The Rangeley Zoning Board of Appeals voted to grant a setback variance for a proposed garage at 32 High Street, allowing the rebuilt garage to be set five feet from the property line instead of the existing roughly 3.5 feet.

The variance matters because the existing garage had been grandfathered but was knocked down and therefore loses that status, requiring the board to find that literal enforcement of chapter 38 of the Rangeley Town Code would create an unnecessary hardship. Speaker 6 (applicant representative) said, "So there's a existing garage on the property," and added that the current garage "is 3 and a half feet off the property line." The applicant provided a written letter of support from an adjacent owner.

Board members reviewed the five statutory criteria under the Rangeley Town Code, including whether the land could yield a reasonable return without the variance, whether the need is due to unique property circumstances, and whether the variance would alter the essential character of the neighborhood. Speaker 3 summarized that the proposed change increases the setback (from about 3.5 feet to 5 feet) and therefore should not worsen the locality's character. Code enforcement staff flagged building‑code considerations: Speaker 4 noted the rebuild will be subject to the 2021 code’s firewall and other requirements (one‑hour walls where adjacent to other buildings), and the applicants indicated they were prepared to meet those standards.

After deliberation, the board moved to grant the setback variance for 32 High Street. The board recorded approval on the motion, with members voicing their assent. The board noted the approval is subject to the applicant obtaining a building permit and satisfying any code conditions identified by the code enforcement office.

The action resolves the immediate zoning question for 32 High Street; the next procedural step is the applicant’s building‑permit review and inspection process. The board adjourned the item and thanked the applicants for attending.