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Old Lyme ZBA raises variance and ZEO appeal application fee to $560, effective July 1
Summary
The Old Lyme Zoning Board of Appeals voted unanimously June 18 to raise variance and ZEO appeal application fees from $260 to $560, citing sharp increases in legally required newspaper-publication costs and a need to better cover staff review time.
The Old Lyme Zoning Board of Appeals on June 18 voted unanimously to raise the application fee for variance and ZEO appeal filings from $260 (the fee in place since at least 2012) to $560, effective July 1, 2026.
Staff told the board that publication costs for legally required newspaper notices and the time required for staff review have increased substantially, leaving the town to subsidize a growing portion of application processing. The proposal presented to the board allocates $60 of the new fee to the state and approximately $500 to the town to offset processing and public-notice expenses.
Board members asked about comparables in neighboring towns, whether printing requirements could be changed, and the burden on applicants. Staff replied that state law currently requires printed legal notices and that attempts to move notices to digital-only publication have not passed at the state level. Members agreed to revisit the fee in a year if costs continue to rise.
A motion to adopt the increase was made by Kathleen Tracy and seconded by Stephanie Mccl; the board approved the change unanimously, 5–0. The new fee will take effect July 1, 2026.
The board and staff said the increase is intended to shift more of the direct cost of application processing away from general taxpayers and onto applicants, while keeping the town capable of producing legally adequate public notices and covering professional review costs. The record of the meeting contains a minor discrepancy in the motion language (the motion text recorded a $500 figure), but the board’s discussion and the supporting materials presented to members clearly describe the intended fee as $560; the town should confirm the exact posted fee in the official fee schedule and minutes.
