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Keene zoning board approves variance to rebuild home at 53 Aldrich Road within existing 38-foot setback
Summary
The Keene Zoning Board of Adjustment unanimously approved a variance allowing a single-family dwelling at 53 Aldrich Road to be demolished and replaced in essentially the same location 38 feet from the side property line where a 50-foot setback is required, citing lot shape, steep slopes and wetlands that limit other buildable areas.
The Keene Zoning Board of Adjustment unanimously approved a variance allowing the replacement of a single-family home at 53 Aldrich Road to be rebuilt 38 feet from the side property line, where the zoning ordinance requires a 50-foot setback.
City staff said the subject parcel is a roughly 12.2-acre lot (tax map 234-010-000) containing a single-family residence built in 1960 with approximately 1,257 square feet of living area; the existing house sits about 38 feet from the side property line. The lot contains steep slopes and wetlands, and staff said the current house location is the only relatively flat area suitable for development.
Wendy Pelletier, representing the petitioner and Cardinal Surveying and Land Planning, told the board that the parcel is an “abnormal shape” with steep terrain and wetland areas that make relocation of the dwelling impractical. Pelletier said the proposal would replace the existing house with a similarly sized dwelling “no closer than the existing dwelling” and would not increase the nonconformity.
The board reviewed the variance criteria cited by staff, including the rural district purpose and the nonconforming-structure provision that prevents relocation of a nonconforming structure unless relocation would render it conforming. Board members discussed site topography, the proximity of an existing stone wall and the adjacent Monadnock View Christmas Tree Farm parcel, and agreed that moving the house elsewhere on the property would require lengthy driveways or encroach on wetlands and steep slopes.
During deliberations the board members said the application met the standards for a variance: granting it would not be contrary to the public interest, would preserve the spirit of the ordinance, would do substantial justice, would not diminish surrounding property values, and denial would create an unnecessary hardship owing to the lot’s special conditions. The board noted the proposed dwelling would remain a single-family use and would not increase the existing setback nonconformity.
Adam Burke made the motion to approve the variance (ZBA2025-02); Edward Guyot seconded. The board recorded a unanimous favorable vote from the five voting members present: Richard Clough, Edward Guyot, Tad Shrantz, Adam Burke and Zach Leroy. The board closed the public hearing and issued final approval on the motion.
Key details recorded in the hearing record include the property address (53 Aldrich Road), the petitioner’s mailing address on the application (61 Aldrich Road), the tax map number (234-010-000), the existing 38-foot setback versus the 50-foot requirement, the lot size (about 12.2 acres), and the existing house year of construction (1960) and living area (approximately 1,257 sq. ft.).
