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Hearing officer grants 90‑day continuance in appeal over 8,400‑sq.‑ft. barn built without permit
Summary
Zoning staff said an 8,400 sq. ft. barn and a 20‑foot retaining wall were built in 2023 without a building permit; the owner said the structure is part of a planned farm and asked for time to complete a survey and as‑built; the hearing officer granted 90 days to pursue permitting.
A Bristol hearing officer on March 19 granted a 90‑day continuance in an appeal over a large barn erected without a prior building permit, after zoning enforcement staff presented aerial photos and permit records showing the structure was built in 2023 without required approvals.
Brandon, the city’s zoning officer, told the hearing that aerial imagery and the file show an 8,400‑square‑foot barn and a 20‑foot‑high retaining wall constructed without an approved building permit. “A citation was issued on November 21 following failure to upload a floor plan,” he said, and noted the permit application submitted in August lacked the required floor plan and as‑built measurements.
Property owner Bob Demaris said the structure is part of a planned farm operation and described years of back‑and‑forth with previous staff and the zoning board of appeals. “This is the infant structure of a farm,” Demaris said, adding the farm reported about $17,850 in revenue in the most recent year the owner cited as the first profitable year. He and his attorney argued the site should be treated as farm use rather than a commercial building subject to an as‑built survey requirement.
The owner’s attorney asked the hearing officer for time to obtain a survey and produce an as‑built so the permit can be completed. Tom Glosier, the hearing officer, said the owner must show progress and directed the parties to provide updates on communications with engineering and surveying professionals. “I’ll mark this over for 90 days,” Glosier said.
Why it matters: The case centers on whether the post‑construction application and subsequent documentation meet local requirements and whether the structure should be classified and approved as part of a farm operation. Zoning staff limited the hearing to the failure to obtain a building permit and did not adjudicate broader zoning‑use disputes at this hearing.
What to watch: The owner must deliver a site survey and as‑built documents or show demonstrable progress within the 90‑day continuance. If the documentation remains incomplete, staff indicated further enforcement — including permit denial or citation enforcement — could follow.
