Dover ZBA grants Strawberry Hill horse farm permit
Dover Zoning Board approves 15-stall horse barn at historic Strawberry Hill estate.
Zoning Board · Meeting of May 7, 2026
Dover Zoning Board approves 15-stall horse barn at historic Strawberry Hill estate. The board voted 4-0 to grant Zeal Dover LLC a special permit for a horse farm on the former Blake property, owned by Chris Olson and Bob Small, replacing two aging cottages with a two-bedroom manager's house and cutting the site's bedroom count from 13 to 9. Historical Commission chairwoman Ann Reitmeyer urged protection of the 1700s-era main house, once home to the Richards family, calling it "an extremely significant house structure." Attorney O'Brien said Title V calculations already account for the horses' water use and that no zoning waivers are needed.
Separately, an applicant withdrew a contested proposal for a commercial dog kennel on Village Hill Road after community opposition, triggering a two-year bar on reapplying. The board also voted to raise its permit application fee from $150 to $400, its first increase since at least 2001.
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Source: the Zoning Board meeting of May 7, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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