The Boothbay Appeals Board will check municipal records before rendering a decision on a Murray Hill resident’s petition. On Aug. 12, Marcia Rowland asked the board to research two past planning board decisions before rendering judgment on hers.

Rowland owns a summer home on 57 Murray Hill Road with Suzanne Adams. The couple live in New Vineyard and were looking to improve their summer place by adding a 35-foot by 10-foot deck on the residence’s east side, along with completing interior renovations and shoring up structural support underneath the shed. 

But on May 15, the planning board unanimously denied their application, ruling there was no buildable area. Rowland told the appeals board a code enforcement officer indicated town ordinances allowed her renovations, but the planning board disagreed. 

During the appeals hearing, Rowland cited past planning board decisions in December 2017 and July 2015 which two Shore Road applications, also in the shoreland zone, received approval for a bunkhouse addition and adding a deck despite having zero buildable area. 

“This is why we are appealing the planning board decision because they approved something like this in the past,” Rowland said.

The appeals board wanted to further review Rowland’s claim and voted 3-0 to table the matter. Chairman Dick Perkins also wondered why the applicants didn’t seek a variance instead of an appeal. The board directed Code Enforcement Officer Jason Lorrain to review Department of Environmental Protection Chapter 1000 regulations and municipal ordinances to see if the applicants can add the deck by eliminating a barn. 

The hearing reconvenes at 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 26 in the municipal building's meeting room.