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ZBA approves Campbell Family Trust front‑setback variance for South Main Street lot
Summary
The Wolfeboro Zoning Board of Adjustment approved a variance for the Campbell Family Trust (case 16B24) to allow a new residence to be sited further back on a parcel on South Main Street, citing site constraints including a sewer easement and poorly drained soils at the front of the lot.
The Wolfeboro Zoning Board of Adjustment on Feb. 3 approved a variance requested by the Campbell Family Trust (case 16B24) to allow a new residence to be placed closer to the existing cottage’s footprint and farther from South Main Street than the ordinance’s required front setback.
Why it matters: The board found that special site conditions — including a historic sewer-line easement near the road and intermittently poorly drained soils in the front of the lot — limit where a replacement dwelling can be placed without extensive disturbance. The board concluded that substantial justice favored the applicants and that the proposed location would not diminish surrounding property values.
Tim Peloquin, a licensed land surveyor representing Brent and Maria Campbell, told the board the parcel is roughly three acres and described the proposed replacement house and the constraints on the lot. Peloquin said the existing cottage sits well back in the field and that placing a new dwelling in the front would require building on lower, poorly drained soils and conflict with a sewer easement that runs near the front of the property. He also provided a realtor’s letter (dated 11/08/2024) supporting the applicants’ position that placing the house in the proposed location would be more marketable and better for the neighborhood than siting it near South Main Street.
Board members reviewed the five statutory variance criteria in sequence. Board members who supported the variance emphasized that the new dwelling would be closer to the front setback line than the existing deteriorated cottage, would preserve the site’s historic setting and long driveway, and avoid constructing in intermittently flooded soils. One board member dissented in part, arguing that the applicants could likely move the structure closer to the sewer easement and be more conforming; other members rejected that as impractical given the soils and easement.
After deliberation the board voted to approve the variance with conditions. Conditions read into the record require the applicant to secure all applicable federal and state permits and the Town of Wolfeboro building permit before construction; the approval is limited to the plans submitted in the application packet dated 11/08/2024; the notice of decision must be recorded in the Carroll County Registry of Deeds at the applicant’s expense; and the variance must be exercised within two years or as extended under local ordinance. The board also noted appeal rights to the county superior court.
Votes at a glance: Case 16B24 (Campbell Family Trust) — Variance from Chapter 175-71B (setback): approved, roll-call unanimous.
Next steps: The applicant must obtain required permits, record the notice of decision, and proceed with plan review for a building permit.
