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Historic District Commission approves ADU at 18 Church Street with shoreline, lighting and materials conditions
Summary
The Kingston Historic District Commission unanimously approved an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) for 18 Church Street with conditions including driveway surfacing to comply with shoreland rules, dark‑sky lighting, composite decking and a stone septic system.
The Kingston Historic District Commission voted unanimously May 20 to approve an accessory dwelling unit at 18 Church Street, subject to conditions on driveway surfacing, exterior lighting, retaining‑wall materials and septic and utility work.
The applicant, Dave Flanders, told the commission the single‑story ADU will sit far behind the main house and “you will never see this” from Main or Church Street, and that the project already has received a state shoreline protection permit. Flanders said the parcel changed through a land swap to avoid wetlands and that the driveway will be an extension of the existing access.
Commissioners said they would write the certificate of approval to lock in the materials and site details shown in the application package. The certificate adopted explicit conditions the commission said were necessary to protect the district’s appearance: approval of either an asphalt or gravel driveway only if the paving meets shoreland and wetland protections; composite decking and composite railings for the ADU’s porch; stackable architectural stone or similar facing rather than exposed poured concrete for retaining walls; a stone‑and‑pipe (flat) septic system design; no new chimney; garage doors with a barn‑style appearance consistent with the plans; and any exterior lighting to be dark‑sky compliant and down‑directed.
Flanders and his wife, Karen, told the commission the ADU will be smaller than the main house, use vinyl siding (light gray with white trim) to match the property, and have 6‑over‑6 windows consistent with the existing house. He said the septic area is shown on the plans “behind the house,” and that Joe Nichols from Nichols Environmental performed the septic work and surveys. The applicants provided a shoreline protection application the town planning office had already transmitted to state reviewers; Flanders said the state had received the permit application and that the planning board is scheduled to consider the project on June 17.
On utilities, a utility representative told the meeting that because of a long wait for an underground transformer the power will likely be brought to new utility poles along Church Street and routed overhead to a point near the driveway, then run underground to the building; underground service to the house will be installed at the final run. The representative said there is currently about a three‑year wait for an underground transformer, which is why above‑ground poles are planned for the initial route.
Commissioners discussed driveway surfacing at length because town shoreland rules limit hard surfacing close to the water; the Commission’s approved wording allows either asphalt or gravel “provided surfacing is outside the applicable shoreland/wetland buffer and meets any state shoreland protection conditions.”
Motion and vote: Commissioner Virginia moved to approve the application with the conditions described at the meeting; Dan seconded. The motion passed unanimously.
The commission instructed staff to prepare a certificate of approval reflecting the approved materials, the shoreline/driveway condition, dark‑sky lighting requirement, and the items above; staff will send the signed certificate to the applicant and copies to the building inspector and planning board.
