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Stratford board grants small height variance for garage at 289 Johnson Avenue
Summary
The Stratford Zoning Board of Appeals unanimously approved a modest height variance to allow storage space above an existing garage at 289 Johnson Avenue, finding the relief minimal and the condition preexisting; no footprint changes were permitted.
The Stratford Zoning Board of Appeals voted unanimously to grant a height variance for an accessory garage at 289 Johnson Avenue, allowing the owners to create storage space above an existing garage.
The applicants, Diana and Reynaldo Astacio, told the board they moved from New York and need additional space to store large holiday decorations and seasonal items. "We came from New York… the boxes are huge," Diana Astacio said, describing the household's storage needs and that the work would not change the building footprint.
Town staff presented a 1990 permit showing the garage roof ridge at 14 feet and the roof midpoint at 12 feet; staff explained the board measures height to the roof midpoint and noted a front dormer currently nearer 13 feet. Board members said the dormer work had been paused for inspection and that the applicants had not obtained a dormer permit before starting construction.
Members pressed the applicants on alternatives, including using the basement, and on safety measures. The petitioner said basement space is limited and agreed to install smoke alarms if required. Staff provided survey distances showing the garage sits roughly 4 feet to one side, about 7 feet to the rear, and about 8.7 feet to the other side of adjacent properties.
On the record, commissioners described the request as minimal relief for an existing condition that predates current zoning and was not created by the applicants. "It is the bare minimum," the chair said during deliberations, urging approval. The board took the petition off the table during its administrative session and approved the variance by roll call, 5‑0.
The board closed the public hearing with no public speakers in favor or opposition. The approval allows the additional storage space above the garage but does not authorize any change to the garage footprint; required permits and any building‑code conditions remain pending and contingent on the variance granting.
