Integrity of the Process

Integrity of the process is what is truly under scrutiny in the June 30 Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) hearing on the building permit issuance for 20 Central Street LLC. While the hotel is the current example, the larger concern is about the integrity of the approval process. In fact, that has been true throughout the Planning Board hearings, appeal to the ZBA of the site plan approval, and the appeal to Superior Court of the ZBA ruling. This is your opportunity to make a difference and be heard. Send an email to Kerry Leichtman, acting town manager, for inclusion in the ZBA materials. Tell them you care about the integrity of the process and will not stand for the disconnect between the site plan approved by the Planning Board and the building permit plans subsequently approved by the Code Enforcement Officer (CEO). You can learn more particulars in these earlier posts: ZBA summary, changes in use and changes in design.

Rockport, like any small town, relies heavily on citizen volunteers to run much of the machinery of the town’s business. Fifteen committees, from the budget committee to the recreation committee, are listed on the town website. The Select Board, too, is comprised of volunteer citizens. By their very nature, these arms of government have fluid staffing and are heavily reliant upon clear processes to deliver you reliable outcomes consistent with town ordinances and policies. The ZBA hearing on June 30 reaches into another process area: the application of town ordinances by municipal employees. This adds another layer of complexity because this work is done without public hearings or real-time oversight. Consequently, the integrity of the process is paramount when a municipal employee is charged with, in this case, ensuring compliance with both town ordinances and the prior approval from the Planning Board. Once that building permit is issued, the only public recourse is to appeal.

As outlined already, the process broke down this time because the structure covered by the building permit differs in very significant ways from that approved by the Planning Board. Now we test the integrity of the next process step, the ZBA appeal process. Regardless of your feelings about the hotel, you most certainly want the town’s processes to be clear, compliant, and repeatable. That should be your message to the ZBA in advance of this hearing. The Code Enforcement Officer must both ensure compliance with the town’s ordinances and with the Planning Board-approved site plan. It simply did not happen this time. Let your voice be heard as one for clear, consistent, compliant processes. Send that email to Kerry Leichtman and attend the meeting on Wednesday at 5:30PM in the Opera House basement meeting room. We’ll see you there!