Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Planning board tables application to rebuild lakeside camp at 57 Picker Lane over setback, impervious-surface issues
Summary
The Belgrade Planning Board voted to table Steven Brown’s application to tear down and rebuild a camp at 57 Picker Lane after staff and board members flagged incomplete stormwater documentation, an existing impervious-surface nonconformity and unclear drawings for an 84-square-foot addition.
Steven Brown asked the Belgrade Planning Board on May 7 to approve tearing down and rebuilding a lakeside camp at 57 Picker Lane, saying the structure’s floors and ceilings are unsafe and he wants to build to code with higher ceilings.
Board members and staff questioned whether the proposal would increase the property’s nonconforming share of unvegetated (impervious) surfaces and noted that the application omitted a completed stormwater-management template. A staff member warned the application’s worksheet shows existing unvegetated coverage above the ordinance limit and that adding 84 square feet would make the lot more nonconforming unless Brown eliminated an equivalent amount of hard surface.
Brown said the additional square footage is primarily a small corner landing and a modest widening on one side; he told the board he will revise the plans and that the holding tank will remain in its current location. “I want to tear this thing down and rebuild,” Brown said, describing years of deterioration and recent structural failures inside the camp.
Board members identified three actions Brown could take: remove an existing front walkway (estimated about 3 by 10 feet), remove a rear landing (about 5 by 8 feet), or reduce the size of the proposed 4-by-16 landing so the net unvegetated area does not increase. Staff also recommended completing the stormwater plan and supplying a side elevation showing the proposed ridge and ceiling heights.
Members reviewed shoreland rules for structures within 25 feet of the high-water mark and reminded Brown that expansions — including increases in height or footprint close to the lake — are restricted by the ordinance. The board discussed alternatives such as lowering interior floors to gain ceiling height without increasing exterior elevation within the setback area.
After discussion, the board moved and seconded a motion to table the application so Brown can supply the missing stormwater documentation, produce a side elevation and reduce or trade off the additional impervious area. The board voted to table the application; the board asked Brown to resubmit revised drawings and to consult with staff before the next meeting.
Next steps: the board asked Brown to provide revised plans that show how he will eliminate roughly 84 square feet of hard surface or otherwise keep the property at its existing degree of nonconformity, to complete the stormwater-management template, and to submit a side elevation for review. The application will return to the board once those materials are filed.
