Town Council Appoints Two to Zoning Board of Review

The Portsmouth Town Council chose two new members for the Zoning Board of Review at the start of Wednesday's meeting.

The council voted to appoint John G. Borden of 41 Mill Lane and James Hall of 45 Lehigh Terrace to the zoning board. The vote was unanimous with only council member Jeffrey Plumb absent.

The town council received four applications vying for the two seats.

Borden has been employed by Roger Williams University for more than six years. He is a former member of the zoning board, Design Review Board and Community Plan Subcommittee.

His appointment came after a recommendation by zoning board Chairman Kevin M. Aguiar.

Town Councilor Dennis Canario asked Aguiar if he would recommend Borden, who resigned from the zoning board 11 years ago.

"I think he (Borden) would be an excellent candidate," Aguiar said. "That would provide the board with the most stability."

The second appointment, Hall, is the operator of Aquidneck Construction Inc. and a graduate of Portsmouth High School. He is the owner of a local utility company that "deals daily with issues that would come before the board," according to his application.

"I think my experience and understanding of town issues will help," Hall wrote.

Also applying for the board were William Ashman of 4 Common Fence Boulevard and Phyllis C. Cloutier of 22 Short St.

Ashman has been employed by the Atlantic Beach Club in Middletown for the past 23 years. He has also served as an electrical engineer for two years and as a surveyor's assistant for a year.

According to his application, Ashman was interested in "being involved with community development and preservation."

Cloutier is a former chairwoman of the planning and zoning boards for the village of Shawnee Hills, OH. Cloutier said she sought a position on the board to "provide experience and help with the town of Portsmouth's board as they experience growth."

The two zoning board seats were previously held by alternate Brian Kelley and longtime member Ken James. Both members stepped down within hours of each other on Aug. 19.

Kelley stepped down due to a change of address. "Due to a sudden and unforeseen change in my residence, I will be unable to perform my duties as a Zoning Board alternate and therefore I will have to resign effective immediately," he wrote in a letter to Town Clerk Kathleen Viera Beaudoin on Aug. 19.

Longtime member James, who served on the board for the past 12 years said he was stepping down for health reasons.

"Thank you for the opportunity to contribute to my community," James wrote in his resignation letter. The Town Council also voted Wednesday to send a certificate of thanks to James for his service to the town.

Both resignations came at a challenging time for the zoning board, which is in the process of weighing several petitions, including Greenvale Vineyards' request for a special events permit.

Both Hall and Borden will be sworn into office this morning at Town Hall. Their first official zoning board meeting will be held tonight at 7 p.m.