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Committee reviews nonconforming-structure rules after rewrite led to more variances for expansions
Summary
ZAC members said a recent overhaul of the town's nonconforming-use provisions removed some prior special-exception pathways and now leaves applicants seeking variances for modest expansions; they asked staff to compare earlier and current language and return a proposal.
Members of Alton Town's Zoning Amendment Committee told staff Wednesday to revisit the town's nonconforming-structure provisions after the ordinance rewrite removed language that previously allowed controlled expansion under special exception standards.
Committee members described a prior approach that allowed owners of dilapidated or nonconforming cottages to voluntarily tear down and rebuild, and in some cases to expand within defined limits under a special-exception process. The recent rewrite, they said, eliminated the expansion pathway and replaced it with a stricter rule that permits repair and replacement but generally prohibits expansion, driving many applicants to seek variances.
Town planner Jesse MacAother and code official Norma Dietrich said the current language has resulted in more variance requests for modest, often technical changes such as adding a basement or extending rooflines. Several members suggested restoring language that would allow voluntary demolition and controlled rebuilding with the possibility of limited expansion under objective criteria, handled by a special exception rather than routine variances.
The committee asked staff to assemble the earlier ordinance language, highlight what worked and what did not in the previous version, and propose revisions that balance property owners' ability to rehabilitate structures with the town's need to manage nonconformities. No formal amendment was proposed or adopted during the meeting.
