Looks like Truro’s infamous “Kline House,” now owned by Tom and Kit Dennis of Springfield, may be back in Court despite a $3 million settlement between the owners and the Town.
Several neighbors recently requested that the Town’s Building Commissioner to enforce the zoning bylaw with regard to the Kline House. No one disputes that the settlement did not serve to ameliorate the zoning violation which was the driving force between the denial of a certificate of occupancy and, eventually, a tear-down order (not to mention years of litigation). The Building Commissioner declined to enforce the zoning bylaw, and the neighbors appealed to the zoning board. On April 3, 2017, the zoning board voted 6-0, without discussion, to uphold the Building Commissioner’s decision. The neighbors now need to decide whether they will appeal the zoning board decision to the court.
The neighbors’ objection, based upon their attorney’s letter and comments made after the zoning board hearing, is that the Town cannot decline to enforce the bylaws simply because a rich homeowner can afford to pay the Town a substantial amount of money. In the words of one neighbor, “the laws apply equally to everyone. The rich don’t have one set of laws and one for the rest of us. We’ll continue to fight for as long as we can.”
Looks like the Kline House litigation isn’t over.
For some background, check out our earlier blog posts on the subject. For more current information see this article.