Zoning board tables pool variance at Alexis Drive after survey and measurement concerns

The Bolton Zoning Board of Appeals on Jan. 12 tabled an application from Stephen Rascher of 8 Alexis Drive seeking a variance to reduce the rear-yard setback from 40 feet to 26 feet to install a 14-by-30-foot in-ground pool. The board said it lacked a certified site survey and accurate, certified dimensions necessary to be confident of setback measurements.

Rascher described the proposal and told the board the rear boundary of his property borders a roughly 30-acre underdeveloped parcel. He said the planned pool “complies with the regulations pertaining to distances from the pool to well and septic system,” and that he had a new septic tank installed and permitted recently.

Board members raised concerns about the accuracy and provenance of the site drawing submitted with the application. Jonathan Treat noted the drawing dates from 1978 and is not a professional survey, and raised that the zoning officer is not a certified surveyor. Vice Chairman William Pike emphasized the board needs a substantial, typically authorized site survey and said he would speak with the zoning officer before the next meeting. Because the board could not verify certified dimensions or the house’s placement with confidence, the public hearing and application were tabled and will be continued at next month’s Zoning Board of Appeals meeting.

The minutes record no formal vote on the variance; instead, the board’s action was to continue the public hearing so the applicant can provide a certified survey and the zoning officer can confirm site measurements.