Board grants special exception for two‑family replacement on Procter Hill Road with conditions

Attorney Morgan Hollis told the board his client sought to replace a deteriorated two‑family building with a new two‑family structure and had prepared plans and cost estimates showing major repairs would total about $230,000. Hollis said the proposal would keep the property as a two‑family use, upgrade safety and building systems and proposed a new septic where required.

"That cost is around $230,000," Hollis said when summarizing major structural and systems work behind the decision to rebuild rather than repair. The board questioned whether the demolition and rebuild counted as a permissible “alteration” under the town’s nonconforming‑use rules or whether the change would require a variance. After discussion the applicant withdrew a proposed detached garage from the package to avoid pushing the alteration over a threshold of concern.

The board granted the special exception on ordinance questions and adopted conditions: the applicant must receive Historic District Commission approval for final design, the septic must be inspected and upgraded if required, and the board placed a condition that no additional principal structures be constructed on the lot without returning for approval (accessory structures remain allowed). The board recorded its findings and the requirement that conditions be met before construction.