Planning board flags location, historic and driveway concerns in referral of large accessory-dwelling variance to ZBA

The Planning Board discussed a variance request to permit a 2,018-square-foot habitable accessory dwelling on a 14.5-acre lot and agreed to forward comments to the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA).

Board members noted the size of the requested habitable accessory space exceeds usual allowances and urged the ZBA to weigh community character, the substantiality of the variance, and environmental impacts—especially the extensive driveway engineering and potential disturbance required to reach the proposed location. Legal counsel reminded members that the ZBA’s balancing test requires the board consider community character, substantiality, environmental impacts, alternatives and whether the need for the variance is self-created.

The Planning Board encouraged the applicant to appear before the Planning Board for a fuller site-plan presentation—particularly to show driveway alignment and possible tree/stream impacts—so the ZBA will have those planning-board concerns on the record when it weighs the variance request.