Ross ADR recommends 78 Shady Lane pool project be forwarded to town council despite concerns about lot size

The Ross Advisory Design Review on April 15 recommended forwarding the application for design review and a variance for 78 Shady Lane to the Ross Town Council for final action.

The applicant proposes an in-ground pool, patio, bar and outdoor kitchen in the rear yard. Staff reported the applicant moved pool mechanical equipment into the garage, increased the rear setback from an originally proposed 5 feet to 9 feet 8 inches, and corrected plantings (changing an earlier note of 15-gallon English laurel shrubs to 24 box trees on the south side). The applicant also revised front-yard fencing and gates from a proposed 6-foot core-10 mesh design to 4-foot-high wood gates and fences.

The ADR discussion focused on whether the lot is appropriate for a pool given its constrained size and a history of variances in Ross. Several members called the design changes improvements—lowering and changing materials for gates and moving equipment into the garage was viewed favorably so long as the relocation did not eliminate a conforming single-car parking space. Members asked whether the garage interior could still provide the 9-by-18-foot parking dimension after equipment placement; the applicant said the garage interior measures about 13 feet 6 inches and that equipment could be positioned to preserve a conforming parking space or be enclosed within additional framing if required.

One ADR member said the lot (about 9,696 square feet, per materials shown) is considerably smaller than other lots with approved pools and expressed concern that approving the variance would further erode the meaning of setback rules. That member nevertheless deferred the final legal finding to the Town Council. Other members said the context—driveways on two sides and an adjacent neighbor with a pool—was a factor that could support a recommendation. Two ADR members recused themselves from the review because of proximity to the project; the remaining ADR members voted to forward the recommendation to the council, with several expressing reservations but supporting council review.

Staff clarified that the ADR’s recommendation covers both the design findings and whether to support the findings required for a variance; the Town Council may accept or reject the recommendation.

The applicant supplied a neighbor approval letter from 80 Shady Lane and said it had been coordinating privacy screening with the neighbor at 1 Locust. The applicant also confirmed the pool equipment would be raised above base flood elevation as required and could be further enclosed inside the garage if necessary.

The recommendation will be placed on a future Town Council agenda for final decision; ADR members asked staff to include the project’s revised plans and the applicant’s neighbor letters for that hearing.