Applicant Joe Lamper presses for garage permit; commission asks for ordinance details and elevation plans

Joe Lamper, the applicant on the agenda, told the commission he wants to build a garage at the front of a lot on Laurel Street and hoped to begin work quickly, including pouring a foundation and coordinating concrete and crane work.

"This is front of the lot, Laurel Street. I'm wanting to build a garage here," Lamper said, describing a footprint that he expects will sit 2 feet from a property line in some spots and roughly 28 feet back in others. Commissioners pressed Lamper on how roof runoff and snow discharge would be handled and whether the accessory building would meet the town’s measurement rules. Planning member Lorraine Bailey said she would obtain the relevant ordinance language (cited as "Ordinance 5-8-2023" in the discussion) so Lamper and his builder could see whether the 2-foot projecting-point rule applied or whether the setback would have to revert to the larger, older standard.

Commissioners proposed technical workarounds, including changing the roof slope to shed water onto Lamper’s own property rather than on to neighboring lots, and requested elevation drawings to confirm building height compliance. The commission discussed alternative approaches — narrowing the proposed garage by 2 feet or reconfiguring the roof — and noted potential crane logistics if the applicant intends to move an existing house on site before building.

Lamper asked whether the commission could act sooner than the next scheduled meeting; members said they would try to facilitate follow-up but needed the ordinance citation and elevation information before making a final decision. The commission did not take a formal vote to approve the garage at this meeting. The chair asked staff to provide Lamper the ordinance excerpt after the meeting so he could revise plans and return.