Zoning board tables request for covered riding arena at 639 Wheeler Road pending plans and use clarification

At its Feb. 3, 2026 meeting the Zoning Board of Appeals continued a request by Robert and Sarah Block for a variance to allow a roofed cover within the sideyard setback at 639 Wheeler Road.

The Blocks asked to reduce the required 25-foot sideyard to 9 feet to cover an existing riding ring so the facility can be used year-round. "I have a boarding business for horses at the property," Sarah Block told the board, describing an open-sided structure with about 16 feet of clearance and 5-foot sidewalls.

Board members said the most pressing missing information was formal construction drawings and clarity on whether the equestrian boarding business is a permitted use under the town's zoning rules. "One of the functions of this board is to provide a buffer for zoning regulations where there is a hardship that can be demonstrated," Chair Jim Went said, noting that a hardship created by the applicant's prior actions is generally insufficient justification for a variance.

Members who visited the site described a substantial pavilion-sized roof (one board member referenced roughly "130 foot by 80 foot") that could be visually dominant for the nearest neighbor. Ron Stelmack, who inspected the property, urged the applicants to provide plans that show massing and footings; he confirmed the footing and support elements for the proposed structure would be inside the fenced riding area.

The board also pressed the Blocks on the property's zoning and tax status. The applicants said they operate as an LLC, have eight paying boarders and believe farm status may apply; the board sought confirmation from town staff. "If the use is permitted and the structure complies with regulations we wouldn't need relief, but if you're asking to be 16 feet closer to the next property line we need a reason to let you do that," a member said.

A separate technical concern involved stormwater and nearby inland wetlands; a member asked how roof runoff would be handled even though the wetlands were said to be more than 150 feet from the riding ring. The board advised the Blocks to consult zoning staff (Mr. Nunan) during business hours, to submit formal drawings and to clarify the legal basis (farm/home-business status or other permit) for conducting paid riding lessons and boarding on the property.

Given those outstanding questions, the board voted to table the application and continue the public hearing to the next meeting (the first Tuesday in March). The Blocks were told they may bring drawings or meet with staff in the interim; no formal approval or denial of the variance was recorded at the Feb. 3 meeting.