Sunny Bunny Acres

1. Property Information

We purchased this property in 2015 as we fell in love with the North Country after spending every family vacation here since 1993. Our kids learned to swim and kayak at Forest Lake. In 2016 we set up a camper and used it as a 3-season vacation property, with solar/inverters. For the next few years I rented equipment and with lots of help cleared the hillside and surrounding home site. In 2020 during covid we built a cozy cabin: fully insulated timber frame 4-season and installed street power and eventually a well. In 2025–26 I built a timber frame shed because the cabin ran out of room for both family and my tools.

This will be our primary home and intent to live here full-time starting ~2030. The property is fondly called "Sunny Bunny Acres" by our family. The house will be situated to allow views of Cannon Mt to Washington.

Address	59 Hennessey Drive, Dalton, NH 03598
GPS / Navigation	Not all maps have our address. Use 500 Forest Lake Rd, Dalton for navigation Coordinates: 44.34964° N, 71.67939° W
County	Coos
Tax Map / Lot	407 / 1.3
Owners	Erik Johnson, Judy Johnson
Approximate Lot Size	18.9 acres

2. What is the Project

Home	Timber-frame hybrid (2×6 framing with timber elements). ~2,700 sq ft including finished walk-out basement. Footprint ~40 × 40. Front of house faces northwest (see site plan). Layout and design is based on the Vermont Timber Frames Ravenwood model. See current layout concepts (upstairs, downstairs). Rear decks along the back of the house — east side (entry into mud room) and west side (with stairs to ground level). Upstairs (loft) is a Jack and Jill suite: 2 bedrooms with shared closet and tub/shower bathroom. Downstairs is an en-suite bedroom, utilities, powder room, and family room/kitchen/dining room open space. Basement is partially finished with office, rec room, and potential bedroom.
Foundation & Site	Walkout basement built into the hillside with deck above. Garage and mud room on slab. Full basement can be half the footprint (20 × 40) to minimize excavation. Site work will be needed to excavate into the hillside for the basement, and terrace the west/south hillside. There are plenty of large boulders already excavated from prior land clearing to be used for earth retention.
Materials Sourcing	Vermont Timber Frames to create a bill of materials and deliver: 3D design, blueprints, engineering and assembly documents Lumber for interior and exterior floor joists, walls, ceilings, and timber accents (eastern white pine): garage, 2nd floor, living floor, finished basement rooms Roofing material Exterior siding and exterior trim Exterior doors Railings, stairs (optional) Windows Composite decking Other contractors to supply: Construction labor Site work / excavation Foundation: walk out main structure, mud room and garage slab Fasteners Interior trim Interior doors Utility integration (street power, water, septic system) Deck supports and railings Masonry (wood stove / hearth / chimney) Insulation Electrical and lighting Plumbing HVAC Appliances Sub-floor and flooring Garage overhead doors
Garage	28 × 28 ft (2-bay) with 8-ft doors. Attached to house on NE side via mud room.
Heating / Cooling	Hybrid propane/electric heat pumps (Bosch, Mitsubishi, etc.). Wood stove on living floor for heat/aesthetics.
Water	Via existing 600-ft well — a new pump and line will be dropped into the well for the home. Approx. 20 ft of trenching required for the new line.
Electrical	Via existing 200-amp street power. Existing 100-amp service to the cabin will downgrade to 50 amp, and the remaining 150 amp will service the home. Underground ~100-ft trench to be dug from meter/main breaker to home through ~40 ft of woods. Future solar with battery storage is likely. Conductors will be sized to handle a future potential upgrade to 200-amp home service. Parallel conduit for future low-voltage (PoE/coax) from home to meter panel will be run in the same trench.

3. Existing Structures (for reference)

3a. Storage Shed

Size	16 × 20 ft with 6 × 20 ft overhang
Location	West/south portion of cleared area
Construction	Concrete slab foundation, timber frame, steel roof
Use	Storage
Electrical	None

3b. Cabin — Current Living Quarters

Size	20 × 30 ft with 10 × 30 ft overhang
Location	North/center of cleared area; west of future house footprint
Construction	5′ frost wall with insulated slab, timber frame, steel roof, closed-cell foam insulation
Use	4-season home, future guest house
Water	Connected to well water supply
Wastewater	Gray water only; discharged to dry well on site — no full septic connection yet
Internet	Starlink antenna installed

3c. Low Voltage & Data

Internet	Starlink antenna installed at cabin
Low Voltage Run	Underground low-voltage line installed; noted on site plan near driveway area

4. Individual Sewage Disposal System (ISDS)

⚠ Permit Status: The NHDES ISDS approval expired April 18, 2026. Renewal/modification is required prior to construction.

Description	A prior septic design was completed for well installation. This is sized to accommodate the home and cabin. Ideally, a drain line will be run from the cabin to the home, then to the septic downhill (see site plan in Media). We are evaluating tying in the cabin to the main home septic, or creating its own septic system. Approved Plan ↗ \| Construction Approval ↗
NHDES Approval Number	eCA2022041812
System Type	Advanced Enviro-Septic (AES)
Approved Bedrooms	5 bedrooms
Approved Flow	750 GPD
Original Approval Date	April 18, 2022
Permit Status	Expired Apr 18, 2026 — Renewal Required
Designer / Permit Holder	Michael W. Carbonneau Jr., 528 Hilltop Rd, Littleton NH 03561 — NHDES Permit #01628
Septic Tank Location	East of house, between foundation and leach field
Leach Field Location	East of future house foundation, downslope; gravity-fed from house
Well-to-Field Setback	75-ft minimum (NH ENV-WQ 1000); to be confirmed on renewed permit

Owner	Erik Johnson
Email	erik@ejohnson.net
Phone	508.245.1938