the public cannot see the reasoning, but the outcome speaks for itself.

**An unintended consequence of the new height definition.** Voters passed a 2026 zoning amendment that now includes rooftop deck railings and parapets in maximum building height calculations. Staff warned the board on 3/26 that this creates an unanticipated burden: existing non-conforming boathouses — common on Sunapee's lakefront — would now require a full variance application just to add a safety railing. The board flagged the boathouse special exception for review with the planning board, but no immediate relief was offered to affected property owners.

**State law is overriding local zoning on two fronts.** First, accessory dwelling units (ADUs) are now allowed by right on any property in Sunapee under a state law retroactive to July 2025. Staff told the board plainly: the town cannot legally prohibit ADUs even if it wanted to. This affects all zoning districts, including the rural residential zone that makes up 80% of the town. Second, a new state law limits required parking to one space per residential dwelling unit — but the board identified a legal gray area: does this apply to short-term rentals? Staff was directed to get a legal opinion. That answer matters a lot to neighbors living near high-traffic STR properties.

Official minutes from this meeting have not yet been published. When they are, they'll include full roll call votes and additional detail. Keep an eye on the Town of Sunapee's official site. https://meetingwatch.org/nh/sunapee/zoning-board/2026-03-26/ #MeetingWatch #SunapeeNH