Chester zoning board adjourns Torres application after code change

The Town of Chester Zoning Board of Appeals voted to adjourn the application filed on behalf of David Torres after a recent local code change made the variance potentially unnecessary. The board’s chair said the update was adopted but will not take full effect until it is filed with the secretary of state, a process the board said typically takes several days to up to two weeks.

Julie Bell, a board member, told the applicant that once the clerk is notified the local law has been filed the applicant could withdraw the application; the withdrawal would then be noted at the next meeting and the applicant would not need to return in person. “Once the clerk is notified that the local law has been filed … then you would just withdraw your application,” Bell said.

The applicant raised practical concerns about starting repairs before the code is finalized. The board advised against beginning work until the change is official. After discussion, board member Dan Dollinger moved to adjourn the application to the next meeting; Julie Bell seconded the motion, and the board voted in favor.

The adjournment relieves the applicant of returning immediately while preserving the record should the applicant choose to withdraw once the new code is officially filed.