As you may have read in the papers, several abutters have decided to appeal the ZBA decision to grant us a variance for the 27 Hampton Road Property with a "complaint" filed in NH Superior Court. This filing is a complaint against the town of Exeter, not SFP. They are asking for a ruling on the town law regarding the variance granted, not SFP (or what we do). This action by the abutters was expected, and SFP is prepared. We budgeted for litigation and we continue to move forward raising money to support our new day center and our mission of helping our families experiencing homelessness.

This process has been long, and the SFP Board of Directors has continued to evaluate the decision to move forward on this property. The building at 27 Hampton Road meets nearly all of our requirements, and the inventory for suitable real estate in the Seacoast is tight and going up in price. The SFP Board still believes that 27 Hampton Road is our strongest option.

Some of the complaints filed with court documents are false and some outrageous. The comments from the complainants can be upsetting, but we know who we are and what our mission provides to families. Our strong persuasive evidence came out in the ZBA ruling. All the points in the court complaint were discussed already by the ZBA and they UNANIMOUSLY voted NOT to rehear the case and stood by their decision. The case will most likely be heard in late September or early October. We feel confident in our case; we have a wonderful attorney (Sharon Cuddy Somers of DTC Lawyers in Exeter) with years of experience in land-use litigation). Until then, we will stay the course.

Thank you for continuing to stand with SFP and our families, and for helping us spread the word about the great work done by SFP in our community!
 

Seacoast Family Promise Board and Staff