The Voting Zoning Board of Appeals of the City of Norwalk continued the public hearing for an application seeking a location variance to install an in-ground pool at 222 West Rocks Road.

Staff summarized the application and noted the zoning district’s accessory-structure front-yard requirement: 60 feet required with the applicant proposing 45.4 feet, and a side setback requirement of 30 feet with 16.6 feet proposed. Staff said a compliant alternate location appears feasible and that some unpermitted site work (regrading and a retaining wall) had taken place prior to the application.

Applicant Danielle Hogan presented photos and a short slide deck describing property constraints: a steep slope separating the house from a woodsy half-acre that she says is effectively unusable, a French drainage system installed to protect the home from flooding, several retaining walls under three feet, and visible ledge rock. Hogan told the board that shifting the pool to the staff‑recommended spot would conflict with the drainage line and risk destabilizing the drain and the house foundation.

Board members questioned the depth and routing of the French drain and whether pool excavation could avoid disruption. Hogan responded that multiple downspouts connect to the drain, that the drain extends around the front of the property and that she did not know the exact depth but believed it was less than five feet. Members debated whether those facts rose to the 'hardship' standard required for a variance or amounted to an inconvenience. The chair cautioned that denying the application outright would bar reapplication for six months and encouraged the applicant to work with staff to explore smaller or shifted options.

No letters of support or opposition were received and no public participants raised hands to speak. After discussion the board voted to continue the public hearing to allow Hogan to meet with staff and propose alternatives that might reduce the size of any required variance.

The board closed the item without a final decision; the hearing will continue at a future meeting pending the applicant’s follow-up with staff.