Milford Zoning Board approves 2026 calendar and three residential variances

The Milford Zoning Board of Appeals adopted its 2026 meeting calendar and granted three separate variances for residential properties at 53 Melba Street, 64 Willow Street and 115 Merwin Avenue at its Nov. 12 meeting.

The board, chaired by the meeting chair (speaker 2), opened by approving the calendar for 2026 (second-Tuesday schedule with no holiday changes). "All the dates look good to me," the chair said before the board voted to adopt the schedule.

The first application, for 53 Melba Street, was presented by attorney Thomas Lynch, who said the Vedola family has owned the lot for nearly 40 years and that the property is nonconforming in R5 zoning. Lynch told the board the proposal affects only the front cottage, which will be "squared off" to enlarge the bathroom and laundry area and raised to a FEMA-compliant elevation. He said the project would add a rear deck (approximately 12 by 16) to provide required ingress and egress after elevation work and that the proposal does not increase encroachment into the existing east-side setback. "There is no increase of the nonconforming setback," Lynch said.

During questioning, board members and a public commenter…