Fairfield ZBA OKs 4-foot setbacks for homeowner’s backyard shed

The Fairfield Zoning Board of Appeals on May 1 approved a variance for Jack Meyer to reduce the side and rear setbacks to four feet to allow construction of an 8-by-12 utility shed at 81 Huniadi Avenue.

The board granted the variance after Mr. Meyer said the hardship was the property’s legal nonconforming status. “Our property is a legal non conforming lot,” Meyer said, adding the lot is 5,000 square feet with a 50-foot frontage where the zone requires 6,000 square feet and a 60-foot frontage.

Board members asked whether the shed required a building permit; staff confirmed it did not because the structure is under 200 square feet but does require a zoning permit. The board discussed the limited size of the lot and agreed the proposed location was appropriate for an accessory structure.

The board voted to approve the variance unanimously. The decision allows the accessory structure to be sited four feet from both the side and rear lot lines; the applicant must still obtain the town’s zoning permit and follow any recording or fee requirements spelled out by the zoning office.

The board’s public hearing procedures require applicants to submit originals of petitions to the clerk and to record any granted waivers with the zoning office; staff reminded applicants that a waiver is not valid until recorded and that an as-built is required before a certificate of zoning compliance or certificate of occupancy for any construction-related waiver.