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Woodstock ZBA recesses hearing on proposed accessory apartment at 15 Harter Road
Summary
The Woodstock Zoning Board of Appeals recessed the public hearing on an application to build a 454-square-foot accessory apartment at 15 Harter Road after members raised concerns about setback and structure-coverage variances and a neighbor’s letter about fence, landscaping and parking impacts.
The Woodstock Zoning Board of Appeals recessed public hearing ZBA case 258 on July 24, 2025 after hearing an applicant presentation and neighbor concerns about a proposed accessory apartment at 15 Harter Road.
The application, filed in the name of Damen Delissio and represented to the board by Joseph Estio, requests variances from section 260-16 (attachment two) for structure coverage exceeding the town’s 10% limit, a 10-foot infringement of the 15-foot side-yard setback, and relief under section 260-30B2 to allow parking in a required front yard to accommodate a 454-square-foot studio apartment.
The applicant described the project as an attached studio intended to provide housing for family members. “I have three daughters who want to live in Woodstock who can't afford the rent,” the applicant said during the presentation. He told the board the addition would sit five feet from the property line where the existing house currently sits further back.
Board members asked detailed questions about roof height and light, the proposed interior layout (studio with a small kitchen and bath), and parking. The applicant said parking would rely on an existing gravel driveway and estimated two regular vehicles on site.
A contiguous-neighbor letter read into the record raised specific concerns about replacing or repairing an existing fence, restoring landscaping after construction and ensuring that parking for any future occupant of the accessory unit not permanently extend in front of the neighbor’s property at 11 Harter Road.
Board members noted a key legal and policy distinction: adding a bedroom or small addition to a house is treated differently from creating a separate dwelling unit. Several members said creating a separate dwelling on an undersized lot is a materially larger variance that carries long-term consequences because any variance runs with the property.
The board agreed to accept additional drawings and to stake out the proposed addition on site so members can review the location in person. The board closed the public hearing, voted to recess the case and invited the applicant to submit revised plans or supplemental materials within the usual review window.
The board read contiguous neighbors into the record, including Mary Katherine Benique, Gail Hancock Huddle, Charles Johnson and Peter Vinci. Next steps noted on the record included a site stakeout and a return to the board after submission of revised drawings or further information.
