September 4, 2025 · 4:00 PM
Zoning Board of Appeals
The Zoning Board of Appeals approved a setback variance for a proposed deck, over the chair’s “no” vote. No one from the public showed up or spoke during the required public hearing.
Key Decisions
Board approved a variance letting a proposed deck push into the rear-yard setback, leaving about 1’5” to an existing fence—tight spacing that the board discussed in terms of fire risk and property-line impacts.
No public comments: the chair called three times for input during the public hearing and nobody spoke or attended, leaving the decision to be made entirely from the applicant and staff presentation.
Public Input
No public comments or communications recorded for this meeting.
Agenda Items
Public Hearing
The applicant asked for permission to build a deck that would encroach into the rear-yard setback. Staff presented its findings, and the chair opened the required public hearing and called three times for comments. No one attended or spoke, so the hearing closed with zero public input—important context when a request affects close-quarters spacing near a property line.
Public Input: Chair called three times for public comment; no one attended and no comments were made.
Action to be Taken
Passed 3-1
The board debated options and focused on how far the deck would push past the required setback, leaving only 1’5” from an existing fence. Members also discussed whether the public interest was protected, including concerns about fire damage/spread given the distance to property lines and nearby structures. The board ultimately granted the variance, citing the lot’s unusual size and history (nearly entirely paved), but the chair voted no—showing this wasn’t a rubber-stamp decision even without public turnout.