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270 Main Street owner withdraws ADU variance, will redesign to meet Danville's 750 sq ft limit
Summary
Lawrence and Kellie Welch withdrew a requested variance for an 840 sq ft accessory dwelling unit at 270 Main Street and will revise plans to conform to Danville's 750 square-foot limit; the board advised submitting construction, septic and parking plans to the building inspector.
The Zoning Board of Adjustment on May 19 heard a Variance and Special Exception request from Lawrence and Kellie Welch for an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) at 270 Main Street and the applicants withdrew the variance after board members suggested the unit could be redesigned to meet the town's 750-square-foot limit.
Chairman Chris Stafford opened the hearing by identifying the relevant regulation as Zoning Article IV section 4.c.5, which limits ADUs to 750 square feet. The applicants had requested 840 square feet to accommodate a garage under the unit and to allow space for a wheelchair and circulation.
Applicant Kellie Welch told the board the detached ADU would include two bedrooms, one bathroom and an open-concept kitchen/living area, and that the extra square footage was intended to allow wheelchair access; she also said the septic system would be redone to accommodate the new unit. Board members noted non-habitable spaces (exterior walls, furnace, ductwork) can be excluded from the 750-square-foot calculation and encouraged the applicants to produce a more detailed plan that measures internal usable space.
Board member David Knight suggested a narrower footprint (for example, 28 by 28 feet or 28 by 26 feet, about 783 square feet) might meet the applicants' accessibility needs. Chairman Stafford also noted a State RSA change allowing ADUs between 750 and 950 square feet exists, but that the Town of Danville has chosen to limit ADUs to 750 square feet; because the proposal could be redesigned to comply, Kellie Welch withdrew the Variance application.
Board members told the applicants that if the revised ADU complies with the 750 square-foot allowance, only a building permit would be required. The Welch family was instructed to submit a construction plan, septic plan, plot plan and off-street parking details to the building inspector before proceeding.
No formal vote was taken on the variance request after the withdrawal; the board recommended the applicants return with revised plans if they choose to proceed.
