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Board approves reduced side-yard setback for Baltic Road carport with height limit
Summary
The Zoning Board of Appeals granted a variance to reduce a side-yard setback from 10 feet to 5 feet for a 20-by-22-foot carport at 155 Baltic Road, subject to conditions limiting the structure to a single story and an 18-foot peak height.
The Norwich Zoning Board of Appeals on Feb. 11 approved a variance to reduce the side-yard setback at 155 Baltic Road from 10 feet to 5 feet so the property owner may replace an existing temporary cover with a permanent 20-by-22-foot carport. The approval was conditioned on a single-story maximum and an 18-foot peak height.
The applicant, identified in the record as Renee Bebo, told the board she wanted to replace a temporary ShelterLogic cover that currently protects her truck and that a new carport would better store her vehicle and a camper. She said the proposed location preserves parking access and avoids a septic line and the river on the rear of the lot.
Board discussion focused on site constraints: an older aerial base in the GIS, the location of the septic system and drain piping, driveway configuration, and the existing 10- to 12-year presence of a temporary cover. One member asked whether the applicant might later enclose the structure; another noted the board can impose conditions to limit future conversion. A motion to approve included explicit hardship language referencing topography, the septic line and driveway configuration.
The board approved the variance with a 4–1 vote. The motion authorized a 5-foot side-yard setback for a 20-by-22-foot carport, limited to a single story with a maximum 18-foot peak height. The applicant was told of the 15-day appeal period and was instructed to file the formal decision in the city clerk’s office and then pursue the permits required (administrative zoning permit and building permit) before construction.
Board members said they reached the decision reluctantly in light of the site's constraints but sought to limit future expansion through the height and one-story conditions.
Key details: the application (B2501) requested relief from Zoning Regulation section 4.14.1 (side-yard setback) for a 22-by-20 carport; the property was identified as Assessors map 6, Block 1, Lot 22 (R-40 zone). The board specified an 18-foot peak height limit and single-story restriction as part of the approval.
