Surfside hits some snags

After getting approval from the Historic District Commission for its proposed renovations to “Surfside,” the owners smoothly sailed through the Conservation Commission but ran into some problems during their public hearing before the Planning Board last month.32 Dodge Street Op.Co. LLC. (Plat 6 Lot 138 and Lot 141. Fire # 439 Dodge Street) needed advisories from the two committees before getting final approval, or rejection by Zoning. On October 11 the Conservation Commission’s only issues were with the use of privet for a privacy screen between the building and Persephone’s Café next door and the use of anornamental grass that Chairman Ned Phillips, Jr. deemed “invasive.” The commission called for the use of some type of native shrub instead of the privet, such as a Viburnum.“That’s not a hill any of us are going to die on,” said the landscape architect representing Surfside, agreeing to make the changes.But an application for Development Plan Review of an Application for a Special Use Permit met with quite a few questions at the Planning Board’s public hearing the next day, with member William Rose recused.The project is to “re-do an existing, old, rundown hotel,” said Attorney Joe Priestley when introducing the

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