Lewiston Board of Appeals denies setback variance for pool at 30 Beckett Street

The Lewiston Board of Appeals on July 30 denied an application by Sandra Bishop of 30 Beckett Street to reduce the required front‑lot setback for an existing above‑ground swimming pool, concluding the petition did not satisfy multiple variance criteria required by city ordinance.

The board voted each required variance criterion separately. Members found that granting a variance would not change neighborhood character (criterion b) and would not unreasonably affect the natural environment or shoreland provisions (criteria e and f), but voted that the property was not unique and that the practical difficulty resulted from actions by the petitioner’s contractor and that feasible alternatives exist (criteria a, c and d). After the roll‑call on each criterion the board approved a motion to deny the variance.

City staff told the board the pool was originally permitted in June 2023 and that the permit site plan showed the pool located 20 feet from the front property line. Staff said the code’s performance…