Board approves small after‑the‑fact setback variance for Valley High Park unit

The Worcester County Board of Zoning Appeals on July 9 approved an after‑the‑fact setback variance for a park model located at 12342 St. Martin’s Neck Road in Tax District 5.

Applicants John and Fran Leachat told the board the unit’s bay window overhang places the park model roughly 1.04 feet into the required 10‑foot front setback and about 0.12 feet into the 5‑foot rear setback. “We found that it’s encroaching into the setback a small amount … about 1 foot,” the applicant said in testimony. The applicants said they discovered the encroachment only after receiving a survey and that the unit has sat on the lot for about three years.

Staff cited the relevant zoning code sections and confirmed the request was for an existing RV and cooperative campground arrangement. Board members questioned parking compliance and whether two required parking spaces could be accommodated; applicants responded the site plan shows required spaces and said the screening structure the owners had contemplated is not being installed immediately. One member also noted the code allows some bay‑window encroachments but only up to a limited portion of a wall.

After discussion and a motion with a condition that the applicants notify the park operator and verify parking placement, the board carried the motion and approved the variance. The approval allows the existing placement to remain and does not authorize other new encroachments beyond what was presented.

The board’s action resolves the zoning status of the unit but leaves the applicants responsible for complying with any additional building or permit requirements if they later install the previously discussed screening room.