Commission hears request to modify 2016 special-permit conditions at 89 Chichester Road; public concerns raised about driveway and year-round access

The Planning & Zoning Commission took testimony on Tuesday on a proposal to modify conditions tied to a 2016 special permit for 89 Chichester Road, property owned by the Buchanan Beautification League. The applicants requested changes that would broaden access to a small structure used for garden operations and remove calendar restrictions on indoor access to the shed.

David Ruchi, acting for the applicant, said the league wants to permit volunteers (rather than limiting the language to “members”), allow the garden shed to be available year-round during daylight hours for volunteers and expand permitted storage to include tools and materials beyond the hanging ‘baskets’ previously referenced in the conditions. Ruchi said the main operational change sought is access to a toilet and storage “so that when people are on-site, they can actually use, honestly, the bathroom in the site. That's really the main reason why we're here this evening.”

Neighbors raised concerns about driveway encroachment and about whether recent site improvements had been made in compliance with conditions of the 2016 permit. A neighbor said the applicant’s recent driveway work encroached on adjacent property and that a prior license required removal of any encroaching paving during repairs; the commission noted driveway boundary/fence/easement disputes are civil matters between neighbors and outside the commission’s direct jurisdiction. The conservation commission provided technical comments and the wetlands commission has an open file and has required additional materials; the applicant reported ongoing wetlands-mitigation work tied to site improvements and said more information will be provided to the wetlands agency.

Commissioners clarified that the existing 2016 condition that “no monthly Buchanan Beautification League general membership meetings will be held in the gardening shed” remains in place and that the applicant explicitly disavows plans for large membership meetings in the shed; the applicant said their monthly meetings are held elsewhere. Several commissioners asked for specifics on how many volunteers use the garden during the off season and how many cars the parking area accommodates; the applicant said roughly 20 volunteers are on the list and typical volunteer workdays see 6–8 people at once, with two to eight cars in the site’s parking area depending on layout.

The commission left the record open; applicant and staff agreed to provide additional information from the wetlands commission and related materials. No final decision was reached on modifications; the application remains pending.