ADR split over pool setback at 78 Shady Lane; supports FEMA house lift with noise and materials conditions

The Ross ADR on March 18 reviewed a design‑review amendment and variance request at 78 Shady Lane. The property owner seeks to lift the house to comply with FEMA base‑flood elevation rules, to amend previously approved plans slightly (a 7 square‑foot foyer reduction and a 6‑square‑foot bay expansion), and to install a 12‑by‑24‑foot pool and an outdoor kitchen in the rear setback. The application also includes new landscaping, permeable paving and a proposed steel driveway gate and fence.

Designer Leslie Jones and the project team said the house currently sits below the FEMA base flood elevation; raising it from the existing 27 feet 7 inches to 29 feet 6 inches would put the structure above FEMA requirements and remain under the local 30‑foot height limit. The team reported they reduced impervious surface from 4,132 square feet to 3,328 square feet by replacing concrete with permeable pavers and reinforced gravel and by increasing planted areas.

ADR members broadly supported lifting the house for FEMA compliance and supported the small interior square‑foot swap. However, members were divided on allowing the pool and related hardscape in the rear setback: several ADR members cited precedent and setback policy and said they could not support a pool five feet from the rear property line; others said the lot’s configuration and existing intense uses justify the exception. Because ADR is advisory, the division will be noted in the staff report to the Town Council.

Neighbors and the project team discussed mechanical equipment placement and noise control. The applicant said pool equipment would be behind the proposed garage (about 6 feet from the property line) and that equipment chosen would be quiet (reported at about 52–53 decibels). Staff and ADR members noted the town standard referenced in the meeting for property‑line exterior noise is roughly 55 dB and asked the applicant to evaluate baffled enclosures, vibration‑reducing mounts and additional screening. One neighbor requested relocation of the main HVAC equipment; the applicant revised plant selection and proposed a platform and side screening. ADR also asked for higher‑box‑size plants along shared property lines so screening establishes sooner rather than later.

Members expressed design concerns about proposed exterior materials — a mix of full‑height stone veneer and stucco — and recommended the applicant work with staff and ADR members on a refined cladding approach that better fits the neighborhood’s scale and the change created by the house lift. ADR also discussed the proposed six‑foot steel fence and auto gate at the front and recommended consideration of a lower front fence height or additional planting so the gate reads less industrial from the street.

The ADR’s advisory record will note: support for the house lift and square‑foot swap; mixed recommendation on the pool in the rear setback (split opinion); requests to study HVAC noise mitigation and to refine materials and fence/gate detailing before the matter proceeds to Town Council.