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ZBA grants setback variance for chimney relocation at 3 Gull Road in Rowayton
Summary
The board approved a variance allowing homeowners at 3 Gull Road to relocate an existing chimney within an existing nonconforming secondary front setback; applicants presented historic lot constraints and neighbors submitted letters of support.
The Norwalk City Zoning Board of Appeals voted unanimously April 17 to grant a variance that allows a homeowner to relocate an existing chimney at 3 Gull Road, a corner lot in Rowayton, where a change to the city's 2024 zoning rules created a new secondary-frontage setback that rendered the existing chimney nonconforming.
Attorney Alexis Brooks, representing homeowners Deborah and Jack Smith, told the board the lot is legally undersized (0.1322 acres) and predates current zoning. The relocation moves the chimney five feet toward Gull Road but does not increase the encroachment on the secondary frontage (Pine Point Road); the chimney would remain about 12.4 feet from Pine Point, where a 20-foot secondary-front setback is now required under the amended regulations.
Brooks said the work is part of a renovation that will rebuild the chimney and update floor plans; architect Rem Bogodzinski described the move as improving interior layout and exterior balance while not increasing intrusion into Pine Point Road setback.
Staff told the board that under current rules the project requires a variance and that the coastal site plan review memo from Amelia Williams indicated the activity is exempt from Planning & Zoning review. Several neighbors filed letters of support that staff read into the record, including letters from Ben and Catherine Holmes (24 Ensign Road) and Kathy Shea and Mark Berry (36 Pine Point Road). There were no speakers in opposition.
After board discussion, members said the lot's historic size and corner shape supported a hardship argument. The board approved the variance and recorded the vote as unanimous.
The applicant is responsible for securing any building permits and complying with applicable building-code requirements for the rebuilt chimney.
