Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Zoning board to decide on Muddy Paws LLC plan to reconfigure and add second floor to seaside dwelling; 0.9% lot‑coverage variance requested
Summary
Deborah Kathleen Frost and co‑applicant Christopher Decaro asked the Zoning Board of Review for a dimensional variance and special‑use permit to reconfigure a 582‑square‑foot home and add a second floor without changing the footprint; the board closed the hearing, signaled a favorable view in discussion, and scheduled a decision for Oct. 22.
The New Shoreham Zoning Board of Review took testimony at its September meeting on a variance and special‑use permit application from Muddy Paws LLC (Deborah Kathleen Frost and Christopher Decaro) to reconfigure the first floor of an existing 582‑square‑foot structure and add a second floor while keeping the existing foundation and footprint (Plat 6, Lot 70, 149 Old Town Road).
Deborah Kathleen Frost testified that the project will not change the building footprint or the existing foundation and that the design has received favorable advisories from the planning board and the conservation commission. She said the property is supplied by town water and town sewer and that the structure will remain a single‑family dwelling.
The application seeks a dimensional variance because current lot coverage is 25.9 percent while the zoning maximum is 25 percent; the board characterized the requested variance as a 0.9 percentage‑point dimensional variance. Frost told the board that the project has also been reviewed by the historic district commission, which issued a certificate of appropriateness (transcript reference to a certificate dated Nov. 25, 2024) and that the historic commission specified materials and window details.
Board members discussed findings of fact on the record and said the application conforms with the special‑use standards that apply to the property. One member noted the hardship is not the result of the applicant's prior actions because Frost purchased the house as it existed; members also emphasized that the footprint will not expand. In discussion, several members said they had no issue with approving the application and that the project appears to be consistent with neighborhood scale and design.
The Zoning Board closed the public hearing and took the matter under consideration. At the meeting's close the board agreed to schedule the written decision for the next meeting; a motion was made to decide the application at the board's Oct. 22 meeting (transcript: "I will move that we, make our decision at the next meeting of the zoning board on 10/22/2025"). No final approval or written decision was recorded at this session.
Why it matters: The requested variance changes lot coverage in a sensitive shoreline area and was reviewed by the planning, conservation and historic advisory bodies. The board's written findings will determine whether the variance and special‑use permit are granted.
What happens next: The board assigned the drafting of a motion/decision for the next hearing date and will produce written findings of fact for a formal vote.
