South Windsor Zoning Board approves side-yard variance for 115 Valley View Drive

On May 7, 2026, the South Windsor Zoning Board of Appeals approved a 4-foot side-yard variance to allow a 25-by-16-foot addition at 115 Valley View Drive.

The applicant, Oliver Hill Bansal, told the board the property is constrained by an irregular (nonrectangular) lot shape created by a curve on Valley View Drive, and that the house sits within three to four and a half feet of the setback on two sides. He said the proposed east-side addition would intrude into setback lines by roughly a 23–24 square-foot triangular wedge, representing about 5.75% of the home’s footprint. He also said moving the addition to the other side of the house is infeasible because a gravity-fed sewer lateral runs along that side; rerouting would require lengthy trenching, possible new street connection and could intrude into the wetland upland review area.

"We are asking for this variance because compromising the structural integrity of a foundation and roofline and thus building a substandard addition just ... is an unreasonable application of the dimensional regulations," Bansal said.

Board members praised the presentation and the documentation provided by planning staff. One commissioner said it was "one of the best presentations I've ever seen" and the sanitary sewer’s location was repeatedly cited in deliberations as a contributing hardship. Commissioners asked for a brief statement of the hardship for the record before the vote; deliberations noted the lot’s nonconforming frontage and unique geometry combined with utility constraints.

A motion to approve the variance was made and seconded; the board voted in favor and the chair declared the motion passed. The transcript records the motion and that the motion passed but does not list a recorded roll-call tally in the minutes read into the public record.

The legal notice read at the start of the hearing referenced application 28706 and listed applicants as "Oliver and Julia Hayabantsel"; the person presenting the case identified himself as Oliver Hill Bansal and his wife as Julia Huobenzell. The transcript contains inconsistent spellings and numbering (see audit). The application file and the town clerk’s office retain the official record for names, application number and the formal decision.

The board also noted there were no public commenters at the hearing. The board moved to its deliberative session after closing the public hearing and issued the approval during that session.