Farmington ZBA Denies Variance for Sunroom at 7 Tain Mountain Road

The Town of Farmington Zoning Board of Appeals on Oct. 20 denied an application from Limitless Properties LLC to reduce the west-side yard setback from 25 feet to 13 feet for a sunroom at 7 Tain Mountain Road. The board voted against the approval motion on a roll-call that recorded six “No” votes, and the chair declared the application denied.

The applicant’s representative, who identified himself as Bishko Kolujachuk of Luminous Properties, told the board the proposed one-story sunroom would be located at the only feasible spot on the lot because a septic system and an easement limit other options. He described the exterior footprint as 14 by 12 feet and said the interior finished area would be roughly 120–140 square feet. “This was pretty much the only placement to put the sunroom in,” he said.

Neighbor Michael Marino of 19 Mountain Road spoke in opposition, saying plans were vague and raising concerns about drainage and visibility from his driveway. Marino cited prior denials of related variance requests and urged the board to treat the present application as a self-created hardship, stating, “When a when you have a free split ... you're creating your own situation where it's not a hardship.”

Board members and staff reviewed the property’s history: the house was built in 2020–21 by Best Built LLC and purchased by the current owner in March 2022; previous variance requests for the lot were denied, and the property contains a utility easement and septic constraints that shaped earlier decisions. Commissioners said those facts weighed against finding the kind of non-self-created hardship required under the zoning standard.

Several commissioners also flagged procedural and substantive weaknesses in the current submission: there were no detailed construction drawings in the record, some commissioners said the roof height and exact external equipment placement (a mini-split/heat-pump compressor) were unspecified, and members expressed difficulty assessing impacts without more precise plans. One commissioner said the record did not adequately show why the owner could not reasonably locate the addition elsewhere or reduce its size.

A motion to approve the variance was made and seconded. During discussion, commissioners reiterated concerns about prior subdivision choices that produced a limited buildable area, the lack of a clear hardship demonstration, and the absence of complete plans. The board then took a roll-call vote: Carrie Callahan — No; Christopher Cloud — No; Kate Grady Benson — No; Liz (Gamski/Lizkowski) — No; Haritha Subramanian — No; Chairman John Shuhorn — No. The motion failed and the application was denied.

The chair told the applicant that, under board rules, a denial prevents substantially similar proposals from being brought before the board for six months; an applicant may reapply after that period with significant changes. The board then approved the minutes from its September meeting and adjourned.

The record includes written opposition emailed by Michael Marino (dated Sept. 5 and Oct. 14, 2025), and staff noted application materials and correspondence are posted on the Town of Farmington website. No formal approvals or conditions were imposed in this session; the variance request was not granted.