To the Editor:
Oh, what a circus, oh what a show…” is the first song in Evita, one of my favorite musicals. What took place at City Hall last Monday and Tuesday had all of the elements of a show without any of the entertainment value of a musical.
The trial/no-trial/witch hunt seeking the removal of a member of the Planning Board was an ill-conceived idea concocted by City Hall with the voting affirmation of the City Council.
For two nights, (12 hours) lawyers on the defense and the prosecution presented their cases. Yes, I know it wasn’t a regular trial, but truth be known, I had a hard time telling the difference; it looked like a trial to me.
During discovery or, the airing of close to the vest information, I learned a few things I didn’t know before:
- The City doesn’t seem to have an adequate way to follow up as when a building permit is issued “with conditions” to ensure those conditions were actually met by the property owner.
I thought this issue was resolved years ago after the developers of the Portwalk failed to meet the City-approved construction plan. I would refer the readers to a 2014 Portsmouth Herald article, “Portwalk Construction Doesn’t Match What City Approved – Developers face $500,000 bond for added windows, doors, more,” for additional details.
- The Planning Board can allow a permit to subdivide a contaminated piece of property regardless of the liability and health consequences it would present to the City and its residents.
Yup, you read it right. The process was stopped after the matter went into litigation.
- Many of our ordinances regarding quasi-judicial boards do not seem to be aligned with New Hampshire’s RSAs which is a must. The RSA requirements have preeminence over our own ordinances.
All and all, this quasi-trial, was an unnecessary, painful, and costly exercise that should never have happened. Even though Mr. Hewitt is now able to finish his term on the Planning Board, I find it very hard to identify the winners in this fiasco. It’s more accurate to say that we all lost.
Sue Polidura
Portsmouth
