Hearing on Lot 5, Highland Road continued as applicant awaits town-line survey results

Christopher Hanson, the record owner and applicant for Lot 5 on Highland Road, asked the Town of Charlton Zoning Board of Appeals on Jan. 16 for a continuance while a recent survey of the town line is reviewed by the assessors and state reviewers.

Hanson told the board he had the town line surveyed with GPS equipment and that the corrected plan is now with the assessor’s office for confirmation. "What we did is we actually had the town line, surveyed," Hanson said, and he asked the board to delay further action until the assessor and state review confirm whether the surveyed line changes frontage calculations and the need for variances.

The zoning enforcement officer reported that the parcel as currently shown on a 1996 plan may lack required frontage depending on the final location of the town line; if the surveyed line places frontage on Ethia Drive, Hanson’s lot configuration could change the need for a frontage variance and the proposed access arrangement. The enforcement officer and other board members told Hanson the applicant should wait for the assessors’ verification and for any state-level review of the survey monuments before the ZBA makes a decision.

Multiple abutters and residents spoke at the hearing. A resident at 98 Shore Road said the area has a long history of informal use and described existing condition concerns. Lisa Camilleri of Highland Park said the proposed common driveway would run next to her property and expressed concern about whether the land could support two houses and their septic/leach fields; she was advised to consult the Board of Health on Title 5 requirements and setback rules for wells and septic systems.

Neighbors raised additional concerns about construction activity, equipment blocking roads, and alleged improper work already under way on nearby lots that the applicant does not own. The board clarified that enforcement of on-site construction practices and any potential hazardous actions (for example, reported open gasoline containers) are matters for the building inspector, the fire department or police, not the zoning board.

Hanson said the lot in question is roughly 2.5 acres. Town staff and the board described historical plans (including a 1931 plan and a 1996 Kaczynski plan) that have been used for decades to determine property lines, and said the assessors and the town’s GIS officer (Matt Franz) were reviewing the newly submitted monuments. The board noted that if the survey results show the town line is further into Spencer, the legal frontage and access rights could be affected and might require legal advice for affected property owners.

After hearing from abutters and staff, the board voted to continue the hearing for 30 days so the applicant and town staff could complete review of the survey and provide any updated plans or determinations to the ZBA. The motion to continue was seconded and carried on a voice vote.