Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Boat Storage topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Falmouth ZBA delays boat‑storage permit at 391 Courier Road after neighbor complaints about on‑site work and noise
Summary
The Zoning Board of Appeals continued the special‑permit application from Joseph and Mary Ellen Vosce to allow boat storage at 391 Courier Road to May 7, 2026 after neighbors reported on‑site maintenance, shrink‑wrapping and heavy towing, and the board said it needs stakes, an inventory, a scaled plan and a screening/mitigation plan to evaluate 50‑foot setbacks and enforceability.
The Falmouth Zoning Board of Appeals on Wednesday continued an application by Joseph and Mary Ellen Vosce seeking a special permit to allow boat storage at 391 Courier Road after neighbors and board members raised concerns about noise, possible maintenance work on boats and an inability to verify setback compliance.
Chair Suzanne Murphy announced the continuance after board members said the site must be staked and documented so the board and the town’s enforcement officers can confirm whether boats meet the 50‑foot side‑yard setback required under the town’s boat‑storage provision. The board set a return date of May 7, 2026 so members can view the staked lot and review a revised, scaled plan.
Why it matters: the board told the applicants it can allow storage but not marine maintenance. Earlier enforcement correspondence from the building commissioner prompted the hearing; neighbors said they had recently discovered fleets of stored boats close to the road and saw people working on vessels, which could violate the zoning bylaw’s prohibition on cleaning, sanding, painting or repairing boats on the property unless explicitly authorized.
The applicant described long involvement with a nonprofit sailing school and said volunteers and others had placed boats on the property over time. The applicant said some boats were stored on site at the neighbor’s request and that a local hauler had placed roughly 20 boats there during hard times; he said many of those boats are slated for removal in the spring. Board members repeatedly pressed whether maintenance or repairs occur on site; the applicant said he winterizes, covers and cleans sailing‑school boats in his care but denied ongoing commercial repair activity.
Neighbor Linda of 79 Regis Road, who said her backyard abuts the storage area, told the board she regularly sees boats and reported witnessing people working near the boats, towing activity and large trucks. "I woke up one morning and I saw a lot of boats," she said, and asked whether there would be limits on hours and screening to reduce noise and visual impact.
The board’s technical concerns focused on enforceability: several members said the applicant must stake property corners and mark the 50‑foot line visibly, submit a scaled plan showing the stakes and the measurement scale, provide photos of the staked boundary, and submit an inventory of boats remaining after the sailing‑school fleet departs. Members suggested conditions that could include limits on the number of boats, a requirement that the site be used for storage only (no sanding or painting), and screening if the setback measures allow reduced separation (the bylaw permits a minimum 30‑foot separation with screening).
What’s next: the board continued the hearing to May 7, 2026. The board asked the applicant to return with the stakes, a scaled (measurable) plan, photos showing where the 50‑foot setback falls on the lot, and a screening/mitigation proposal for the abutter. If the board later grants a permit, conditions will reflect the storage‑only requirement and the measurable setbacks for enforcement.
No formal vote on the permit was taken; the sole action was a procedural continuance to allow stakeholder review of the staked site and the supplemental materials the board requested.
