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Wolcott Zoning Board records denial of variance request for 12 Petrie Road
Summary
The Wolcott Zoning Board of Appeals denied a variance request from appellant Hilary Stanchfield for additions at 12 Petrie Road on June 10, 2026. The applicant cited septic system location and lot configuration as the hardship; the board referenced Stillman precedent during deliberations and recorded a roll-call vote that the minutes describe as denied.
The Wolcott Zoning Board of Appeals denied a zoning variance requested by appellant Hilary Stanchfield for an addition at 12 Petrie Road at its June 10, 2026 meeting.
Stanchfield told the board the house cannot be expanded upward because stairs would be difficult given injuries sustained during military service, the east side is constrained by the property line, and the septic system and leach field prevent pushing a rear addition more than about 12 feet farther back. Vice-Chairman Anthony Lombardi asked whether the well could be moved; Stanchfield said a new well would be required if the septic system were replaced and relocated.
Minutes of the hearing list the proposed work as a 12-foot addition off the back, 52.2 feet across the back, and a 16-foot addition on the right side; total depth was recorded as 36.3 feet and height 40 feet. The existing front setback was recorded at 23.4 feet, short of the 40-foot requirement in Schedule B, creating a stated need for a 17-foot variance.
Chairman Kenneth Barnes read three letters submitted to the record—Michael Graham and Charmaine Boisvert in support, and Patricia Saucier in opposition—and read an Appellate Court decision (Stillman v. Zoning Board of Appeals, 1991) describing when lot configuration and the locations of a well and septic system can constitute a hardship supporting a variance. After discussion, Vice-Chairman Lombardi moved, seconded by Barnes, to approve the variance citing the septic system as the hardship under that precedent.
The minutes record that a roll-call vote was taken and state the appeal was "DENIED," and list a tally as "(3-YES/1-No)." The scanned vote table in the minutes does not clearly align individual member votes with the names shown, so individual member votes are not specified in the record. The board subsequently voted unanimously to adjourn at 6:36 p.m.
The minutes note that an alternate member (Joseph Silva) was seated for the meeting; the board approved procedural actions including seating the alternate and approving minutes from March 11, 2026. No executive session was held.
Next steps were not specified in the minutes. The meeting packet and full recording are on file in the Wolcott Town Hall commission secretary's office, per the minutes.
