Lakehouse Recovery still has not sought approval to operate in Francestown, according to town officials.
The residential sober living facility at 345 Scoby Road on Haunted Lake opened on July 25 without informing the town. On Sept. 19, the Board of Selectmen announced that it was not operating within accordance to Francetown zoning laws and that Lakehouse could cease operation or go before the Zoning Board of Adjustment.
As of Dec. 27, Zoning Board Chair Silas Little said it has not appeared or applied to appear before the board.
“We only deal with those things that show up and if it hasn’t shown up, we don’t have a separate investigative measures or anything like that,” Little said.
The ZBA’s next regularly scheduled meeting will be at 7 p.m. on Jan. 12, 2017. The selectmen have sent Mark Hatfield, founder of Lakehouse Recovery, a letter saying it would be prudent for him to submit an application before the end of the year so he can be on the January meeting agenda. Town Administrator Jamie Pike said he is confident that will happen. He also said Hatfield has been communicating with the Francestown code enforcement officer.
“We encouraged him to make haste to go before the ZBA and he has not done that,” Selectman Henry Kunhardt said. “If we [the Board of Selectmen] had made a bigger process out of it, it would have been appealed by the abutters, so either way it would get to the ZBA.”
There is an online application and fee to appear before the zoning board, and Hatfield would have to notify the property’s abutters.
Hatfield said about seven residents are part of his residential 12-step recovery program. He says the key to his treatment philosophy is accountability and a highly structured schedule.
“We’re trying to be low-key about it,” Kunhardt said. “We’re not trying to make a big deal but if he doesn’t move forward on it, we’ll move him forward.”