Neighbor points to enforcement case and easement dispute during New Ipswich variance hearing

A nearby resident, Lorraine, told the zoning board she had filed an enforcement complaint (town case CE25-005) alleging the applicant worked without a permit and altered the driveway, and she urged the board not to grant a variance while a related superior-court matter about an easement remains unresolved.

"On May 20, the town opened enforcement case CE25-005 against Nicholas Cormier for working without a permit," Lorraine told the board, and she said a September 30 court order bars work on or around the contested easement. She also said survey maps show the disputed driveway partially on her land and that the town’s prior code-enforcement visit had removed equipment temporarily but not resolved the underlying disputes.

Several board members agreed the pending enforcement and boundary questions complicated the board’s ability to confirm required setbacks or to determine whether the proposed parking was on a fee-owned parcel or within an easement; that uncertainty was part of the board’s deliberation in denying the variance.