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Fielding planning commission approves variance to allow shop 13 to 16 feet from property line
Summary
The Fielding Planning Commission voted unanimously to grant resident Wade Anderson a variance that allows his new shop to sit about 13–16 feet from the property line, aligning it with existing nearby buildings, commissioners said.
The Fielding Planning Commission voted unanimously to grant a variance allowing resident Wade Anderson to place a new shop about 13 to 16 feet from his property line, rather than the larger setback measured from the roadway, commission members said.
Commissioners said the variance was intended to match nearby existing buildings and the footprint of a previous lean-to shed that Anderson removed. Anderson told the commission he wanted the shop “as close as I could get it to where the original barn was at,” and noted the old structure sat roughly 12 feet from the road edge.
The commission discussed whether offsets should be measured from the road or from the property line and emphasized that town setbacks are based on property lines. Members observed that the town-owned roadway is about 45 feet wide in that area, that a secondary water line runs about 6.5 feet from the pavement, and that matching the existing pattern of buildings would reduce future conflicts with neighbors or future curb, gutter and sidewalk work.
A member moved to approve a variance that would allow Anderson’s shop to sit roughly 13–16 feet from the property line to align with existing buildings; another member seconded the motion. The motion passed on a unanimous voice vote. Commissioners told Anderson they would mail paperwork confirming the variance to his PO Box 171.
Commission discussion flagged two practical concerns that informed the decision: the proximity of a secondary water line and the possibility of future street improvements that could require curb, gutter or sidewalks. Commissioners also said they preferred field checks (measuring from a neighboring recently surveyed lot or checking stakes) before finalizing exact placement and agreed the measure should be explicitly described in the variance (13–16 feet from the property line, matching existing buildings).
The commission did not impose additional conditions in the meeting record beyond the setback range and the requirement that the variance align with existing structures. No building permit or other inspections were recorded in the transcript; commissioners did not say when Anderson may begin construction beyond mailing the variance notice.
