Actor James Woods loses fight to stop RI neighbor from building a house next to his estate
EXETER – A Superior Court judge this week dealt Oscar-nominated actor and conservative firebrand James Woods a defeat, striking down his effort to stop his neighbor from building a home on Boone Lake.
Judge Sarah Taft-Carter ruled Monday that the Exeter Zoning Board was well within its legal bounds when it issued a decision allowing Harry Hawker III to build a two-bedroom home on undeveloped lakeside property bordering the Woods’ family estate.
The judge found that the record clearly supported the board’s finding because Hawker had designed a modest two-bedroom home with a footprint of “a mere 950 square feet” to be built in the center of the property, minimizing the amount of dimensional relief required.
It was clear to the board, the judge said, that building a single-family home on a legally non-conforming lot in the two-acre residential zone was permitted by right under the zoning ordinance. To deny the requested dimensional relief would present more than a “mere inconvenience,” Hawker would have been left unable to build at all.
More on Woods' suit against Exeter:Actor James Woods sues Rhode Island town over his neighbor building a house next door
Background on the suit
Known for his Family Guy cameos, conservative political views and charismatic portrayals, Woods sued the Zoning Board over its approval of Hawker’s plan to build a home at 0 West Shore Drive.
The 75-year-old actor had argued proper notice hadn’t been provided and that Hawker failed to show that the proposed project wouldn’t alter the character of the lakeside community.
Taft-Carter rejected each argument in turn.
“Here, the record is clear that appellant attended the May hearing and as such, appellant `waive[d] [his] right to object to any alleged deficiency of notice’ …,” Taft-Carter wrote, noting that Woods’ lawyer, Timothy J. Robenhymer, had attended the meeting after notice was sent to Woods’ West Hollywood, California address.
The Zoning Board had established, too, that Hawker’s building plan was in keeping with many of the lot and house sizes in the tightly-knit area.
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Hawker originally won approval for a dimensional variance for a two-bedroom house in 2011, but let the approval lapse. The property is a pre-existing, non-conforming lot that was created before the town enacted 2-acre minimum lot size in that residential zone.
The Hawker family for years used the land as an access point to the picturesque lake. It features a dock and firepit.
Robenhymer did not respond to a request for comment on whether Woods will seek a state Supreme Court review. Stephen Sypole declined to comment on behalf of the town.
Woods is a native Rhode Islander who graduated from Pilgrim High School in Warwick. His family has owned property on Boone Lake, not far from the Arcadia Management Area, for decades.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: James Woods loses court battle against Rhode Island town
