the meeting of the Southwick Board of Appeals. Uh in attendance we have Dan Tobias, U Bill Liss, Wendy Cordiero, and Chris Mastriani. Uh Mike parent advisory
was not able to attend tonight. Uh we this is a hybrid meeting on Zoom and are we doing audio? We just not just listen recorded on recorded on
Zoom to uh the future publication on the on the website. Uh we are going to approve some bills. We're going to review the meeting minutes from March 10th and uh and then approve those. Uh
so we'll just take a few minutes to read through that. Okay, we're back live. So, I'm going to make a motion to accept the meeting minutes from March 10th, 2025 as written. Okay, we have a motion to accept the duties in a second.
Second. We have a second from Dan. All in favor? I I'll unanimously approve the minutes from March 10th. [Music]
We had extra copy just for my minutes. Oh, sorry. Sure. Um, yeah, I think that's all all the policy work we need to uh to deal with. Uh we have a new application
for 126 feeding hill roads that will be heard on May 12th, two weeks from Yeah. two weeks from today. Uh it's rather lengthy application. Um after
after reviewing it, I contacted the the homeowner to uh make a site visit there just to kind of uh boil down to what the essentials of of what he's actually trying to do because there's a
couple different uh variations that are kind of all included on on his drawings there. So, um, what I discussed with him was this. Basically, they was looking for
two two things, an addition added onto the house and a carport uh for out of weather storage for uh for the two vehicles. the addition. Um, he had it marked out to 16
feet, but he wasn't quite sure that was going to be 14 or 16 feet. More more than likely he'll go with 16 ft. I think he definitely needs it. If we Yeah, we just change probably a little less on the carport. Maybe if we gain some living
space, buy more important. My guess, right? So, so that that's that's pretty much cut and dried is that it won't be any closer to the road than the existing house. So, that's that's usually makes it
uh pretty easy for us to uh to accept. There is there was some u discussion about where his front property line is. If you if you look at the um the town map or town website, it's it looks
like it's about 30 ft out. I think it's 18 ft from the road. Yeah, I told him usually rule of thumb is 15 because they allow for sidewalks and all that, but but uh so yeah, it's he that took him by surprise that it was that. But either
way, I think he's got plenty of depth for as far as the back setback. So, we had to adjust the numbers that he's he's looking for. Um, so the front front setback variance will be 50 ft on the property line, which we're
going to assume is 15 or whatever off the street line. Yeah, I I had measured it. It's I think 18 18 feet. Okay. Call by the town man. So, it's a 50 foot variance. He wants to be 25 ft from the property line, but
that'll actually put him 43 feet from the the street, which is which is pretty much representative of what everybody else in that neighborhood is. I don't know how this this is agricultural zoning there, but
uh but that's from a different time. Um then the the other thing is the carport. Uh he he put on this drawing the 24 by 24, but I told him that that I didn't think that that was going to make it. So he he
was looking at a 20 by 20. Um you could probably live with an 18 by 18 if if if necessary, but the the 20 by 20 would put in uh 8 ft from the side property line. So
it will be a 12 foot variance because it's it's 20 feet. Yeah. To do that, he's got to modify his deck, cut back the size of his deck, which which is up here. It's pretty generous. It's pretty generous size. So he didn't that was his
his idea and I agreed that that would be the a necessary thing to do because it was uh it's pretty big and to tuck everything over so it'll be a lot closer to the addition. And he's gonna set this carport back from the from the deck
even. There's a pool back there. Yeah, there's a pool and then there's a fence and he's going to butt the carport up to that fence. It's going to be set back from the new addition which is probably look a lot a lot nicer. Sure. Uh I
forgot if it's maybe in I don't know 10 feet or so farther back. So um it'll be well, farther back from the street than the new addition. So that that isn't a problem. And then the the the so the
issue is how close to the sideline um we can we can kind of allow and uh with an opensided port I I didn't really see a problem with the eight and I know we usually
shoot for not more than 50% but uh so that's I think that will be the the negotiated thing when when you have the uh when you have the needing but because you know other than that it's he's got good reasons for needing these things.
Oh yeah. The hardship was plenty. I told him but between the weather the size of house you slam and four people in right now. Yeah. And they're not they're young so they're not getting smaller. They're going to be bigger and there is no dining room and or mud room. would be
great to have a place to kind of the house want to invest in property and stay there and uh so so that's you know they're all excellent reasons um and you know since since there's no
garage we we've typically uh said yeah we you need a you need covered storage in the winter here. So if we did if we did if he's got 40 feet and we did 16 plus a 20 foot garage or carport. Yeah.
That puts him at 16. That that puts in or eight. You need eight. Eight. That puts in eight from the property. But he needs 20 aside, right? Because of the Yeah. But the other side only has 18. So we have to do variance there too then
if that's the case, right? um to make it right. But if we're going to redo all that, you should because now if they want 20, you should have two for even them on that side just to make the 18. Yeah, you you're probably right. I didn't I mean to me I like to clean you like to clean them up when we're doing
them all once give them that because if somebody checks it I think right and left two different ones but I I think that that's probably Yeah. Okay. It's smart. It wouldn't hurt. Let's put it that way. So be it protects the property. So right
left. So the right side variance would have to be two feet, right? Left side would be 12 two if he stuck if we stick with a 20 foot garage and 16 foot addition. Oh, which I think is fair. I don't think a 24 is I mean you're going
to be that'll be down to what eight four or five feet off the line. Yeah. I like to get as much as we can. Yeah. Even at 8t be honest with you, you probably could get a vehicle still through there for the most part. Yeah. ambulance or something like that. You're not your small truck, you're not going to get the big fire trucks. But if you had a what, you know, the uh horse truck or
something like that, that's that's usually a 3/4 ton and it'll it'll fit. Yeah. But um the other side's got 18. So that's very accessible. They want 20 in this zoning, but we normally have 15 is what they want, you know. So he's got enough, but we might as well make the
lot kind of all in one, right? Fix it going forward. Get building permit. He's going to need a lot area and a lot for sure. What is it like two two acres or something for agriculture? It's ridiculous. 60,000 just and then the frontage is
200. So he's got 100 foot variance there, right? So automatically, you know, and then the setback like you said. Yeah. I mean, this is this is as bad as the R28 R2A. Yeah. Which is six across the street from here. Um, I think I don't know,
maybe we want to put a a condition on it that he he can't put he can't enclose that side of the power, especially the left side towards the the line. Yeah. I mean, unless it's like a clear, let's say it's a wind barrier, put plastic or
something, but that could just turn to wood pretty easily. But I don't think he I don't think if we put it in there, he's not going to care. Yeah. He just wants something that, you know, coverage. I think we might if we had to justify the 8 ft. I think if we said
that open that side has to be open. U so I would make a note on there. Make a note of that. I never put too much of Tony. Yeah. He didn't express any desire for turning this into a garage. No, not
literally not at all. He says I don't need a garage. I got a good shed back there. If I empty that out, I can put storage. But he says it's the car and utensils and stuff and the kids waiting for the bus even outside, you know. But he, you know, if we shut him down, if he wants the 24 and we said 12, I think I'd
rather take a living area. Yeah. I just 4 feet gives you another closet or something. You know what I mean? In a bedroom or something if they added it. Yeah. Because it's it's his vehicles are such that you know that I think the 20 is Yeah. is is especially with the open
sides, you're not going to be banging and you got deep, right? Yeah. You're not going to be banging the door into the wall. Yeah. Yeah. Um and as far as like I said the topography, you can't the septic tank is behind the house, right? Leechfield the
pool. There's nowhere to go back unless he went all the way up. That was the other option was doing the whole Yeah. He had mentioned that somebody proposed that to him. He wasn't It was like the idea that if you went up completely, you could go and then have a carport too, you know, and have a good morning and four. But yeah, it comes
down to this. Yeah. There's another hardship for me. Yeah. Right. Yeah. I just pull a camper in the back, you know. But yeah, the idea, like you said, because it's kind of flows where the deck is, you can lose
some of that to get the carport just kind of continue. And he did have a good example. Like I said, the house near Grisn, if you draw down that way, it's exactly what he's looking to do. It's just a little different design, but it does have a the addition in a carport they put on it years ago. It was way
before our time in the board, but you know, they had it somebody had to do it because it was just a ranch just like every other down that strip. Yeah. So, so we made a note there. So, you can you get copy of these notes for me for your stuff so I can have it for Okay. I'll um you want to leave with me?
I'll make copies for you. We're have I can scan and email to you or vice versa. Yeah, I'll I'll scan it and email it to you. Okay. So, um I you know, otherwise I don't see any hiccups. Dan, do you see anything that makes stands out? Holy this
couldn't happen. No. So, we're looking at 20 on the carport. Yeah, correct. Which will give you eight eight feet total? Um then we have a 12oot variance to get 20. And then the opposite side, he only has 18. So, we're going to give him two back to get the 20 on both sides. Okay. The w the sides a lot and
then the frontage and the set back. The back lot is fine. He's got he's got a mile. Yeah. Where set the back line, but um Yeah. I mean, and it's open design, which again I liked. I said you start pulling that's that's you get the room and the grass a lot. I said if you have
a carport that's that's feasible, right? And then the room is where living that's more important to them. I think even if you didn't get the carport, you would probably do 24 on on the addition. But I think if you can get both, yeah, there's a compromise, you know. Um, but yeah,
one of I didn't see anything else that conversation. He said, "Well, maybe I'll put that carport and then then put a lean to on the side of that." Well, I said I said, "We're not linking logs here." I said, "Maybe on a shed in the back.
you put a little don't complicate this if if you get these variances there's a good chance that you can sneak that lean to in you know at in the future some somehow I told him the shed in the back put le side for extra mold or carts or
something you know right because that's kind of way in the back and it's an established building there's no boundary you always worry about cuz then you're off the road like there are folks that had the you want to do Airbnb and they already have this just in sitting there. It's like we're not going to move it. You don't need it's already there. So
bearings have already been given by some point. Just don't touch it. Don't add to it, you know. But um yeah, if if you take a I don't know if you've driven by D, but you said I know it's a pretty easy a lot of people put additions on
those houses down there, you know, trying to make them bigger. It's like Gargan Terrace or any of those. They're all were kind of cookie cutter in the 60s and 70s, you know. I told I told Kevin Bishop, "Who gave you all these bearings on his house down
there?" Right. Oh, that's right. You were policeman. Anyway, so just a question. Sure. On on the carport when you you're saying you don't want it a wall, right? So just one wall. Why why is that? Just because
you're the you're the neighbor looking at a Okay. the open open side versus looking at a blank 20 20 foot wall. He's got a good like he told me he goes I have a good relationship with but now what if you he moves now you know what I'm saying? So you got to think we have
to think of not just your likes but he's looking at the sort of design. If you did a carport like that it would almost look like a barn open. So that would be more pleasing. He said like the neighbor had no problem. He liked the idea it was open. He didn't really care if it was closed, but I don't think as a as a
committee we need to have some of those stipulations like we're keeping it cuz you're creeping pretty tight. Yes. If he had 15 or 20 feet and he wanted to do God bless you if we can get but I said literally it's from here to the pole right almost. So yeah, you know, and to your point, you open a door, you're not
banging bang, you know, cuz there's only 20 couple cars in there, it's going to be tight. But unless it was a smaller car, you know, but having it open and you open the door and you see, you're not you're not looking at a, you know, 15 foot tall wall. Yes. Right in your outside your bushes, you know. Yeah.
Because that literally it's going to be closed. There's just a split rail fence on that side. So it is open into the the neighbor's yard. So having a carport there is isn't going to make it, you know, this big chunk of of something. It's right next to the right next to the
butter. So I think I said, you know, the sunlight goes all kind of good stuff happens. You don't darken an area, you know, neighbor has light that doesn't get blocked because because the sun kind of comes up that way. As I'm just I'm thinking way outside the box here. But I said I'm just that's what we think about. I said we take these things, you
know, kind of pragmatically. We just don't rubber stamp stuff. Yeah. And historically, you know, without some questions or at least thought process, which he's he did. I told him, "Put some thought into what you want and then have a couple options cuz you may not get the first one." So, you go, "Uh, oh, what's
next?" You know, so I think he did that pretty well. So, okay. I don't have any other questions. I think uh No, I don't I think it's pretty straightforward if if he agrees with some of the stuff that we're talking about, which I don't think he's gonna have a problem doing. I don't think so. Yeah. Yeah, I I can't think of
any other predictions really to put on. Yeah, it's just unfortunately a kind a few variances for a small for a small project, you know. But again, if we clean it up, it at least good for the future. But if he sells it, it is good, you know. So, he doesn't plan to, I don't think, but
you never know. Life changes. Yeah. Okay. Um All right. What else? That's pretty right. Okay. I think it's my discussion. Oh, 39 Lake View Street. Daryl Grafton.
How does that sound familiar to me? But he has a house that he want he has a carport on that he wants to make into a garage. The roof line is the same as the house goes all the way across the carport. Remember on the way home I'll take it right by 39
Lake View. You said so it's one continuous 39 lake view. Y it's one continuous roof line and close that into a garage. Okay. He did not know when he would be getting the application in, but I did tell him, you know, how it has to be advertised and the amount of time it
can take. So, y hopefully you'll see that our next meeting. Boy, I heard a lot of grumblings about bungalow. Wow. They made it made it a dead end street now. Kind of a cut down the bottom and through. It's locked off. Bungalow. Bungalow streets over by the lakes.
There's lake draw, lake view, bungalow, the summer drives over there and all those. So a lot of lot of it's like a cut through for a lot of people. Now it's not. Yeah. So it was just like overnight barriers up and you know I don't know if
that's a town decision or if that's a committee decision. I don't know how those were done. Decision is what I heard. That's kind of what I got. Somebody who bought the property and that's their property. Well, and the thing is it's now become civil because the town was out of it's
not a public that whole area was not a public area. It was a privately held thing over the years up. Yeah. So you have anybody the canoe path all of a sudden it's like nope you don't bring your Yeah. That happened on the lake. Yeah. Well right away. Yeah. Lake guys
like you got to take them personally to court because doesn't have any booty over it. They don't take care of it. They don't maintenance. It's not even you know on a map. So, okay, we good. I put a motion to adjurnn.
I have a motion to adjurnn. I have a second. I have a second. All in favor? Hi. Hi.